| Author | Message | | Alpha | | Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2005 9:14 pm Post subject: Support our Troops…. Unless |
| Subject: US Sailors File War Crimes Report with DOD Naming a Foreign Nation as Perpetrator
Date: Wed, 8 Jun 2005 12:43:57 -0700
http://www.couplescompany.com/Features/Frontlines/Liberty2005.htm
Commentary
Support our Troops…. Unless
US Sailors File War Crimes Report with DOD Naming a Foreign Nation as Perpetrator
By Laura Dawn Lewis
June 8, 2005, LOS ANGELES: What would you think if a foreign nation attacked an American Naval ship, lightly armed with just four small guns designed to prevent illegal boarding's, unprovoked in international waters in an area of the world we were not at war in? Would you want to know why we were attacked and hold the country responsible accountable?
What if this foreign country conducted at least eight reconnaissance missions earlier that day, even waving at our sailors on deck and then claimed they didn't know it was an American Naval vessel, and later made up a story it was a horse transport from another country. Consider that fantasy for a moment. We are to believe a grey ship with a huge American flag flying on a cloudless sunny day with clearly visible military markings boasting military guns and high tech communication antennas, which the attacking forces targeted first proving they knew what they were, is mistaken for a cargo ship? Anyone want to buy the Brooklyn Bridge?
How would you feel to learn that this foreign country attacked our ship for nearly seventy minutes, first from the air with unmarked planes, to make sure our US sailors didn't know who was attacking them. Then followed with napalm and torpedoes from nearby assault ships.
(Note: It a war crime to continue to attack once your target is crippled and helpless)
What if you found out this foreign nation then proceeded to shoot out and destroy all life rafts on the ship and those launched in the water?
(Note: It is a war crime to fire or target life rafts in the water).
What would you say, knowing all this to the families of the thirty-four men killed and one hundred and seventy-three wounded?
The above statements are true and just a snippet of the travesty this ship and crew, PERHAPS THE MOST DECORATED SHIP IN US HISTORY have endured. From the day this happened to the USS Liberty on June 8, 1967 when our sailors were left to die by our own Department of Defense on the direct orders of the US Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara who recalled the rescue mission from the sixth fleet in route to render assistance, this incident, solely to safeguard the vanity of the attacking nation, remains covered up. The ship and crew miraculously survived only to face the next thirty-eight years of humiliation; the lives of these men, our protectors, our sailors, our troops have been about one thing and one thing only, justice. Yet justice evades them. Not for what they did, which was exemplary. Simply because they were attacked by the only nation the US government places before American interests. If you have ever doubted this statement, that many in our government place a foreign nation's welfare, reputation and safety ahead of our own, (Note: this is the definition of treason) the following legal brief and report will prove it.
The Media's Part in the Cover-up
If you have ever doubted the US Media caters to the needs of a foreign nation at the expense of the American people, witness their silence today on this issue. Today represents a historic event. When the media decides which stories to print, post or air and which to decline, a criterion surrounds its relevance. Does this story affect the majority of Americans? Is it pertinent? Is it newsworthy? The answer to all of these questions, unlike the Michael Jackson trial or Brittney Spear's pregnancy is YES.
The story our media chooses not to tell you involves international intrigue, threats to our security, immense questions of dual loyalties, cover-ups, the hypocrisy of our own government, the complicacy of the Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Clinton and Bush Senior and Junior administrations, threats against the families and survivors and threats of blackballing by Hollywood of anyone who dares to tell this story. It features heroism against all odds and steadfast true patriotism. This story includes two hundred and seven American casualties, thirty-four of whom died. It involves the first time American troops have been forced to file war crimes complaints against a foreign nation because our own government chooses to protect this other nation, rather than American citizens.
In short, this is a huge story. But you'll hear little about it. The vanity of this foreign nation is worth more to our media and our government than the lives of American citizens. That fact has been proven each time this foreign nation kills Americans, whether a twenty-three year old college student from Washington State, a college professor and his son living under the care of this country or our own military personnel. It is the one place in the world where American lives have no value to the American government or the American Media.
