Posted on 10/30/2002 3:37:06 PM PST by yonif
Thase napalm fires sure make big holes. Right on the waterline, like a torpedo that fails to explode.
Were you there? I'm not meaning to question your evaluation, only wondering if your assessment is based on firsthand knowledge.
-archy-/-
There was considerably more going on in the area than *just* communications gathering. The alert flight of aircraft from the carriers USS America and USS Saratoga responding to the attack on the Liberty on the orders of Rear Admiral Lawrence Geis were recalled because higher command believed that they were armed with nuclear weapons. Geis is reported to have later claimed that the order recalling the alert aircraft flight from the carrier came directly from Secretary of Defense MacNamara. Subsequent flights were also cancelled, and assistance did not reach the wounded aboard the Liberty for 16 hours, though the Sixth Fleet was less than 300 miles away, and it appears that the Israeli attack was photographed and filmed from US submarine USS Amberjack, SS522 and/or possibly also at least two other US submarines operating in the area.
-archy-/-
There was considerably more going on in the area than *just* communications gathering. The alert flight of aircraft from the carriers USS America and USS Saratoga responding to the attack on the Liberty on the orders of Rear Admiral Lawrence Geis were recalled because higher command believed that they were armed with nuclear weapons. Geis is reported to have later claimed that the order recalling the alert aircraft flight from the carrier came directly from Secretary of Defense MacNamara. Subsequent flights were also cancelled, and assistance did not reach the wounded aboard the Liberty for 16 hours, though the Sixth Fleet was less than 300 miles away, and it appears that the Israeli attack was photographed and filmed from US submarine USS Amberjack, SS522 and/or possibly also at least two other US submarines operating in the area.
-archy-/-
There was considerably more going on in the area than *just* communications gathering. The alert flight of aircraft from the carriers USS America and USS Saratoga responding to the attack on the Liberty on the orders of Rear Admiral Lawrence Geis were recalled because higher command believed that they were armed with nuclear weapons. Geis is reported to have later claimed that the order recalling the alert aircraft flight from the carrier came directly from Secretary of Defense MacNamara. Subsequent flights were also cancelled, and assistance did not reach the wounded aboard the Liberty for 16 hours, though the Sixth Fleet was less than 300 miles away, and it appears that the Israeli attack was photographed and filmed from US submarine USS Amberjack, SS522 and/or possibly also at least two other US submarines operating in the area.
-archy-/-
I tried to be active, but it was difficult. The College Republicans was run by a pro-Choice "fiscal moderate" (see RINO) who made it clear that they would only campaign for Bill Weld and that if anyone else were the nominee, she would not vote for him. I was pushed out for being too conservative.
Later I wrote some pro-life articles for the paper. For my efforts someone drew a swastika on my dormroom door. (I guess they noticed the Mezzuzah.)
Do you know professor William Frasure? He was my advisor and one of the few conservatives I know.
I'm sure Professor Brooks has been helpful. Is he still the Hillel advisor? Is he still a peacenik on Israel? (Can you say hi for me?)
I see you have a new president, presumably Jewish. See if you can't get him to make a statement. Is he as liberal as Claire Gaudiani was?
How do you know that? You joined FR just today.
Have you been banned, Mr. Davis?
C.I.A. report June 13, 1967 no malice; attack a mistake
U.S. Navy Court of Inquiry June 18, 1967 mistaken identity
Report by Clark Clifford July 18, 1967 no evidence ship was known to be American
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence 1979/1981 no merit to claims attack was intentional
National Security Agency 1981 Mistaken identity
House Armed Services Cmtee 1991/1992 No support for claims attack was intentional
About the boats:
There are also indications that Mr. Painter will claim on camera that when the USS Liberty put life rafts in the water these were machine-gunned by Israeli torpedo boats, which if true could well be a violation of the laws of war.
If Mr. Painter does indeed level this charge in the documentary he is contradicting both his own sworn testimony before the Court of Inquiry, and that of his Captain. The Courts opening question to Lt. Painter, after name, rank and organization, was:
On 8 June 1967, at about 1400 hours, an incident occurred aboard the USS Liberty in which the vessel was attacked. Would you please relate to this Court of Inquiry what you recall concerning that incident?
Nowhere in his response did Lt. Painter mention anything about Israeli attacks on life rafts in the water. On the contrary, he testified that most of the life rafts had been damaged and set alight during the prior jet attacks on the ship, and that he and his crew pushed many of these burning life rafts overboard:
At this time [after the torpedo attack], the DC central passed the word to prepare to abandon ship. We then filed out to our life rafts which were no longer with us because they had been strafed and most of them were burned, so we knocked most of them over the side... All during this time in Repair Three, my men were fighting fires and knocking burning life rafts, etc.
What possible reason could Lt. Painter have had for omitting in his testimony the charge which he now makes, that Israel attacked the Libertys life boats after they were put in the water? Or does he claim that he did testify to this before the Court of Inquiry but that his testimony was tampered with? Does he therefore charge that even the US Navy is part of an alleged coverup?
Whatever the reason for the divergence between Mr. Painters present claims and his testimony, Captain McGonagle also never mentioned any attack on life boats during his testimony. On the contrary, he testified that after the torpedo attack some crewmen mistakenly put life boats in the water, and that he ordered them to stop because the ship was in no danger of sinking:
No bodies were noted in the vicinity of the ship following the explosion. Several life rafts, however, were released and placed into the water by various crew members whom I was unable to communicate with prior to their placing the boats in the water. They exercised their initiative on the scene, and no fault can be found with their estimate, not having the information that I had. When the messenger was sent to tell them to leave the lifeboats alone, that the ship was in no danger of sinking at that time, but that the lifeboats might be needed at a later time, no additional lifeboats were placed in the water.
Does it seem reasonable that Cdr. McGonagle, having mentioned in his testimony the placing of the life boats in the water, would somehow forget to tell the Court of Inquiry that these life boats were then attacked by Israel? I researched this answer on various media-watch dog websites.
1- israeli recon planes came to take a look at the ship uss liberty .(picture available,taken from the ship.)
2-torpedoe boats came over and circle the ship,(us flag clearly seen)(picture of boats available,taken from the ship)
3-after all that recon from the air and water then came the fighter bombers,(not only napalm but cannon fire against the liberty,(us flag clearly seen at the mast)and the torpedoe boats also did attack with torpedoes and machine gun against the ship,( a picture posted by a fellow freeper shows the torpedoe damage at water level.
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