Summary  
The documents consist of telegrams and diplomatic correspondence from the U.S. Department of State to foreign governments and officials following the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy on June 5, 1968. These messages include condolences from President Lyndon B. Johnson and Secretary of State Dean Rusk, transmitted to leaders in Mali, Israel, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Afghanistan, and other countries. The telegrams reference formal acknowledgments of shared grief, transmission of messages to Mrs. Robert F. Kennedy and her family, and administrative details such as classification markings, telegraphic logs, and internal memos about handling diplomatic replies. Some documents note that the U.S. government did not plan to release certain communications publicly but had no objection to their dissemination by foreign counterparts. Additional telegrams detail responses from foreign leaders, including condolences from Canada’s Governor General, Germany’s President Heinrich Luebke, Afghanistan’s King Mohammed Zaher Shah, and others. A June 17, 1968, telegram references a condolence message from Johnson to Iraq’s Acting Prime Minister Hamed Al-IBaydi, with the White House noting no public release intent but allowing dissemination by the recipient. Translated responses from foreign leaders are included in some documents.  

Key People  
- Dean Rusk: Secretary of State who signed condolence letters.  
- Lyndon B. Johnson: U.S. President who sent condolences to foreign leaders.  
- Moussa Leo Keita: Ambassador of Mali, sender of a condolence message.  
- Zalman Shazar: President of Israel, recipient of a condolence message.  
- Levi Eshkol: Prime Minister of Israel, referenced in telegrams.  
- Gustavo Larrea Cordova: Foreign Minister of Ecuador, sender of a condolence message.  
- José de Magalhaes Pinto: Foreign Minister of Brazil, referenced in messages.  
- Pierre Elliott Trudeau: Prime Minister of Canada, recipient of a message from Johnson.  
- Heinrich Luebke: President of Germany, recipient of a message from Johnson.  
- Mohammed Zaher Shah: King of Afghanistan, recipient of a condolence message.  
- Hamed Al-IBaydi: Acting Prime Minister of Iraq, recipient of a message from Johnson.  

Key Locations  
- Washington, D.C.: Headquarters of the U.S. Department of State and White House.  
- Mali, Nicaragua, South Africa, Brazil, Costa Rica, Sweden, Canada, and other countries: Destinations of condolence messages.  
- Tel Aviv, Conakry, San Jose, Stockholm, Ottawa: Locations of U.S. embassies involved in transmitting messages.  
- Tripoli (Libya): Location referenced in telegrams involving Iraq’s Acting Prime Minister.  

Key Events  
- Assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy on June 5, 1968, in Los Angeles, California.  
- Transmission of condolence messages by U.S. officials to foreign leaders and governments.  
- Relay of foreign leaders’ condolences to Mrs. Robert F. Kennedy and her family.  
- Responses from foreign leaders, including formal condolences from Canada’s Governor General, Germany’s President, Afghanistan’s King, and Iraq’s Acting Prime Minister.  
- Internal U.S. State Department discussions about handling diplomatic replies and public release of messages.  

Key Organizations  
- U.S. Department of State: Central authority for managing diplomatic correspondence and condolence messages.  
- White House: Involved in approving and disseminating messages from President Johnson to foreign leaders.  
- Foreign embassies (e.g., Mali, Canada, Germany, Afghanistan, Iraq): Recipients of U.S. condolences and transmitters of responses.

RFK Declassified Files

pol_6-2_us_kennedy_06_14_1968_senator_robert_f._kennedy-part_1_of_5.pdf

Document Summary

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