Fortunately, we Americans are a can do and will do people…even if our government and media are not.
Taking Justice Into Their Own Hands
The families and survivors of the USS Liberty officially filed a report detailing the war crimes committed by the sovereign State of Israel against the sovereignty of the United States today. To my knowledge, this is the first time our military people have been forced to take matters into their own hands. Our own government, which their colleagues died defending, chooses to defend a foreign nation over our own people. What they hope to accomplish is simple: All they want is the proper investigation of the incident they are entitled to and should have had in 1967.
By filing this report with the Department of Defense, the administration is forced into obeying international law and DOD Directive 5500.77 requiring a full investigation, though not a trial. Should the DOD attempt to bury this again by failing to obey the law, this case will end up in a federal court where the judicial branch can then force compliance.
Jim Ennes manned the bridge of the USS Liberty during the attack and wrote an excellent book about the experience entitled Assault on the Liberty (Read excerpt). When asked for his thoughts on this, he replied:
"We have said for 38 years that this was a war crime. It was not only deliberate, but it was very clearly a war crime EVEN IF ONE ACCEPTS THE ISRAELI VERSION OF WHAT HAPPENED. Their excuse DEFINES a war crime. Secretary of State Dean Rusk's diplomatic note in 1967 said as much and sought prosecution of the war criminals involved. We (and Secretary Rusk and others) have been ignored for 38 years. Perhaps the truth will finally be in the public record."
President Bush loves to throw around patriotism and beat the drums touting "Support Our Troops". I have a question for him. Mr. President, doesn't supporting our troops mean supporting all of our troops? Why don't you start with the USS Liberty?
What You Can Do
The fact our government and media continually protect a foreign nation before we the American people raises serious questions. Every American should be infuriated by demonstration of cross-purposes. How does it feel to know that in one country or by the hand of this foreign nation, should you be killed, harmed or injured, your government will step in to protect the foreign nation rather than you, its citizen? How does it feel to know the media will do the same? This should make you very angry.
Those covering this up are hoping the survivors die soon and their families forget. Most are in their seventies now. We the American people cannot let this happen. These men died and served for us. They deserve our respect and they deserve our support in attain the justice henceforth denied. Therefore I appeal to you. As an American, please take the time to read this 35-page report that was filed today with the Department of Defense. Download the PDF; pass it on to your friends. Don't let the cover-up continue. Contact your local papers, television stations and talk radio programs and ask them flat out why they choose not to tell you about this landmark story. The story is newsworthy. The other reasons are given above. This is the most decorated ship in US History. These men deserve their Justice. Ask your media, if they support our troops, they need to start with the USS Liberty. Otherwise, their statements define hypocrisy. If the media will not act on our behalf as American citizens and tell us what is really going on, it's up to us to make sure they do.
Download the DOD Report (PDF)
Related Article & Update 10/24/2003 & 01/12/2004:
Cover-up of the Attack on the USS Liberty Exposed
TAKE the "LIBERTY" NOT TO FORGET" By Major Van Harl USAF Ret.
Captain Ward Boston's Affidavit on the USS Liberty
Betrayal behind Israeli attack on U.S. ship by Admiral Thomas Moorer
Remembering our fallen heroes: Spotlight: June 8th, 1967 The USS Liberty | |  | | Alpha | | Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2005 5:54 pm Post subject: U.S. Vets Seek Probe of Alleged War Crimes |
| U.S. Vets Seek Probe of Alleged War Crimes
By WILLIAM C. MANN,
Associated Press Writer
Fri Jun 10, 5:48 AM ET
Survivors of a U.S. spy ship attacked by Israeli fighters and torpedo
boats 40 years ago are pressing the Pentagon for a full investigation
into alleged Israeli war crimes for a strike that caused 205
casualties, including 34 killed.
The attack on the USS Liberty occurred in international waters during
the Six-Day War in 1967 between Israel, Egypt and other Arab nations.
The survivors claim the attack itself was a violation of the Geneva
Conventions regulating conduct of war and that further crimes
occurred when Israeli sailors fired at rescuers and firefighters on
the ship's bullet-riddled deck and into rubber life rafts thrown into
the water to pick up survivors.
