USS Liberty

[Qwertyasdfg]

What exactly happened with the USS Liberty? As I understand it, Israel attacked it. Why? What kind of fallout was there?

[Mr.Duality]

“http://208.56.153.48/jim/ussliberty”

[Mr.Duality]

The link is nonfunctional, but that IS the correct address. Maybe it’s not working because I forgot to put a slash at the end.

[bibliophage]

Fixed link: http://208.56.153.48/jim/ussliberty

No need for quotation marks, Mr. D., just a blank space on either side of the URL.

[Crusoe]

Try this:

http://208.56.153.48/jim/ussliberty

My (brief) understanding: the Liberty was an intelligence gathering vessel close to the coastal town of El Arish. Around that time, Israeli soldiers massacred Egyptian prisoners in the town, and the Israeli military were concerned about this being monitored (according to historians, this was part of a larger plan to conceal any dubious tactics used during the Six Day War).

After a confused report from an Israeli officer that his troops were being shelled from the sea (either mistaken or an outright lie) unmarked Israeli fighters attacked the Liberty, killing 34. Apparently recent evidence has suggested that a Navy/NSA EC-121 aircraft monitored the entire attack, and were aware that the attackers were Israeli.

As Navy aircraft were scrambled from the USS America to protect the Liberty, US officials in Washington were informed of the attack. Here’s where it gets unclear. The article I’m basing this post on claims that ‘senior officials in Washington’ wanted to prevent Israel from being embarrassed internationally and wanted to keep US-Israeli relations smooth. According to this article, the US embassy in Tel Aviv encouraged President Johnson not to make a fuss, since the proximity of the Liberty to the conflict might fuel Arab suspicions that the US was aiding the Israelis.

I’d link to the article (it’s from yesterday’s Guardian, which is left-ish but hardly pro- or anti-Israeli) but their site search is down. The names mentioned in the article include CPO Marvin Nowicki (crewman on the EC-121), NSA Deputy Director Tordella, R/Adm Lawrence Geis and James Bamford (who’s recently published a book, Body of Secrets, on this).

[curwin]

From the Jerusalem Post archives (sorry, no link):

Israel apologized to the US but claimed there had been a misidentification and that the ship’s markings were inadequate. Israel paid more than $12 million in compensation.

And from a letter to the editor to the Jerusalem Post:

Sir, - During the 1967 Six Day War, the IDF attacked the American spy ship USS Liberty, killing 34 sailors and wounding 117. The incident gave rise to a dilemma for Israel, the US, and the United States and for American Jews.

Judge A. Jay Cristol, former naval pilot and attorney, spent over a decade researching the incident, in an attempt to determine whether the attack was deliberate or accidental. While previous books have indulged in false interviews, false claims, and fabrications. Cristol’s book, The Liberty Incident, is a factual summary of vast research.

I have always wondered how the Israeli pilots did not recognize the American flag. Cristol clearly proves that the incident was a mistake, as it was a windless day and the flag was hanging instead of flying in the wind.

Dr. LAWRENCE NESSMAN

Colonel USAR, ret.

Wayne, New Jersey

[Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker]

An earlier thread on this subject:

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=10691

[lawoot]

There wil be a show airing on The History Channel tonight @ 8 (check local listings, of course)

[MEBuckner]

*Originally posted by Crusoe *
Try this:

http://208.56.153.48/jim/ussliberty

My (brief) understanding: the Liberty was an intelligence gathering vessel close to the coastal town of El Arish. Around that time, Israeli soldiers massacred Egyptian prisoners in the town, and the Israeli military were concerned about this being monitored (according to historians, this was part of a larger plan to conceal any dubious tactics used during the Six Day War).

After a confused report from an Israeli officer that his troops were being shelled from the sea (either mistaken or an outright lie) unmarked Israeli fighters attacked the Liberty, killing 34. Apparently recent evidence has suggested that a Navy/NSA EC-121 aircraft monitored the entire attack, and were aware that the attackers were Israeli.

As Navy aircraft were scrambled from the USS America to protect the Liberty, US officials in Washington were informed of the attack. Here’s where it gets unclear. The article I’m basing this post on claims that ‘senior officials in Washington’ wanted to prevent Israel from being embarrassed internationally and wanted to keep US-Israeli relations smooth. According to this article, the US embassy in Tel Aviv encouraged President Johnson not to make a fuss, since the proximity of the Liberty to the conflict might fuel Arab suspicions that the US was aiding the Israelis.

I’d link to the article (it’s from yesterday’s Guardian, which is left-ish but hardly pro- or anti-Israeli) but their site search is down. The names mentioned in the article include CPO Marvin Nowicki (crewman on the EC-121), NSA Deputy Director Tordella, R/Adm Lawrence Geis and James Bamford (who’s recently published a book, Body of Secrets, on this).

I don’t have any deep knowledge of the incident either, but here is a link to an article from The New Republic magazine which pretty much contradicts everything in that account: Unfriendly Fire: Why Did Israeli Troops Attack the USS Liberty? by Michael Oren.