Posted on 10/30/2002 3:37:06 PM PST by yonif
Just curious to know if you have had occasion to read the evidence and testimony that supports the Israeli investigations you mention?
Warmest regards,
Joe Meadors
Fine. Kindly define exactly what you mean by "a complete and comprehensive public Congressional investigation of the attack on the USS Liberty."
Simply the same level and depth of Congressional scrutiny that was accorded the attacks on the USS Pueblo, USS Stark, USS Vincennes, USS Cole, Bombing of the Marine Barracks in Beirut, etc.
As it stands now, simply mentioning the Liberty incident in a Congressional report immediately turns that report into a Congressional investigation of the attack on the ship.
Even the USNavy JAGC tells us that their investigation did not cover the attack.
Our largest flag -- Holiday Colors -- was flying throughout the torpedo attack.
Another account by a supposed Israeli journalist or reservist [maybe both] abord the torpedo boat *here*. Note that several of the details he describes are at odds with known facts of the attack, but do admit to the launching of the torpedo that claimed 25 lives, and to the killing of the sailor who prevented the Israeli gunboat from murdering the sailors in the lifeboats.
-archy-/-
Can you explain why Israel would attack the USS Liberty, if it could jam your signals?
Can you also explain the failure of the Liberty to answer identification requests?
Can you also expain your involvement with Americans for Middle East Understanding, a group founded by a member of the Israeli Communist party Haddash, Jeff Halper?
AMEU has an intereisng booklist and links. Teh anti-zionism and Historical Revisionism about the Holocaust and teh existance of ancient Israel is fascinating. One might get the idea that there is an anti-Israel agenda.
Do you agree with your crewmate, James Ennes, that ours is a Zionist Occupied Government?
The aircraft carriers USS America and and USS Saratoga and their supporting task force were also within 400 miles, reported as 300 miles out during the attack. Of course, an Israeli attack on them would have resulted in the end of the State of Israel. It's safer to attack a lone ship and machine the survivors, but obnly if you can blame it on someone else- the Egyptians, say. Was that the idea?
I understand that. That's really the whole issue.
Not everything. I've read lots of reactions to the evidence, some of the actual transcripts, on your site.
My post was in response to your statement that there's never been an investigation.
I understand you don't agree with the conclusions. I understand that you don't think they were comprehensive enough. I understand (though you didn't say it) that you don't accept Israel's apology, or think the compensation paid was enough or got to the right people (I don't either, I blame State for that).
But with complete respect for what you and your shipmates have gone through, I think it's disingenuous (sp?) to say there was never an investigation. If you disagree with the findings, or the thoroughness (sp?-I can't spell), that's the case you should be making.
The Liberty was operating legally in international waters.
Do you remember when Ronald Reagan had our Navy shoot down the Libyan planes when they challenged our right to fly in international air space?
In the preparation for an article in the Naval Law Review, LCDR Walter Jacobsen JAGC researched the claim that the area had been declared a war zone. He found that none of the parties to the war had ever declared the area a war zone.
Were you a few hundred miles away from the Syrian border, out of range, to spy on the Golan operations? Or were you there to find evidence from a war-crime that did not occur?
When attacked we were about 77 miles from Ashdod. As to the "true mission" of the ship I haven't a clue. Hopefully that information will come out when the US government deems the attack an appropriate issue to investigate.
Can you explain why Israel would attack the USS Liberty, if it could jam your signals?
Haven't a clue. Hopefully that information would be forthcoming in the yet-to-be-held US government investigation of the attack.
You do raise a good question.
If the Israelis really did think they were attacking an Egyptian ship why did they jam radios on USNavy tacitcal frequencies.
Can you also expain your involvement with Americans for Middle East Understanding
Don't know what you mean by "involvement." They offer a forum for people interested in issues like the Liberty attack and let us tell our story in our words.
Both the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars have passed resolutions calling for a Congressional investigation of the attack. Are you going to ascribe dark intentions to their efforts as well?
Do you agree with your crewmate, James Ennes, that ours is a Zionist Occupied Government?
Don't recall Jim ever claiming that.
I will state quite categorically that our government is full of people in authority who see no problem with American life rafts being deliberately machine gunned in the water with impunity and without remorse.
The Liberty was operating legally in international waters.
Do you remember when Ronald Reagan had our Navy shoot down the Libyan planes when they challenged our right to fly in international air space?
Wo was Libya at war with? No one. War and peace are different under international law.
The Japanese were operating in international waters during the Battle of Midway. We had every right to attack them.
DO you want to know how many times the US borded ships in international waters?
International waters are not sacrosanct during war. The coast between two countries is a war zone.
The US Navy recognized this situation. That is why there was a 400 mile exclusion zone. All American ships were supposed to be west of Cyprus.
This is also why Israel had no reason to expect an American ship in the area, after we had promised them to keep our ships out of the area.
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