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Well, I wasn't talking about Dupuy's analysis of the Liberty, I was talking about the behavior of the Egytpian Army just after they'd received the worst drubbing they'd gotten since the Exodus. They are two different (but related) things. Second, the last time I'd read Dupuy's work was about ten years ago, in connection with a wargame design project. Unfortunately, I read about thirty or so other books on the topic at that time, and Dupuy's name was the one that came out of my head first.

The whole problem I had is that what SHOULD have happened was completely at variance with what DID actually happen. The Egyptian Army managed to achieve a higher state of situational awareness than was otherwise possible--which meant that they were getting help.

Like Dupuy, I am unsatisfied with the Israeli explanation for the Liberty. I am also enough of a realist to understand that we aren't going to get the honest-to-God truth because Israel understands its place as a Great Power client state--namely, that they are to make themselves look completely foolish in preference to embarrassing their Great Power patron. The United States isn't going to embarrass themselves. Therefore, we are not going to get the truth.

As for why the Liberty was assigned to that mission--do you really think that the government is some monolithic entity with perfectly coherent goals, and that nobody within that government is going to work counter to stated policy?

That's what I was looking for in Dupuy: a description of miraculously good performance of the Egyptian army in the last days of the war. And I didn't find it. Perhaps I read too hastily and skipped over it. That is why I am asking for the page reference. I'm out sick today, and am so unable to consult the book -- it's in my office. I'll look again when I get a chance. But I strongly suspect what I was looking for is not there.`

If you read my previous postings on this thread, you will see I have views similar to yours about why the Liberty was assigned to its mission.