-Caveat Lector-
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Date: Sun, 6 Jan 2002 23:26:57 -0500
From: Dana Paramskas <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: "CANADA-L Political,Social,Cultural,Economic Issues in Canada"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Somewhat more controversial history stuff...
but still a change from Party of Citizens... :)
Dana
==============
Subject: New light on 1967 Israeli-Arab war
Note from the originator of the message:
Essentially a quick summary of James Bamford's "Body of Secrets".
Apparently the intercepts were bounced off the troposphere or
ionosphere, not the moon.
- - (LewRockwell.com) - -
'The USS Liberty': America's Most Shameful Secret
by Eric S. Margolis
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.
An hour after the attack, Israeli warships and planes returned.
Commander McGonagle gave the order. 'prepare to repel borders.' But
the Israelis, probably fearful of intervention by the US Sixth Fleet,
departed. 'Liberty' was left shattered but still defiant, her flag
flying.
The Israeli attacks killed 34 US seamen and wounded 171 out of a crew
of 297, the worst loss of American naval personnel from hostile
action since World War II.
Less than an hour after the attack, Israel told Washington its forces
had committed a 'tragic error.' Later, Israel claimed it had mistaken
'Liberty' for an ancient Egyptian horse transport. US Secretary of
State, Dean Rusk, and Joint Chiefs of Staff head, Admiral Thomas
Moorer, insisted the Israeli attack was deliberate and designed to
sink 'Liberty.' So did three CIA reports; one asserted Israel's
Defense Minister, Gen. Moshe Dayan, had personally ordered the attack.
In contrast to American outrage over North Korea's assault on the
intelligence ship 'Pueblo,' Iraq's mistaken missile strike on the USS
'Stark,' last fall's bombing of the USS 'Cole' in Aden, and the
recent US-China air incident, the savaging of 'Liberty' was quickly
hushed up by President Lyndon Johnson and Defense Secretary Robert
McNamara.
The White House and Congress immediately accepted Israel's
explanation and let the matter drop. Israel later paid a token
reparation of US $6 million. There were reports two Israeli pilots
who had refused to attack 'Liberty' were jailed for 18 years.
Surviving 'Liberty' crew members would not be silenced. They kept
demanding an open inquiry and tried to tell their story of deliberate
attack to the media. Israel's government worked behind the scenes to
thwart these efforts, going so far as having American pro-Israel
groups accuse 'Liberty's' survivors of being 'anti-Semites' and
'Israel-haters.' Major TV networks cancelled interviews with the
crew. A book about the 'Liberty' by crewman James Ennes' was dropped
from distribution. The Israel lobby branded him 'an Arab
propagandist.'
The attack on 'Liberty' was fading into obscurity until last week,
when intelligence expert James Bamford came out with Body of Secrets,
his latest book about the National Security Agency. In a stunning
revelation, Bamford writes that unknown to Israel, a US Navy EC-121
intelligence aircraft was flying high overhead the 'Liberty,'
electronically recorded the attack. The US aircraft crew provides
evidence that the Israeli pilots knew full well that they were
attacking a US Navy ship flying the American flag.
Why did Israel try to sink a naval vessel of its benefactor and ally?
Most likely because 'Liberty's' intercepts flatly contradicted
Israel's claim, made at the war's beginning on 5 June, that Egypt had
attacked Israel, and that Israel's massive air assault on three Arab
nations was in retaliation. In fact, Israel began the war by a
devastating, Pearl-Harbor style surprise attack that caught the Arabs
in bed and destroyed their entire air forces.
Israel was also preparing to attack Syria to seize its strategic
Golan Heights. Washington warned Israel not to invade Syria, which
had remained inactive while Israel fought Egypt. Bamford says
Israel's offensive against Syria was abruptly postponed when
'Liberty' appeared off Sinai, then launched once it was knocked out
of action. Israel's claim that Syria had attacked it could have been
disproved by 'Liberty.'
Most significant, 'Liberty's' intercepts may have shown that Israel
seized upon sharply rising Arab-Israeli tensions in May-June 1967 to
launch a long-planned war to invade and annex the West Bank,
Jerusalem, Golan and Sinai.
Far more shocking was Washington's response. Writes Bamford: 'Despite
the overwhelming evidence that Israel attacked the ship and killed
American servicemen deliberately, the Johnson Administration and
Congress covered up the entire incident.' Why?
Domestic politics. Johnson, a man never noted for high moral values,
preferred to cover up the attack rather than anger a key constituency
and major financial backer of the Democratic Party. Congress was even
less eager to touch this 'third rail' issue.
Commander McGonagle was quietly awarded the Medal of Honor for his
and his men's heroism - not in the White House, as is usual, but in
an obscure ceremony at the Washington Navy Yard. Crew member's graves
were inscribed, 'died in the Eastern Mediterranean..' as if they had
be killed by disease, rather than hostile action.
A member of President Johnson's staff believed there was a more
complex reason for the cover-up: Johnson offered Jewish liberals
unconditional backing of Israel, and a cover-up of the 'Liberty'
attack, in exchange for the liberal toning down their strident
criticism of his policies in the then raging Vietnam War.
Israel, which claims it fought a war of self defense in 1967 and had
no prior territorial ambitions, will be much displeased by Bamford's
revelations. Those who believe Israel illegally occupies the West
Bank and Golan will be emboldened.
Much more important, the US government's long, disgraceful cover-up
of the premeditated attack on 'Liberty' has now burst into the open
and demands full-scale investigation. After 34 years, the voices of
'Liberty's' dead and wounded seamen must finally be heard.
May 2, 2001
Copyright Eric S. Margolis 2001
Eric Margolis is foreign correspondent for the Toronto Sun.
Back to LewRockwell.com Home Page
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