Gary Brummett, president of the USS Liberty Veterans Association,
said the appeal to the Defense Department is nothing more than an
appeal for justice for his shipmates. Brummett was a boiler tender
aboard the Liberty.
"Politicians will not touch this issue," Brummett said. "All the
presidents we have will not touch this issue. It's politically
incorrect. All we are trying to do now is to follow the rule of law."
Their new action, a 35-page, heavily footnoted report demanding a
full-scale, new investigation, quotes the laws of war in alleging
that Israel didn't honor them.
On the afternoon of June 8, 1967, two days into the Six-Day War,
Israeli warplanes began circling the Liberty as its nest of antennas
collected intelligence in international waters between al-Arish,
Egypt, in the Sinai near the Israeli border, and the Gaza Strip west
of Israel. The 7,725-ton Liberty, a former civilian cargo ship
refitted into one of the era's top intelligence-gathering vessels,
was flying the U.S. flag and bore U.S. Navy markings.
When the attack began, jets made six strafing runs, killing at least
10 and wounding others with gunfire, rockets and bombs. Three torpedo
boats joined the fray, firing machine guns and cannon. One fired a
torpedo, which missed the maneuvering ship. Another boat loosed its
torpedo, which struck on the starboard side, forward of the command
areas, caused more casualties, and Liberty began to list to the
right. Those left among the crew of 294 officers and men kept her
afloat.
Israel said its personnel mistook the ship for an Egyptian Navy
vessel. U.S. officials said that ship was far smaller than Liberty
and had none of the antennas the intelligence-gatherer had.
Previous official U.S. and Israeli investigations have found Israel
guilty of nothing more than making a mistake, possibly by
misidentifying the U.S. ship. A contentious State Department-
sponsored conference of historians and other experts last year failed
to reach consensus.
Israel apologized and paid damages of close to $13 million, some to
families of the victims.
David Siegel, spokesman for the Israeli Embassy in Washington,
repeated the Israeli position that the attack was in no way
premeditated.
"I can state categorically that the Liberty incident was a tragic
mistake, a case of mistaken identity," Siegel told The Associated
Press. "These are old allegations, discredited years ago by
successive U.S. administrations following numerous official
investigations, including by the official historians of the State
Department, the National Security Agency and other federal agencies."
The latest move by the Liberty survivors, who have pressed for
decades to have the official record changed, was submitted to Army
Secretary Francis J. Harvey, who acts as executive agent for Defense
Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld for such cases.
Col. Thomas Collins, Harvey's spokesman, said he could not discuss
the matter because the secretary had not received it as of Thursday.
The document, shipped Tuesday by courier service, was dated
Wednesday, the 38th anniversary of the attack.
Brummett, of Grand Cane, La., said the association has no idea what
Harvey will do.
"He will look at this and will say, `Hey, OK, we've got to
investigate it.' Or he will turn it down. Whatever they want to do.
"If future is like the past, if politicians get involved, they will
certainly turn it down."
