Zorin Commentary
Moscow Domestic Service in Russian 1900 GMT 23 November 1963--L
(Text) The dastardly assassination of U.S. President
Kennedy has shaken the world. The cruelty of this barbarous, medieval act has
caused all honest people, regardless of political views, to shudder. The
senseless death of the 46-year-old President, who was in the prime of life and
was distinguished by a depth of view rare among people of his upbringing--by the
ability to realistically evaluate any situation and by the strength and courage
to try to lift Washington policy out of the well-trodden rut of the cold war
onto a path of solving international problems now dividing the world by
negotiations--arouses profound sorrow.
It is quite natural that the world is now faced with the
question of why this loathsome crime was committed. Full details of this black
deed are not as yet known, although there can be no doubt that the truth will be
established. It is quite obvious that the assassination of President Kennedy
bears a political character. There are already some people who, in the very
first hours after the President's death, are trying to make out that this was
the act of a fanatic. I shall say quite plainly that this version is more than
dubious. To anyone who knows how security measures for protecting the President
are organized, it is clear that preparations for an attempt on his life are
beyond the means of a single fanatic.
No, what we have here is a political crime carefully prepared
and planned. Was it chance circumstance that it took place in the southern state
of Texas, which is commonly known as the stronghold of American racists,
Birchists, and other fascist-minded rabble? It is here that Senator Goldwater,
an aspirant to the presidency and the idol of the American rightists, enjoys
support. Of course, this was no accident, just as it was no accident that the
dastardly assassination took place at a time when, as a result of the efforts of
peace-loving people, signs of an easing of international tensions had become
apparent and prospects had arisen for improving relations between the Soviet
Union and the United States, to which no small contribution had been made by
President Kennedy.
There is an old principle: When a crime has been committed,
the person investigating it asks whom it benefits. Whom did it benefit to remove
from the political arena a man who strove to ease international tension and
improve relations with the Soviet Union? The answer is clear. It benefited the
enemies of peace, the champions of the cold war, who are ready to commit any
crime in order to preserve their war profits--all those whom the American people
have aptly named "madmen."