Cover-Up Alleged in Probe of USS Liberty

[cthrumatrix]

Cover-Up Alleged in Probe of USS Liberty
Wed Oct 22, 8:47 PM ET


By JENNIFER C. KERR, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - A former Navy attorney who helped lead the military investigation of the 1967 Israeli attack on the USS Liberty that killed 34 American servicemen says former President Lyndon Johnson and his defense secretary, Robert McNamara, ordered that the inquiry conclude the incident was an accident.

In a signed affidavit released at a Capitol Hill news conference, retired Capt. Ward Boston said Johnson and McNamara told those heading the Navy's inquiry to "conclude that the attack was a case of 'mistaken identity' despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary."


Boston was senior legal counsel to the Navy's original 1967 review of the attack. He said in the sworn statement that he stayed silent for years because he's a military man, and "when orders come ... I follow them."

snip

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20031023/ap_on_go_ot/spy_ship_israel_4


info on the whole incident: http://www.ussliberty.org/

[drewb]

1. This is my favorite quote from the article....

"Why would our government put Israel's interests ahead of our own?" Moorer asked from his wheelchair at the news conference. He was chief of naval operations at the time of the attack.

Yeah... WHY??? :shrug:

[cthrumatrix]

4. First hand account of the attack by the Israeli's on the US.....

Then, inexplicably, at 2 p.m., unmarked Israeli aircraft began attacking the ship.

snip
The Liberty, an elaborate state-of-the art intelligence gathering ship -- "we were the best spy ship in the Navy," says Scarborough, a Columbus resident -- was powerless to react.

"We were barely able to get an SOS off," he said.

For the next 75 minutes, the Liberty was attacked from above... and below.

A torpedo shell, one of five fired by an unmarked torpedo boat, tore a gaping hole in the hull of the Liberty. Reportedly, 821 rocket and machine-gun holes were later counted in the Liberty's hull.

"The explosion killed 25 guys who minutes earlier had been sitting across from me in the sleeping quarters," Scarborough said.

By the end of that afternoon -- June 8, 1967 -- 34 men were dead and 171 wounded, including Scarborough. Only 91 members of a crew of 296 walked, or swam, away unscathed.
snip

http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/ledgerenquirer/news/6111492.htm

[papau]

7. I knew Admiral Moorer as a Board Member of USLICO Ins Co - and

I would NOT put much faith into his thoughts about either blacks or Jews, although he was indeed the bluntest of the JCS in expressing his very rotten biases.

Which does not mean Mr. Boston has such biases - only that pulling Moorer into the PR makes me wonder.

[Zhade]

2. kick

.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. Why did the incident happen?

Found these two paragraphs enlightening:

"Why would our government put Israel's interests ahead of our own?" Moorer asked from his wheelchair at the news conference. He was chief of naval operations at the time of the attack.

snip

Moorer's panel suggested several possible reasons Israel might have wanted to attack a U.S. ship. Among them: Israel intended to sink the ship and blame Egypt because it might have brought the United States into the 1967 war.


I know Israel is an emotional issue for many on this board, but I think it is about time for the US to stop considering Israel as practically the 51st state. It is a sovereign nation with its own agenda, and that agenda does not always correlate to the best interests of the US.

[cthrumatrix]

6. Looks like the Israeli's wanted to blame Egypt.... hmmmm (read on)

snip

When the Israelis saw they were unable to sink the ship after more than two hours of intense attack, they offered support to the survivors, who refused it. The Liberty limped into Malta, where 821 rocket and missile holes and more than 3,000 holes from armor-piercing bullets were counted.

In subsequent “explanations” Israelis said they had mistaken the ship for the Egyptian “al-Qusair,” although the profiles of the two ships had nothing in common: the Egyptian ship displaced 2,000 tons, the American one 10,000. The American ship was clearly marked and it flew a standard American flag which measured 5 by 8 feet. The flag was destroyed during the first attack but it was replaced immediately by a 9-by-15 foot “holiday flag” and it flew throughout the attack. The Israelis never attempted to explain how they had acquired the frequencies over which the ship transmitted and why they had blocked these frequencies; the Egyptian frequencies would have been quite different. Nor have the Israelis explained why the aircraft were unmarked.

While in Malta most of the surviving officers and men were interviewed in several groups by Rear Admiral Isaac Kidd, who ostentatiously took off the stars on his uniform in each case and said, “Now, tell me, man-to-man, everything that happened.” They all did. Then he equally ostentatiously put the stars back on and said, “Now I’m talking officially; you are never, repeat, never to discuss this with anyone, not even your wives. If you do you will be court-martialed and will end your lives in prison—or worse.” For years almost no one spoke out. Now almost all the survivors who can be contacted do.

snip

http://www.washington-report.org/backissues/1299/9912028.html

[The Backlash Cometh]

11. Very good observations.

Sad, but true. If Republicans know how to lead the sheep in this country, you can best believe that other countries have figured out how to do it as well.

[xchrom]

5. gee -- i just wish

i could say i was surprised. ain't that sad?

[rini]

8. ancient crap

proven untrue many years ago! Mmmmm, wonder why and who would try to hydrate it? any ideas?

[Malikshah]

9. Denial doesn't work

For the US and the Israelis to move on--to work towards a better future for all-- folks must wake up, stare reality in the face and accept the unvarnished truth.

It is a sad day when folks continue to write off the deaths of the USS Liberty as "ancient crap." We've had enough sad days.

[Noordam]

10. Tell the families of the 34 killed that this is "ancient crap"

Israel killed 34 US military men. Grrrrrr

[TahitiNut]

12. duplicate

See http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=179696&mesg_id=179696

I'm locking this thread. Interested DUers are welcome to continue discussing this in the referenced thread.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation,
TahitiNut - DU moderator