Dragon Door
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Jun
8
Remember the Liberty!
Filed Under History
Today is June 8th, the anniversary of the Israeli attack on the USS Liberty. I’m not sure if this is America’s most shamful secret, but it sure is one of them. And another democrat president covers up the truth about an attack too…
‘The USS Liberty’: America’s Most Shameful Secret by Eric Margolis
This article was written in 2001.
NEW YORK – On the fourth day of the 1967 Arab Israeli War, the intelligence ship “USS Liberty” was steaming slowly in international waters, 14 miles off the Sinai Peninsula. Israeli armored forces were racing deep into Sinai in hot pursuit of the retreating Egyptian army.
“Liberty,” a World War II freighter, had been converted into an intelligence vessel by the top-secret US National Security Agency, and packed with the latest signals and electronic interception equipment. The ship bristled with antennas and electronic “ears” including TRSSCOMM, a system that delivered real-time intercepts to Washington by bouncing a stream of microwaves off the moon.
“Liberty” had been rushed to Sinai to monitor communications of the belligerents in the Third Arab Israeli War: Israel and her foes, Egypt, Syria, and Jordan.
At 0800 hrs, 8 June, 1967, eight Israeli recon flights flew over “Liberty,” which was flying a large American flag. At 1400 hrs, waves of low-flying Israeli Mystere and Mirage-III fighter-bombers repeatedly attacked the American vessel with rockets, napalm, and cannon. The air attacks lasted 20 minutes, concentrating on the ship’s electronic antennas and dishes. The “Liberty” was left afire, listing sharply. Eight of her crew lay dead, a hundred seriously wounded, including the captain, Commander William McGonagle.
At 1424 hrs, three Israeli torpedo boats attacked, raking the burning “Liberty” with 20mm and 40mm shells. At 1431hrs an Israeli torpedo hit the “Liberty” midship, precisely where the signals intelligence systems were located. Twenty-five more Americans died.
Israeli gunboats circled the wounded “Liberty,” firing at crewmen trying to fight the fires. At 1515, the crew were ordered to abandon ship. The Israeli warships closed and poured machine gun fire into the crowded life rafts, sinking two. As American sailors were being massacred in cold blood, a rescue mission by US Sixth Fleet carrier aircraft was mysteriously aborted on orders from the White House. Continued:
http://lewrockwell.com/margolis/margolis12.2.html
What do you think about the attack?
What do you think about democrat president Johnson covering up the attack?
Leave a comment if you like.
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9 Responses to “Remember the Liberty!”
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i for one do not believe that israel deliberately attacked an american vessel. they were about to fight egypt, jordan, and syria. it could have –but didn’t– involve lebanon too. given (probable iraqi, iranian) –definitely soviet– (and likely others support against them((israel)) it seems ludicrous to suggest a deliberate attack–and certainly even in the highly unlikely case of a deliberate attack(that such a thing be sanctioned by israeli leadership– even if with the worst of their leadership). no i maintain it was accidental. i don’t get the value of propping up a pro-palestinian or other anti-israel cause as having any validity. at most the attack is a historical oddity. in war things go badly even for the victor.
while any innocent (or 3rd party or collateral) life lost is tragic. president johnson’s (attributed) failure to talk up the issue was likely one of the few (assuming any others) virtues of his administration. he had not fulfilled on pre-existing contracts-orders- for desperately needed planes, etc.
in spite of that — israel won. the firing on the ship while definitely unfortunate and regrettable is not a legitimate issue for rallying sympathy against israel. in fact it is the type of thing i generally have the most difficulty with on libertarian websites– when such a story is highlighted.
having said all that, my condolences to those who lost their lives or otherwise suffered.
Hi Bruce,
Thanks for your comments.
Are you sure you are not letting your feelings get in way of the facts?
I would suggest reading some of the reviews on Amazon. I think you would find them interesting.
Some questions to consider:
Why would two Israeli pilots go to jail for 18 years rather than attack the ship?
Why the personal attacks on the rest of the crew when they tried to expose the story?
What about the evidence from the US Navy EC-121 intelligence aircraft that was flying high overhead the “Liberty” and electronically recorded the attack?
Why would you believe any government?
What would it take you to convince you that you are wrong?
We can’t let our feelings get in way of the truth.
As for me, so far, the evidence presented so far does not support the official story.
Just one more comment for now – re: your comment – “it seems ludicrous to suggest a deliberate attack”. Why?
Actually, it makes a lot of sense. Attack, and blame it on Egypt, and bring the US into the war. What they did not count on was the survivors and the US Navy EC-121 intelligence aircraft recording the attack.
seangalt wrote”
Why would two Israeli pilots go to jail for 18 years rather than attack the ship?
Why the personal attacks on the rest of the crew when they tried to expose the story?
……………………….
Why would you believe any government?”
all good points to consider if true. don’t know your source. it is true that no government should get a free pass re the truth. it is also the case that israel being repeatedly (ad nauseam) subjected to (unbelievably) vicious press that i see a reason to give their own position credibility.
as i say this stuff is interesting. i don’t see its relevance in libertarian circles though. it does tend to grate on nerves.
I think there are lots of reasons for libertarians to be interested.
Perhaps I’ll go into later. I’m on a webinar right now.
You can read about the source from the original article, and the relevant reviews on Amazon.
Bruce,
You are letting your Jewish heritage get the best of you here. If the United States wanted to get into a war why would it be so far fetched to allow this to happen?
How did we get into it with the Japanese – Pearl Harbor – you don’t question anything about whether or not we knew that was coming in advance do you?
What about Germany? You don’t believe that sending the hospital ship out there to get attacked was a mistake do you?
Come on, we all know it happens. This is just another one of those times. Just because you are Jewish doesn’t make it a lie.
israel didn’t need america in the war. in 1956 britain and france were in the way. in 1967 israel beat arab nations without america in 6 days. you think america would have made it faster or better. if so explain iraq–with our excessive time there.
it has further been suggested above as to american motives- were there a conspiracy. even were that valid –as i said– israel didn’t need it. it is inconsistent with israel’s character.
highly unlikely that this inflammatory claim has much in the way of merit.