___
On the Net:
USS Liberty Veterans Association report:
http://www.usslibertyinquiry.com/Report/Report.pdf
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050610/ap_on_re_us/us_spy_ship_israel
------------------------------------------------------------------
Mike Weeks (in his continued traitorous support of Israeli treachery against America in the deliberate attack of the USS Liberty) couldn't get past the Captain Ward Boston question in San Diego ( http://members.aol.com/w4lmk/sdari/ ) as he still can't (without continuing to look foolish):
Forwarded:
Adam Ereli (the deputy spokesperson for the US State Department who makes regular appearances during the press conferences on C-SPAN) still has not answered the following email which was sent to him this past March (2005):
Date: Mon, 7 Mar 2005 17:38:44 -0800 (PST)
Subject: For Adam Ereli/US State Department
To: erelija@state.gov
Mr. Ereli,
I had written to the US State Department last year and never received a reply as I had inquired as to when Mark Susser (with the Department of the Historian) will enter Captain Ward Boston's declaration (about the
USS Liberty attack/cover-up) into the historical record. Captain
Boston's declaration can be read at the following URL:
http://www.ifamericansknew.org/us_ints/ul-boston.html
One can watch esteemed US intelligence writer James Bamford reading Captain Boston's declaration via the 'History in the Making: State Rules on the 1967 Arab-Israeli War' link near the bottom of www.irmep.org as the following article is from the San Diego Union Tribune:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/military/20040217-9999-1n17liberty.html
Scroll down to the article on Captain Ward Boston by Delinda Hanley at the following URL:
http://www.warwithoutend.co.uk/uss-liberty/2003/05/03/the-attack-on-the-uss-liberty-page-3.php
http://nomorewarforisrael.blogspot.com | | | | Alpha | | Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2005 10:29 pm Post subject: USS Liberty Veteran's Association Announces War Crime Charge |
| USS Liberty Veteran's Association Announces War Crime Charges Filed
Against Israel
For Immediate Release
For More Information Call:
Gary Brummett
President, USS Liberty Veterans Association
318-464-0496 cell
318-858-2258 H
Garywbrummett @ aol.com
Direct line to Washington Room, June 10
202-638-5900 ext 3142
www.ussliberty.org
(Washington, DC) - Friday, June 10 at 1:00 pm, Hotel Washington, 515
15th St NW, Washington Room 11th floor (hit R for roof in elevator),
Moe Shafer, board member of the USS Liberty Veterans Association and
Rear Admiral Merlin Staring, USN, Ret., Former Judge Advocate General
of the Navy who was involved with the initial Court of Inquiry
investigating the attack in 1967 will present details of the "Report
of War Crimes" brief filed on behalf of the USS Liberty Veteran's
Association concerning the 1967 Israeli attack on the USS Liberty.
The "Report" was filed with by James R. Gotcher, General Legal
Counsel, USS - LVA, with the Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon on
June 8, the 38th anniversary of the attack on the USS Liberty. For a
complete copy of the brief go to
http://www.usslibertyinquiry.com/Report/Report.pdf for a PDF version
of the Report, or http://www.usslibertyinquiry.com/Report/Report.htm
for an HTML version of the Report.
By establishing prima facie evidence that Israel committed war crimes
the Secretary of Defense under existing Dept. Of Defense directives is
obligated to initiate an inquiry into the commission of war crimes, an
investigation that should have been carried out 38 years ago.
James Gotcher was an Air Force intelligence officer in Vietnam in 1967
and is one of three intelligence officers who were in different parts
of the world at the time. Independent of each other they signed sworn
affidavits that they saw intelligence messages saying the USS Liberty
was under attack by Israeli aircraft in the Mediterranean.
Moe Shafer was a 3rd class communications technician on the USS
Liberty and survivor of a torpedo attack that killed 25 of his ship
mates in the part of the ship where he was stationed.
Captain Ward Boston, a JAG (Naval Legal) Officer involved with the
initial inquiry and retired FBI agent examined the original copy of
the Court of Inquiry record released under the Freedom of Information
Act and declared it a fraud. "It is not the record I certified and
submitted in 1967," says Captain Boston.
Lloyd Painter, Officer of the Deck on the USS Liberty and retired
secret service agent of 24 years testified that his statement
mentioned in the report, "that the Israeli torpedo boat crews machine
gunned the USS Liberty inflatable life boats" was removed from the
final report that was submitted in 1967.
Immediately following the press conference there will be a panel
discussion at the Hotel Washington.
Moderator:
Gary Powers, Jr.
Panelists:
* Joseph Lentini - Will present a brief history of the ship and the
attack; recent events re. political and military issues and what is
wrong with the Israeli story as it has evolved over the years.
He is a career Public Servant, presently a GS-14 level staff member of
the Environmental Protection Agency. Recently honored by the Navy and
the National Security Agency (NSA) for training efforts related to
establishment of a Cryptologic Military History Program. He was a crew
member of the USS Liberty and wounded during the attack.
* Ken Halliwell - Will analyze the gun camera photos and illustrate
why they are fraudulent.
