40 Years Later...Still No Justice For The USS Liberty
By Dave Gibson (06/09/07)
On June 8, 1967, the surveillance ship USS Liberty was on duty in international waters off the Sinai Peninsula, when it was attacked by Israeli forces. Though the ship was clearly marked Israel claimed the act of war to simply be a case of "mistaken identity." Despite the loss of 34 American sailors, there has never been a meaningful investigation into the attack.
On the morning of June 8, many Liberty sailors were enjoying some down time sunbathing on the deck, and began watching Israeli planes make over-flights of the ship. The crew counted a total of 13 such flights which were so low that they could see the faces of the Israeli pilots and even exchanged waves.
At 2:00 pm Israeli jets began hitting the Liberty with rocket and cannon fire, the decks were then napalmed, and the ship was then hit with a torpedo from an Israeli attack boat. By the time the attack had ended, the Liberty had sustained over 800 rocket and cannon hits, 34 sailors were dead and 172 injured, even the Liberty's life boats had been shredded by Israeli machine gun fire (a war crime).
Such a dastardly and obviously deliberate attack should have brought down the full wrath of the U.S. military upon the murderous attackers. However, not only were there no retaliatory strikes ordered but the Johnson administration would not even allow nearby U.S. Navy forces to come to Liberty's aid and stop the attack.
Once the Liberty could establish radio contact, they hailed the Sixth Fleet for assistance. Twice F-4 Phantoms were launched from the USS Saratoga and the USS America and both times Sec. of Defense Robert McNamara ordered the planes to return. After the second recall, Rear Adm. William Geis called the Pentagon. During that phone call, President Johnson himself came on the line and ordered the planes to return.
Years ago, Cdr. David Lewis (USS Liberty survivor) states that Adm. Geis told him in confidence that President Johnson said: "I do not care if every man drowned and the ship sank, we will not embarrass an ally."
The Israelis claimed it was a case of "mistaken identity."
Following the attack, a U.S. Navy Board of Inquiry into the incident convened. Though the amount of evidence was immense and there were several dozen interviews to conduct, the Court of Inquiry was given only a week to complete their work. The Court was not even allowed to consider sworn declarations from more than 60 still-hospitalized Liberty sailors.
Chief Legal Counsel to the Board of Inquiry Capt. Ward Boston and president of the Court Adm. Isaac C. Kidd felt it necessary to travel to Israel and interview those who had taken part in the attack. They were rebuffed in that effort by Adm. John S. McCain Jr., then serving as Commander-in-Chief, Naval Forces Europe. Adm. McCain would not allow the two any contact with the Israelis.
In a sworn affidavit, Capt. Ward Boston (ret.) made the following statements concurring the cover-up of the USS Liberty attack:
"I know from personal conversations I had with Admiral Kidd that President Lyndon Johnson and Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara ordered him to conclude that the attack was a case of 'mistaken identity' despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary."
Admiral Kidd told me, after returning from Washington D.C. that he had been ordered to sit down with two civilians from either the White House or the Defense Department, and rewrite portions of the court's findings."
Admiral Kidd also told me that he had been ordered to 'put the lid' on everything having to do with the attack on USS Liberty. We were never to speak of it and we were to caution everyone else involved that they could never speak of it again."
"I have no reason to doubt the accuracy of that statement as I know that the Court of Inquiry transcript that has been released to the public is not the same one that I certified and sent off to Washington."
"Finally, the testimony of Lt. Painter concerning the deliberate machine gunning of the life rafts by the Israeli torpedo boat crews, which I distinctly recall being given at the Court of Inquiry and included in the original transcript is now missing and has been excised."
Capt. Boston dictated these statements in affidavit form in early 2004, and it has been widely distributed and can readily be viewed via the internet.
In 2003, an independent committee comprised of retired high-ranking military officers and a former U.S. Ambassador to the Middle-East formed to examine the attack on the Liberty and the subsequent cover-up. On October 22, 2003, the group came to Capitol Hill to release their findings and ask Congress for an official investigation.
Member of that independent committee and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Thomas Moorer made the following statement:
"Congress has never investigate the recall by the White House of U.S. Navy aircraft sent to rescue the Liberty while the ship was still under attack. The White House cancellation of the Navy's attempt to rescue the Liberty is the most disgraceful thing I have witnessed in my entire military career."
"Why would our government put Israel's interests ahead of our own? Does it continue to do so? This is an important issue that should be investigated by an independent Commission of Inquiry, the findings have grave implications for our national security and for the American people. In order to confront this problem, the American people and our elected officials will need to overcome their fear of the pro-Israel lobby in the United States."
Despite these bombshell revelations delivered by highly respected senior military officers, Congress continues to ignore the facts of the Liberty attack as well as the pleas for an investigation.
What is Congress afraid of?...Could it be the fact that AIPAC (The American Israel Public Affairs Committee) lines the pockets of many of our Senators and Congressmen? The Center for Responsive Politics reports that between the years of 1990-2004, pro-Israel groups gave $56.8 million in campaign contributions to U.S. politicians.
On this the 40th anniversary of the criminal attack on the USS Liberty, please take a moment to remember those killed and injured in the attack and also take the time to contact your Congressman and Senators and demand an official investigation into this tragedy.
To the USS Liberty survivors and the families of those lost...You have not been forgotten by your fellow Americans and we will continue to fight and demand justice for the Liberty!
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