Today, marks the 40th anniversary since an American Naval ship, the USS Liberty, came under attack off the coast of Egypt. There was an air bombardment which lasted about 25 minutes, followed by an attack from nearby navy vessels. In the end, a total of 34 American sailors were murdered in broad day light and by whom? Our dearest ally, the apartheid state of "Israel."
The Israelis claim that the attack was "a case of mistaken identity." They say that they confused the USS Liberty with an Egyptian ship, al-Quseir, which was supposedly firing on Israeli forces in the Sinai.
"But there was no Egyptian naval bombardment that day; nor did the al-Quseir bear any resemblance to the Liberty."
About six hours prior to the attack, Israeli planes were flying above the Liberty, studying the situation and observing the clearly marked American ship.
"A 5' by 8' American flag was hoisted early that morning and was flying all day until it was shot away by attacking aircraft. Within several minutes, it was replaced by the giant 9' by 13" holiday ensign, which flew for the duration of the attack."
The USS Liberty was unarmed and was one of the most technically advanced naval ships of that time. It consisted of "dozens of large antennas, including a large moon-bounce "satellite-dish" mounted on a tall structure near the stern. It may have been one of the most easily identifiable ships of any navy in the world. With a displacement of 10,000 tons, it was four times the size of the antique Egyptian transport it is claimed to have resembled. Freshly painted, the Liberty carried 10' high white identification numbers on its bow. Egyptian hull markings are painted black."
Many of the survivors are outraged that it has been 40 years and they still do not understand why they were attacked.
Why would Israel bomb an American navy vessel?
Well, there is a couple of explanations. First, the USS Liberty's sole purpose was to collect observations and data of the happenings in Egypt and Israel. Israel did not want to let the word get out of the atrocities that it was committing in Egypt.
Another explanation is that Israel wanted America to get involved in the 1967 war. So, by sinking the USS Liberty and blaming the Egyptians, America would be dragged into the war.
The 1967 US Navy Court of Inquiry originally accepted the Israeli version, but the chief attorney is now saying there was a cover-up.
"In not one of these investigations were any of the Liberty's surviving crewmembers permitted to publicly testify.
Recently, high government and military officials have suggested that not only was the attack deliberate, but that the US government covered up the incident. In 2003, an Independent Commission of Inquiry found that Israel committed "an act of war" against the United States (see
Findings of Independent Commission).In addition, the Navy's chief attorney to the original 1967 military Court of Inquiry has issued a statement that orders to cover-up the incident were issued by President Lyndon Johnson and Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara [see
Statement of Captain Ward Boston, USN, JAG (Ret.) (PDF)]. "
FAQ on the USS Liberty
