The Lie that Won’t Die: the USS Liberty Attack Slander, Continued

The Times of Israel Blog via RealClearHistory.com ^ | 02/22/2013 | Robert Werdine

[Kid Shelleen]

Last June, I had written a post here commemorating the 45th anniversary of the attack on the USS Liberty. The post, in which I argued (in defiance of every conspiracy theory), that the Israeli attack on the American ship was a mistake, has been giving me considerable heartburn as of late. In the last several days, my e-mail and facebook page have been flooded with the harshest condemnations concerning the article, tarring me as being a “hack,” a “traitor,” and nothing less than a running dog for the “Jewish/Zionist/apartheid” lobby. My article, which scored a modest few dozen Facebook recommendations at the time, has now swelled to over 350 in just the last two days. I wish I could say I was pleased.

[donmeaker]

What do you think was JBJ’s aim?

[Little Ray]

Yes, there was something to be gained.

At that time, the US was not that supportive of Israel and certainly not of any offensive action by Israel; at the time we had actually embargoed Israel. The USS Liberty was a “technical research ship,” i.e. a spy ship.

On June 7&8 the Israelis were planning an attack against the Golan Heights. The Israels did not know how much SigInt had been collected by the USS Liberty, or what type. But they may have feared that if the intelligence collected by the Liberty were provided to the Arabs it could cause the attack to fail disastrously.

The threat was removed when the USS Liberty was crippled. The attack on the Golan Heights was a success.

That is a possible motive for a deliberate attack on the USS Liberty.

[gaijin]

I think it mirrored the aims he had in the Gulf of Tonkin Incident; cast American boys as the target of an attack by treacherous foreigners.

And this would justifying a massive, direct US military intervention in a long-standing, far-off conflict.

Except that in this case it would be in theater playing home to most of the world’s energy resources.

Johnson probably figured that the plan would make things simpler in the minds of the credulous US public.

They shot over 800 holes in that thing, but that damned cork just wouldn’t sink —reality intervened, against their plans.

[the_daug]

...the intelligence collected by the Liberty were provided to the Arabs it could cause the attack to fail disastrously.

I would say that Israel already had proof that information was being given to the Arabs and the official story saves US a whole lot of embarrassment.

[donmeaker]

Oddly, Egypt and Israel didn’t have any oil to speak of.

So that theory falls flat with me.

You mileage may vary.

[rottndog]

Yep...real easy to confuse the two...especially by some of the best trained pilots in the world.

[Little Ray]

Either way, it explains the attack. I’d have ordered the same thing to protect my troops and my country.

[PAR35]

Sure. A spy ship with huge communications masts and a large American flag looks just like an Egyptian freighter full of horses.

Propagandists make a run at this on Free Republic every few years. I’m not sure why they keep seeking vindication for the illegal acts. It seems it would be smarter if they just let most folks forget the murder of American servicemen.

[Oztrich Boy]

submarine joined the attack,

And the crazy keeps on growing

[familyop]

Oh, great. Here come the neo-Nazi and Ayrab trolls.

[567thadm]

I worked with a Jim Cotton back in the mid 70’s that was when i first heard anything about it he was on the ship..God rest his soul he pass away in the late 1990

[familyop]

The Liberty Incident
Gag Orders Debunked
http://www.thelibertyincident.com/gag-orders-debunked.html

[familyop]

Gotcher Debunked
http://www.thelibertyincident.com/gotcherdebunked.html

[familyop]

The Liberty Incident
Documents
[Debunking of neo-Nazi conspiracy tales.]
http://www.thelibertyincident.com/documents.html

[familyop]

Why You Shouldn’t Pay Attention to the Claims that Israel Attacked the USS Liberty Deliberately
http://hnn.us/articles/39936.html

[I don’t have time to reply to anti-American, anti-Israel REMFs, BTW. They should move back to their Axis countries.]

[familyop]

The USS Liberty Attack - Facts vs Fiction
http://www.sodahead.com/united-states/the-uss-liberty-attack-—facts-vs-fiction/question-2700623/

[Another one to read while ignoring any fans of Hagel.]

[levon]

I think you pretty much summed it up accurately.....

[familyop]

Myths debunked on Israel’s 1967 attack on USS Liberty
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/viewpoints/articles/0715cristol0715.html?&wired&nclick_check=1

[familyop]

Investigations of the Liberty Tragedy
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/liberty2.html

[familyop]

Israeli Attack on USS Liberty
What happened to the USS Liberty during the Six Day War?
http://www.palestinefacts.org/pf_1948to1967_uss_liberty.php
(great site worth reading more of—lots of facts on quite a few topics)