[Neophyte]

I think it had to do with concealing Israel's military plans, perhaps the attack on the Golan Heights that was about to occur. Bamford thinks it was to conceal war crimes, atrocities committed by the Israelis against captured Egyptian POW's

Very far fetched. Doesn't ring as anything plausible.

How a plan to attack the enemy at Golan (something in future) would be covered by a deliberate attack on an ally's battleship?

How the committed atrocities (something in the past) would be concealed by the same senseless action?

Sorry, but I see only two possible conclusions from what you said:

a) In your opinion, Israelis a stump stupid.

b) In your opinion, Israelis are plain evil.

You choose for yourself. I disagree with both.

[aristeides]

Well, yes, I think the decision to attack the Liberty was borderline insane. But the evidence that Israel made that decision seems incontrovertible.