Posted on 06/08/2002 6:19:28 PM PDT by RCW2001
Frankly, it would be better if the Israelis admitted responsibility and gave us, the families of those killed, and the survivors a real apology for this cruel and foolish mistake.
The U.S. has done some stupid things too--most notably clinton's unprovoked and criminal attack on Yugoslavia. When one of your leaders makes such a mistake, it's best to admit it and amend the situation as best you may. At least Israel had the excuse that their backs were to the wall and they feared that Johnson would intervene to make their situation even worse--which still doesn't excuse it.
Some quotes by people who might actually know what happened.
-- Lieutenant General Marshall S. Carter, director of the National Security Agency at the time: "There was no other answer than it was deliberate."
-- Dr. Louis Tordella, the deputy director of NSA at the time: "I believed the attack might have been ordered by some senior commander on the Sinai Peninsula [where the massacres were taking place] who wrongly suspected that the Liberty was monitoring his activities." Tordella also scrawled across the top page of the formal Israeli "mistake" report, "A nice whitewash."
-- Major General John Morrison, NSA deputy director of Operations at the time: "Nobody believes that explanation. The only conjecture that we ever made that made any near sense is that the Israelis did not want us to intercept their communications at that time."
-- Walter Deeley, the senior NSA official who conducted an internal NSA investigation of the incident: "There is no way that they didn't know that the Liberty was American."
-- Admiral Thomas H. Moorer, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: "I have to conclude that it was Israel's intent to sink the Liberty and leave as few survivors as possible. Israel knew perfectly well that the ship was American."
-- Captain William L. McGonnagle, the Liberty's commander: "After many years I finally believe that the attack was deliberate."
-- Phillip F. Tourney, president of the USS Liberty Veterans Association and a survivor of the attack: "The Israelis got by with cold-blooded, premeditated murder of Americans."
-- Richard Helms, Director of Central Intelligence at the time: "Your chapter on the Liberty was exactly right."
-- George Christian, press secretary to President Johnson at the time: "I became convinced that an accident of this magnitude was too much to swallow."
-- Paul C. Warnke, Under Secretary of the Navy at the time: "I found it hard to believe that it was, in fact, an honest mistake on the part of the Israeli air force units.... I suspect that in the heat of battle they figured that the presence of this American ship was inimical to their interests."
-- Dean Rusk, Secretary of State at the time: "The Liberty was flying an American flag. It was not all that difficult to identify, and my judgment was that somewhere along the line some fairly senior Israeli official gave the go-ahead for these attacks."
-- David G. Nes, the deputy head of the American mission in Cairo at the time: "I don't think that there's any doubt that it was deliberate.... [It is] one of the great cover-ups of our military history."
-- George Ball, Under Secretary of State at the time: "American leaders did not have the courage to punish Israel for the blatant murder of its citizens."
Not at all. It is the Israeli reaction to any story about the Liberty which makes this so intriguing. As far as America's national interest being compromised, Israel did far more damage with Operation Shenandoah and Pollard. What is odd is that when the Lavon Affair is mentioned, there is no reaction at all. But every mention of the Liberty is met with charges of antisemitism.
Btw...relating history is not "defaming".
I usually don't like pop quizes, but the answer is Willis Carto.
Well lets start with, we acknowledged the error, Israel did not. We investigated the incident, Israel did not. Those found guilty will be punshed. Israel did not punish anyone. We will end up paying for the loss, Israel did not. BTW my Canadian friend, we bombed 20 of our own guys, killing a few of them and seriously injuring the others. Not to say took out the entire HALO Team for 5th Special Forces.
Lastly, you have at least my apologies. Israel has never done this to the crew of the Liberty. That is what this is really about.....
BTW, we still don't have the balls.....
Well lets start with, we acknowledged the error, Israel did not. We investigated the incident, Israel did not. Those found guilty will be punshed. Israel did not punish anyone. We will end up paying for the loss, Israel did not.
Uhm, you should've reviewed the facts before writing that paragraph:
"Israel apologized for the tragedy and paid nearly $13 million in humanitarian reparations to the United States and to the families of the victims in amounts established by the U.S. State Department. The matter was officially closed between the two government by an exchange of diplomatic notes on December 17, 1987.
http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/History/liberty.html
How in the hell do you put a spy ship into a warzone and 450 miles away from support?
Plus McNamara's actions were completely cowardly....another Liberal handjob that expected the sky to fall if the US defended itself.
"The carrier USS Saratoga scrambled fighters to come to its assistance. But Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara recalled the fighters while they were in the air. Military experts maintain the secretary wasn't certain who was attacking the Liberty. They say he thought it might be the Russians and he didn't want to start World War III."
Anyway...
Israel did what it had to do.
I dont hold any grudges for what happened. I wish they would've just been up front with Washington but I dont know how much they could've or did trust the Liberals in the White House.
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