USS Liberty veterans demand congressional investigation

[TheStripey1]

very strange... Does anyone have any information on this?

USS Liberty veterans demand congressional investigation

Jun. 3, 2007 12:00 AM

Conclusions submitted in October 2003 to the Office of the U.S. Secretary of Defense by the USS Liberty Veterans Association, Inc., in demanding a congressional investigation into the aborted rescue during the attack of the USS Liberty and subsequent alleged cover-up.

The group also calls for a new Naval Court of Inquiry and that June 8 be officially recognized as USS Liberty Remembrance Day.


1. That on June 8, 1967, after eight hours of aerial surveillance, Israel launched a two-hour air and naval attack against USS Liberty, the world's most sophisticated intelligence ship, inflicting 34 dead and 173 wounded American servicemen (a casualty rate of 70 percent, in a crew of 294);


2. That the Israeli air attack lasted approximately 25 minutes, during which time unmarked Israeli aircraft dropped napalm canisters on USS Liberty's bridge and fired 30mm cannons and rockets into our ship, causing 821 holes, more than 100 of which were rocket-size; survivors estimate 30 or more sorties were flown over the ship by a minimum of 12 attacking Israeli planes which were jamming all five American emergency radio channels;

3. That the torpedo boat attack involved not only the firing of torpedoes, but the machine-gunning of Liberty's firefighters and stretcher-bearers as they struggled to save their ship and crew; the Israeli torpedo boats later returned to machine-gun at close range three of the Liberty's life rafts that had been lowered into the water by survivors to rescue the most seriously wounded;

4. That there is compelling evidence that Israel's attack was a deliberate attempt to destroy an American ship and kill her entire crew; evidence of such intent is supported by statements from Secretary of State Dean Rusk, Undersecretary of State George Ball, former CIA Director Richard Helms, former NSA Directors Lt. Gen. William Odom, USA (Ret.), Adm. Bobby Ray Inman, USN (Ret.), and Marshal Carter; former NSA deputy directors Oliver Kirby and Maj. Gen. John Morrison, USAF (Ret.); and former Ambassador Dwight Porter, U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon in 1967;

...snip

7. That although Liberty was saved from almost certain destruction through the heroic efforts of the ship's captain, William L. McGonagle (MOH), and his brave crew, surviving crewmembers were later threatened with "court-martial, imprisonment or worse" if they exposed the truth; and were abandoned by their own government;

...snip


12. That a danger to our national security exists whenever our elected officials are willing to subordinate American interests to those of any foreign nation, and specifically are unwilling to challenge Israel's interests when they conflict with American interests; this policy, evidenced by the failure to defend USS Liberty and the subsequent official cover-up of the Israeli attack, endangers the safety of Americans and the security of the United States.





More information: www.ussliberty.org

[theHawk]

Will never happen. Israeli interests trump all, including American interests. We cannot dare shed any bad light on Israel. Who in Washington is going to have the balls to search for and show the truth to the world concerning Israel?

[theHawk]

And by the way, the Israelis tried to sink this boat and kill everyone on board so it could be blamed on the Palestinians. This was most likely an attempt to try to drag the U.S. into war against the Palestinians. Or at least thats what the theory is.

[Doniston]

Will never happen. Israeli interests trump all, including American interests. We cannot dare shed any bad light on Israel. Who in Washington is going to have the balls to search for and show the truth to the world concerning Israel?

Unfortunately, You are likely correct. But it is time that notice is taken that in effect Israel is dragging us down with them.

I wouldn't be a bit surprised that this could bethe beginning of a Bash Israel campaign

[Yurt]

Is Israel really controlling the US? To what advantage is it to the US to have Israel there? A lot.

Screw Osama and his bin loggin idiots, if not Israel, then anything. Islam's goal is the world, period.

[5stringJeff]

I had not head of this.

[Hugh Lincoln]

It's not surprising that most folks haven't heard of the USS Liberty, given that the media in America and the government dances to Israel's tune. But I was surprised on a recent trip to Norfolk, Va. to see the Liberty included in a Navy memorial, right there by Pearl Harbor and the rest. Israel is definitely not above killing U.S. servicemen to get its way, as the incident shows.

