[aristeides]

If Bamford's account is correct, the Joint Chiefs of Staff had themselves -- highly unusually -- taken direct command of the movements and mission of the Liberty, and the NSA, as a component of the Defense Department, was just obeying their orders.

[Poohbah]

If Bamford's account is correct, the Joint Chiefs of Staff had themselves -- highly unusually -- taken direct command of the movements and mission of the Liberty, and the NSA, as a component of the Defense Department, was just obeying their orders.

Actually, it was somewhat in reverse. The NSA used its (considerable) influence with the Joint Staff to get orders issued to the Liberty that were to the NSA's liking. Part of those orders were sections forbidding the Liberty from acting on any directive that was not sent through NSA-approved channels. The biggest no-no was that the NSA ensured that the Liberty would not act on ANY directive sent over the NAVCAMS MED fleet broadcast.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff sent a message to the Liberty well before the attack, directing that the ship stay a healthy distance away from the war zone. It was sent over the NAVCAMS MED broadcast. It was not acted on because it didn't come over an NSA-approved circuit. And then the NSA-blessed communications stations just plumb FORGOT how to properly route message traffic to the Liberty. They did fine in the days BEFORE the attack. They did just fine AFTER the attack. But the ONE time it was absolutely vital that the NSA's system work, it didn't. And nobody ever gave a convincing reason why.