Semi-retired telecommunications and information systems engineer. He
worked for ATT & Lucent Technologies for 15 years. Former
Communications Technician with Naval Security Group 1968 - 1974.
* Ernie Gallo - Will cover the following topics:
Ward Boston's affidavit which identifies the beginning of a cover up
Recently declassified cable from McCain to SECNAV
The Jan 04 State Dept Discussion Panel
Current FOIA research
Completed a 30 year career with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
Following his CIA career worked GTE, TriCorps, and British Aerospace
Enterprises. He is a member of: the Elks; Veterans of Foreign Wars;
Naval Cryptographic Veterans Association; and the Cold War Veterans.
Served on the USS Liberty during the attack.
The USS Liberty Veterans Association are hosting their 38th reunion in
DC. There will be a memorial service on June 8th at Arlington National
Cemetery where 11 crew members are buried; a meeting of the crew on
June 10th ; Memorial Plaque Dedication at the US Navy Memorial on June
11th followed by a banquet on the evening of the 11th.
===
USS Liberty attack monitored by the high echelons as it was happening
http://www.antichristconspiracy.com/HTML%20Pages/The_Real_Culprits_Behind_911.htm
....Communications between the attacking Israeli jets and their
headquarters were intercepted by U.S. Military electronic surveillance
planes as the aircraft approached the USS Liberty. The Israeli pilots
were clearly ordered by their controllers to find and quickly sink
"the American ship" (the USS Liberty). Those intercepted
communications were almost simultaneously translated and broadcast
from a U.S. Air Force C130 surveillance plane flying near the scene to
an intelligence site at Crete. The communications were then
immediately sent to Washington and to other stations as "Critical
Intelligence," (known as CRTICs). CRTICs are sent via the fastest and
most secure means available. These reports routinely arrived in the
White House, State Department, and Pentagon within ten minutes or less
of their interception. Israel was caught in the act and their
treachery was known to the highest levels of the US government, before
the attack was even completed. Endnote if( bInlineFloats ) {
document.write( '' ); document.write( WPEndnote27 ); document.write( '
Close' ); document.write( '' ); } At the time Johnson talked to
Admiral Geis nobody on the Liberty nor the Sixth Fleet knew who the
attackers were, because the attacking Israeli jets were unmarked. The
receipt of the CRITIC reports by Johnson (and the possibility of
direct communications by him with Israel) would explain how President
Johnson knew that the attack on the Liberty was an attack by an ally
(Israel) when he ordered Admiral Geis not to defend the Liberty....
Following is a detailed exerpt from the above link on The USS Liberty
incident. The whole article is worthy of your attention. Article is
also available as a pdf at this link:
http://www.antichristconspiracy.com/PDFDocs/The_Real_Culprits_Behind_911.pdf
.....Mr. Saba labeled this interlocking Jewish web the Armageddon Network.
The infamous attack on the USS Liberty demonstrates the
power of the Jews in the U.S. government. During the Israeli Six Day
War, the Liberty, an American intelligence gathering ship, was sailing
in international waters. Apparently the Liberty had discovered
something that the Israelis government did not want revealed. Israeli
aircraft and torpedo boats attacked the Liberty. The attack lasted for
75 minutes, during which U.S. Defense Secretary Robert McNamara and
Lyndon Johnson ordered the Admiral on a nearby aircraft carrier to
recall his jets and NOT to come to the Liberty's aid.
Some have speculated that the Israelis may have been
concerned that the Liberty might detect the cold blooded murder of 150
Egyptian POWs by the Israelis. Others have suggested that the intent
of the attack was to sink the vessel and kill the entire crew and then
blame the massacre on the Egyptians; thus the Americans would enter
the conflict on the side of the Israelis. That theory is supported by
the nature of the attack. Israeli aircraft flew approximately 13 close
up reconnaissance sorties on a day with clear skies over the six hours
between 6:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. Then at approximately 2:00 p.m.
unmarked aircraft came in from all directions at once in a massive air
attack that included machine gun fire, rocket attacks, and even the
dropping of napalm bombs on the ship. The aircraft had no identifying
markings, which was in violation of the Geneva Convention. Because the
aircraft were unmarked, the sailors on the USS Liberty did not know at
the time of the attack who were the attacking forces. The objective of
the first waive of attacks was to knock out the communications
capability of the ship. The attackers succeeded, but the sailors on
the Liberty were able to rig a communications antenna and transmit an
S.O.S., which was received by the Sixth Fleet. However, MacNamara and
Johnson treasonously recalled the American jets sent to defend the
Liberty.
