Posted on 08/23/2009 10:38:01 PM PDT by Dubya
Israel’s deadly 1967 attack on U.S. spy ship is personal for S.C. author The inexplicable attack by a U.S. ally — and subsequent efforts to sweep the incident under the rug by U.S. and Israeli officials alike — is the subject of Charleston author James Scott’s book, “The Attack on the Liberty: The Untold Story of Israel’s Deadly 1967 Assault on a U.S. Spy Ship.”
In compiling his book, Scott, 34, a former reporter for The (Charleston) Post & Courier and The (Rock Hill) Herald, makes use of interviews with survivors, sailors’ correspondence with loved ones, ship records and declassified government documents.
He provides a harrowing and frequently graphic account of the one-sided attack and its aftermath, when President Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration was reluctant to publicly challenge Israel’s claim that it had incorrectly identified the U.S. ship.
After detailing the attack, Scott spends much of his book poking holes in Israel’s claim of mis-identification, as well as highlighting the U.S. government’s flawed, shallow inquiries into the attack.
For example, Scott documents that U.S. investigators never interviewed any Israelis about the attack, and that some U.S. officials considered sinking the Liberty to prevent newsmen from photographing its extensive damage and inflaming public opinion against Israel.
(Excerpt) Read more at thestate.com ...
Lemond describes it as a “total whitewash job.”
The Liberty’s sailors are upset no one was ever punished for the attack.
I thought that Israel sunk the ship because it was intercepting Israeli communications and giving it to the Arabs.
That is the most popular explanation. Those with a hatred against Israel would never be satisfied with that- only with repayment in kind.
The author's lack of historical knowledge shows. Israel and the US were certainly no allies in 1967.
/will read later
I thought that Israel sunk the ship because it was intercepting Israeli communications and giving it to the Arabs.The liberty guys say it was to keep the liberty from detecting the massacre of Egyptian civilians and POWs.
Johnson was an unprincipled coward. He wouldn’t stand up to the Israelis, even to ask for an investigation, because it might cost him politically. Absolutely shameful. But not surprising considering his record in Vietnam. Unfortunately, the survivors are probably right that 43 years later, it’s too late to do anything about it.
Of all the possibilities that I just read about, that seems the least convincing. Why would the Liberty discover the massacre if it had happened?
The author's lack of historical knowledge shows. Israel and the US were certainly no allies in 1967.They were, although they kept up a pretense of neutrality. The US viewed the six day war as a proxy war with the US proxy(Israel) against soviet proxies(Syria, Jordan and Egypt). The US kept a carrier battle group to defend Israel in case they started to lose. The soviets didn't like it and almost caused WWIII. Read this if you don't believe me.
Of all the possibilities that I just read about, that seems the least convincing. Why would the Liberty discover the massacre if it had happened?Don't ask me. That's what *they* think.
As a matter of fact, that is exactly how the War in Vietnam was lost by Johnston.
[McNamara:] We had had a carrier group in the Med and fairly close to Israel, and we'd sent it on a training exercise toward Gibraltar. And then we thought the situation was so tense in Israel that perhaps the Syrians, fearing Israel would attack them, or the Russians supporting the Syrians might wish to redress the balance of power and might attack Israel. So we turned the carrier group around and sent it back toward Israel, not with any intention whatsoever of supporting an Israeli attack on Syria, or any Israel offensive moves whatsoever, but rather purely to be able to defend Israel in the event of further attacks on Israel.
McNamara certainly does not call Israel a "US proxy." The US gave little military aid to Israel in the LBJ years.I call a carrier group backing you up if you start to lose "military aid", but I may just be regressive.
Why did they shoot up the Liberty if we were aiding them? Have they attacked any US ships since the Nixon administration when we actually began aiding them?
I find it curious they mentioned his age. Why would they do that?
Why did they shoot up the Liberty if we were aiding them? Have they attacked any US ships since the Nixon administration when we actually began aiding them?Ask the Israelis that. The rest of your logic is pretty tortured. The US *had* been selling weapons to Israel although France was its major benefactor before(The US was notably against Israel taking the sinai).
can’t say I’ve ever figured this one out....it gets mighty heated real quick
you guys are pretty smart
any thoughts?
Where is the “Oh, Geez...” Guy when you need him (sigh)?
Thank you. I should have scrolled through the comments before I posted.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.