[Dilloduck]

It's not surprising that most folks haven't heard of the USS Liberty, given that the media in America and the government dances to Israel's tune. But I was surprised on a recent trip to Norfolk, Va. to see the Liberty included in a Navy memorial, right there by Pearl Harbor and the rest. Israel is definitely not above killing U.S. servicemen to get its way, as the incident shows.

It's immoral to let this lie continue. I've known about it for for years. Another example of Zionist power in American politics.

[theHawk]

I wouldn't be a bit surprised that this could bethe beginning of a Bash Israel campaign

Its not about bashing Israel. Its about standing up for ourselves as Americans. Its about us saying we've had enough of this blind support for Zionism, especially since we get nothing in return except distain from the surrounding Arab countries. The Zionists are free to live their lives in Israel and practice whatever racist policies they want, I just don't want to help pay for it through billions in tax dollars and blood.

[Psychoblues]

So, the Liberty means little or nothing to you

Its not about bashing Israel. Its about standing up for ourselves as Americans. Its about us saying we've had enough of this blind support for Zionism, especially since we get nothing in return except distain from the surrounding Arab countries. The Zionists are free to live their lives in Israel and practice whatever racist policies they want, I just don't want to help pay for it through billions in tax dollars and blood.

Carry on, lil' Nazi.

[Doniston]

Its not about bashing Israel. Its about standing up for ourselves as Americans. Its about us saying we've had enough of this blind support for Zionism, especially since we get nothing in return except distain from the surrounding Arab countries. The Zionists are free to live their lives in Israel and practice whatever racist policies they want, I just don't want to help pay for it through billions in tax dollars and blood.

I said it could be the beginning, and actually your's is the type of bashing I an talking about. Frankly, It is way past time and I fully agree with the emboldend portion of your statement.

[Dilloduck]

I said it could be the beginning, and actually your's is the type of bashing I an talking about. Frankly, It is way past time and I fully agree with the emboldend portion of your statement.

Speaking the truth is bashing ? Some people do bad things--it's a fact. Designating people as "bashers" for exposing the truth is an attempt to stifle speech by people who don't have the courage to listen to it.

[loosecannon]

1. That on June 8, 1967, after eight hours of aerial surveillance, Israel launched a two-hour air and naval attack against USS Liberty, the world's most sophisticated intelligence ship, inflicting 34 dead and 173 wounded American servicemen (a casualty rate of 70 percent, in a crew of 294);



2. That the Israeli air attack lasted approximately 25 minutes, during which time unmarked Israeli aircraft dropped napalm canisters on USS Liberty's bridge and fired 30mm cannons and rockets into our ship, causing 821 holes, more than 100 of which were rocket-size; survivors estimate 30 or more sorties were flown over the ship by a minimum of 12 attacking Israeli planes which were jamming all five American emergency radio channels;

3. That the torpedo boat attack involved not only the firing of torpedoes, but the machine-gunning of Liberty's firefighters and stretcher-bearers as they struggled to save their ship and crew; the Israeli torpedo boats later returned to machine-gun at close range three of the Liberty's life rafts that had been lowered into the water by survivors to rescue the most seriously wounded;

4. That there is compelling evidence that Israel's attack was a deliberate attempt to destroy an American ship and kill her entire crew; evidence of such intent is supported by statements from Secretary of State Dean Rusk, Undersecretary of State George Ball, former CIA Director Richard Helms, former NSA Directors Lt. Gen. William Odom, USA (Ret.), Adm. Bobby Ray Inman, USN (Ret.), and Marshal Carter; former NSA deputy directors Oliver Kirby and Maj. Gen. John Morrison, USAF (Ret.); and former Ambassador Dwight Porter, U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon in 1967;

5. That in attacking USS Liberty, Israel committed acts of murder against American servicemen and an act of war against the United States;

6. That fearing conflict with Israel, the White House deliberately prevented the U.S. Navy from coming to the defense of USS Liberty by recalling Sixth Fleet military rescue support while the ship was under attack; evidence of the recall of rescue aircraft is supported by statements of Capt. Joe Tully, Commanding Officer of the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga, and Rear Admiral Lawrence Geis, the Sixth Fleet carrier division commander, at the time of the attack; never before in American naval history has a rescue mission been cancelled when an American ship was under attack;