The initial air attack was followed by a torpedo attack by
3 torpedo boats, which fired 6 torpedoes at the Liberty, with one hit.
The torpedo hit produced a huge gaping hole on the side of the ship,
but miraculously it did not sink. The life rafts were launched, but
they were immediately shot up by machine gun fire from the jets. It
was clear to those on board the Liberty that the intent was to sink
the ship and leave no survivors. An Israeli helicopter gun ship made
an appearance and waited nearby expecting the Liberty to sink. The
inferred mission of the gun ship was to machine gun any life boats and
any one who was floating in the water to ensure that there would be no
survivors. When the Liberty did not sink as expected, the helicopter
flew off. If the Israelis had succeeded in their mission and there had
been no survivors, the Israelis and the Zionists in the U.S.
Government could lay the blame for the attack on Egypt and thus the
U.S. would have been drawn into the war on the side of Israel. The
attack on the USS Liberty could be just another case in the long
history of Israel acting as agent provocateur.
David Lewis of Lemington, Vermont, was a sailor on the
Liberty when it was attacked. In an interview, Lewis said Israel had
to know it was targeting an American ship. He said a U.S. flag was
flying that day and Israel shot it full of holes. He said that the
sailors on the ship quickly hoisted another American flag, which was a
much bigger one, to show Israel it was a U.S. vessel. "No trained
individual could be that inept," said Lewis of the Israeli forces.
It is not just the subjective opinion of one sailor that
the attack was deliberate, it is also the considered conclusion
reached by the lead investigators who interviewed the other witnesses
and examined the evidence. Jews, however, had such complete control
over the reigns of the U.S. government that they controlled the
outcome of the military investigation into the attack on the USS
Liberty. On October 22, 2003, Ward Boston, a retired captain and a
former navy lawyer who was the senior legal counsel in the military
investigation of the June 8,1967 Israeli attack on the USS Liberty
released a sworn affidavit at a Capitol Hill news conference. In the
affidavit Boston stated that former President Lyndon Johnson and
defense secretary, Robert McNamara, ordered those leading the
investigation into the Israeli attack on the USS Liberty to "conclude
that the attack was a case of 'mistaken identity' despite overwhelming
evidence to the contrary." Boston said in the sworn statement
that he stayed silent for years because he's a military man, and "when
orders come, I follow them."
He said he felt compelled to "share the truth" following
the publication of a recent book, The Liberty Incident, by Jay
Cristol, which concluded the attack was unintentional. Cristol, is a retired Navy pilot and
member of the judge advocate's office. Boston further stated in his
affidavit: "The evidence was clear. Both Admiral (Isaac) Kidd and I
believed with certainty that this attack, which killed 34 America
sailors and injured 172 others, was a deliberate effort to sink an
American ship and murder its entire crew. I am certain that the
Israeli pilots that undertook the attack as well as their superiors
who had ordered the attack, were aware the ship was American."His affidavit continued: "I am
outraged at the efforts of apologists for Israel in this country to claim this attack was a case of 'mistaken identity,'" he wrote. In particular, the recent publication of Jay Cristol's book, the 'Liberty Incident,' twists the facts and misrepresents the views of those of us who investigated the attack. It is Cristol's insidious attempt to
whitewash the facts that has pushed me to speak out."
