[adam_az]

"We also know from now declassified traffic that the US Sixth Fleet launched aircraft to support the USS Liberty which were CALLED BACK. Presumably the recall order came from the DC area not the area commander. Once again the message traffic would be useful."

Thats because the planes launched were armed with NUCLEAR WEAPONS.

Tapes were released last year, BTW. I'm sure a websearch will turn up transcripts.

[Moseley]

THE OVERWHELMING ISSUE HERE IS THAT there was the risk of DRAWING THE US INTO A THIRD WORLD WAR with the Soviet Union. The most urgent and important issue in this incident was TO AVOID SPARKING A THERMONUCLEAR WAR WITH THE SOVIET UNION. Having a US Warship so close to the battle -- or WAR PLANES TAKING OFF FROM A NULEAR-ARMED CARRIER -- could have been interpreted as the USA joining the war on the side of Israel. This could have resulted in the Soviet Union entering on the side of Israel. Rememer we were in a HOT WAR already in Vietnam at that time.. This could have led to NUCLEAR WAR.

So the most important thing was to avoid sparking a war unintentionally.

That is why the survivors of the USS Liberty should have been COURT-MARTIALED for DISOBEYING ORDERS to withdraw from the region. The orders were transmitted to the aircraft carrier LONG BEFORE the incident, and the aircraft carrier DID retransmit the orders, I don't care what they say. This dereliction of duty placed MILLIONS of Americans at risk of a NUCLEAR WAR.