Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84 SMI; site sun.uucp
Path: utzoo!lsuc!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!bellcore!decvax!decwrl!sun!cramer
From: cramer@sun.uucp (Sam Cramer)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: The "Patria" incident
Message-ID: <3350@sun.uucp>
Date: Tue, 11-Mar-86 22:35:54 EST
Article-I.D.: sun.3350
Posted: Tue Mar 11 22:35:54 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 15-Mar-86 06:20:40 EST
References: <93@ubc-vision.UUCP> <1372@mtuxo.UUCP> <159@dione.rice.EDU>
Reply-To: cramer@sun.UUCP (Sam Cramer)
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Lines: 37

In article <159@dione.rice.EDU> salex@dione.UUCP (Scott Alexander) writes:
> However, I think the Liberty incident shows that the Israelis are
>willing to attack without due provocation.  In this episode (during LBJs
>term---1968 perhaps), the Israelis sank the US intelligence ship Liberty in
>international waters during the Six Day War.  This action occurred after
>watching it for several hours.  Afterwards, the Israelis claimed to have
>mistaken it for an Egyptian ship of approximately half the length of the
>Liberty.

The Liberty was sunk in 1967, during the Six Day war, which took place during
June of that year.

Considering that a war was underway, and that the ship (according to accounts)
could have been confused with an Egyptian Navy vessel, how can one reasonably
conclude that "the Israelis are willing to attack without due provocation"?  

Would it be fair to say that the US attacks mental hospitals as a matter of 
policy because such an incident took place during the invasion of Grenada?  
Of course not.

What would Israel have had to gain by knowingly attacking a ship belonging to 
it's most important ally?  [Aside: although this is rhetorical question, I 
imagine that we'll soon see lots of amusing answers from the anti-Israel 
fanatics so active in net.politics - probably backed up with bogus quotations 
from obscure far-left or pro-PLO sources; "Ink Links", indeed!]

By the way, Israel apologized and paid reparations to family members of those
killed.

It's one thing to say that Israel made a regretable mistake during war-time
(recall that this war was one in which Israel's enemies made no secret of their
desire to exterminate the State of Israel and it's inhabitants), and quite
another to say that it is willing to "attack without due provocation".
-- 

Sam Cramer	uucp:	{cbosgd,decwrl,hplabs,seismo,ucbvax}!sun!cramer
		arpanet: cramer@sun.arpa