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: USS Liberty Message-ID: <3364@sun.uucp> Date: Fri, 14-Mar-86 05:39:08 EST Article-I.D.: sun.3364 Posted: Fri Mar 14 05:39:08 1986 Date-Received: Sat, 15-Mar-86 23:35:50 EST References: <12345@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <98@cad.UUCP> Reply-To: cramer@sun.UUCP (Sam Cramer) Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc. Lines: 78 Several postings have addressed the attack on the Liberty during the 1967 Six Day War. The postings range from wacko conspiracy theories involving electronic impersonation to more reasonable concerns as to the war-time actions of an American friend and ally. The most recent, and, to my mind, most reasonable examination of the matter is found in the September 1984 "Atlantic Monthly" (no, you won't have to go searching your local far-left bookshop for this one...). An article entitled "The Attack on the Liberty" by Hirsh Goodman and Zeev Schiff examines the affair, drawing on recently revealed evidence. They conclude that the attack on the Liberty was the result of an escalating series of blunders on both the American and Israeli sides, which ultimately culminated in the tragic death of 34 American crew men, an Israeli formal apology, and payment of almost $7 million in compensation by the Israeli government. The first point the authors make is that accidents are common during wars: "Indeed, just the day before the attack on the Liberty, Israeli aircraft had bombed an Israeli armored column south of the West Bank town of Jenin; on November 3, 1956, Israeli war planes mistakenly attacked a British ship (Britian and France were allies of Israel in the Sinai campaign) in the Red Sea; in the June, 1982 war in Lebanon more than twenty Israeli servicemen were killed by Israeli Phantom jets in the eastern sector when their tanks were mistakenly indentified as Syrian. During the battle in Grenada, American jets mistakenly bombed a mental hospital. Such tragic accidents have happened to every army in the history of modern war." Next, they go on to document that the very decision to send the Liberty into the region was cause for American military concern: "The ship's captain, Commander William L. McGonagle, was also uneasy about the assignment. Like other officers on board, he was convinced that if war broke out, either the ship's orders should be changed or an armed escort provided. When war did break out... and neither a change in orders nor an escort materialized, McGonagle drafted an appeal to Vice Admiral William Inman Martin [commander of the 6th fleet] that a destroyer be sent within five miles of the Liberty to provide protection... Martin denied the request... From then on, a tattoo of errors, both American and Israeli, commenced to guide the ship toward catastrophe." Goodman and Schiff also show that the Israeli goverment was extremely concerned about their poor naval defenses and was convinced that the Egyptians would use the sea to shell Israeli costal cities, where more than 90% of the country's citizens live. Israel attempted to coordinate with the Americans on this matter. Yitzkak Rabin, the Israeli Chief of Staff, told Commander Castle, the American naval attache in Tel Aviv on June 5, 1967 that "Israel intends to defend its shores from attack by the Egyptians.... If threatened we will not be able to delay our response. We request therefore that the United States either withdraw all its vessels from our shores, or inform us of the exact location of all vessels close to our shores." At this point a series of American messages to the Liberty, directing the ship to steam first at least twenty miles off the coast and then at least one hundred mile off the coast were lost in the US Military communications network, the former message being first delayed, and then misrouted to a US base in the Philippines. This, of course, is all prologue to the actual attack. If there is interest among net.politics readers, I will further summarize the article regarding the Israeli actions leading up to, and including the attack. I encourage those interested to read the article, however; Goodman and Schiff are far better writers than myself. If it is unavailable locally, contact me and I'll arrange to send out a copy. -- Sam Cramer uucp: {cbosgd,decwrl,hplabs,seismo,ucbvax}!sun!cramer arpanet: cramer@sun.arpa