7. That although Liberty was saved from almost certain destruction through the heroic efforts of the ship's captain, William L. McGonagle (MOH), and his brave crew, surviving crewmembers were later threatened with "court-martial, imprisonment or worse" if they exposed the truth; and were abandoned by their own government;

8. That due to the influence of Israel's powerful supporters in the United States, the White House deliberately covered up the facts of this attack from the American people;

9. That due to continuing pressure by the pro-Israel lobby in the United States, this attack remains the only serious naval incident that has never been thoroughly investigated by Congress; to this day, no surviving crewmember has been permitted to officially and publicly testify about the attack;

10. That there has been an official cover-up without precedent in American naval history; the existence of such a cover-up is now supported by statements of Rear Adm. Merlin Staring, USN (Ret.), former Judge Advocate General of the Navy; and Capt. Ward Boston, USN, (Ret.), the chief counsel to the Navy's 1967 Court of Inquiry of Liberty attack;

11. That the truth about Israel's attack and subsequent White House cover-up continues to be officially concealed from the American people to the present day and is a national disgrace;

12. That a danger to our national security exists whenever our elected officials are willing to subordinate American interests to those of any foreign nation, and specifically are unwilling to challenge Israel's interests when they conflict with American interests; this policy, evidenced by the failure to defend USS Liberty and the subsequent official cover-up of the Israeli attack, endangers the safety of Americans and the security of the United States.



from wiki:

Critics assert that five U.S. congressional investigations and four other U.S. investigations were not investigations into the attack at all, but rather reports using evidence only from the U.S. Navy Court of Inquiry, or investigations unrelated to the culpability of the attack but rather discussing issues such as communications. In their view, the U.S. Navy Court of Inquiry is the only investigation on the incident to date. They claim it was hastily conducted, in only 10 days, even though the court’s president, Rear Admiral Isaac Kidd, said that it would take 6 months to properly conduct.[6]

Additionally, the court's legal counsel, Captain Ward Boston, JAGC, U.S. Navy, prepared and signed an affadavit (pdf) in which he claimed that Admiral Kidd had told him that the government ordered Kidd to falsely report that the attack was a mistake, and that he and Kidd both believed the attack was deliberate. He wrote, in part,

"The evidence was clear. Both Admiral Kidd and I believed with certainty that this attack, which killed 34 American sailors and injured 172 others, was a deliberate effort to sink an American ship and murder its entire crew. Each evening, after hearing testimony all day, we often spoke our private thoughts concerning what we had seen and heard. I recall Admiral Kidd repeatedly referring to the Israeli forces responsible for the attack as 'murderous bastards.' It was our shared belief, based on the documentary evidence and testimony we received first hand, that the Israeli attack was planned and deliberate, and could not possibly have been an accident."
...

Several key intelligence and military officials dispute Israel's explanation:

"...the board of inquiry (concluded) that the Israelis knew exactly what they were doing in attacking the Liberty."- Former CIA Director Richard Helms[7]
"I was never satisfied with the Israeli explanation. . . . Through diplomatic channels we refused to accept their explanations. I didn't believe them then, and I don't believe them to this day. The attack was outrageous "- Former US Secretary of State Dean Rusk[8]
...

As of 2006, the National Security Agency (NSA) has yet to declassify "boxes and boxes" of Liberty documents. Numerous requests under both declassification directives and the Freedom of Information Act are pending in various agencies including the NSA, Central Intelligence Agency, and Defense Intelligence Agency. The New York Times reported on December 21, 2006 that additional material about the Liberty incident would be released in 2007.

These conclusions have been challenged, most notably by an organization of Liberty survivors as well as by some key former high-ranking U.S. officials who were in office at the time. These skeptics have included Secretary of State Dean Rusk, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Director of the NSA, and the senior legal counsel to the U.S. Navy Court of Inquiry into the incident. While the matter is officially closed for purposes of Israeli-American relations, it remains controversial in public discussion.

[loosecannon]

BTW, it was 40 years ago today that IDF forces attacked and nearly sank the USS Liberty.

[Dilloduck]

BTW, it was 40 years ago today that IDF forces attacked and nearly sank the USS Liberty.

http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/ussliberty.html

(If the 9/11 conspiracy theorists really want to get carried away, they need to play with links from this site)