Boston said "I saw the flag, which visibly identified the
ship as American, riddled with bullet holes, and heard testimony that
made it clear the Israelis intended there be no survivors. Admiral Kidd and Boston traveled to
Malta to conduct the inquiry into the attack. The USS Liberty had been
taken to Malta for repairs and care of the wounded. Though both Kidd
and Boston agreed the attack was intentional, Kidd prepared a report
that went with the Israeli version of events. "I know from personal
conversations I had with Admiral Kidd that President Lyndon Johnson
and Secretary of Defense (Robert) McNamara ordered him to conclude the
attack was a case of 'mistaken identity,'" Boston's affidavit said.
There is additional clear and convincing evidence that
proves beyond any doubt that the Israeli attack was intentional.
Communications between the attacking Israeli jets and their
headquarters were intercepted by U.S. Military electronic surveillance
planes as the aircraft approached the USS Liberty. The Israeli pilots
were clearly ordered by their controllers to find and quickly sink
"the American ship" (the USS Liberty). Those intercepted
communications were almost simultaneously translated and broadcast
from a U.S. Air Force C130 surveillance plane flying near the scene to
an intelligence site at Crete. The communications were then
immediately sent to Washington and to other stations as "Critical
Intelligence," (known as CRTICs). CRTICs are sent via the fastest and
most secure means available. These reports routinely arrived in the
White House, State Department, and Pentagon within ten minutes or less
of their interception. Israel was caught in the act and their
treachery was known to the highest levels of the US government, before
the attack was even completed. At the time Johnson talked to
Admiral Geis nobody on the Liberty nor the Sixth Fleet knew who the
attackers were, because the attacking Israeli jets were unmarked. The
receipt of the CRITIC reports by Johnson (and the possibility of
direct communications by him with Israel) would explain how President
Johnson knew that the attack on the Liberty was an attack by an ally
(Israel) when he ordered Admiral Geis not to defend the Liberty.
Former U.S. Air Force Intelligence Analyst Stephen Forslund recalls seeing the communication intercepts of the Israeli attack on the Liberty as follows:
Much discussion has gone on about what the NSA archives hold about the
Liberty attack. The latest I read, stated that the only and final
"tapes" that the NSA has released show that helicopters sent by Israel
to the site of the attack on the Liberty, after the attack, were
unaware of her nationality. Much importance is put on this issue by
different factions in this debate. Parties state that these are the
only tapes of intercepts that exist. That may very well be true, now.
Nothing I can say will change anyone's mind but I have to state, for
my own peace of mind, what I witnessed as an all source intelligence
analyst for the U.S. Air Force during the 6 day war.
There were other intercepts, and I and many others like me, read
transcripts of the air-to-air and air-to-ground communications of the
fighters who attacked the USS Liberty. We read these in real time
during the day the attack occurred. These intercepts were preceded by
many others we read that week that started with the opening attack by
Israel in the war and included intercepts of messages between the USA
and Israel in which our government stated their knowledge of the
Israeli's pre-emptive attack that began the war and warned Israel to
cease their activities.
On the day of the attack on the Liberty, I read yellow teletype sheets
that spewed from the machines in front of me all day. We obtained our
input from a variety of sources including the NSA. The teletypes were
raw translations of intercepts of Israeli air-to-air and air-to-ground
communications between jet aircraft and their ground controller. I
read page after page of these transcripts that day as it went on and
on. The transcripts made specific reference to the efforts to direct
the jets to the target which was identified as American numerous times
by the ground controller. Upon arrival, the aircraft specifically
identified the target and mentioned the American flag she was flying.
There were frequent operational transmissions from the pilots to the
ground base describing the strafing runs. The ground control began
asking about the status of the target and whether it was sinking. They
stressed that the target must be sunk and leave no trace. The pilots
stated they had made several runs and the target was still floating.
The ground control station re-iterated that it was urgent that the
target be sunk, leaving no trace. There was a detectable level of
frustration evident in the transmissions over the fact that the
aircraft were unable to accomplish the mission quickly and totally.
The aircraft eventually broke off and we received no further
transcripts of the event. I have since learned in later descriptions
of the attack that torpedo boats attacked the Liberty also. I saw
neither intercepts nor analyses that addressed that attack. An hour or
two later I was discussing the event with a team member and he stated
they had received, during the time frame of the attack, an intercept
of a US State Department message to Israel stating that the United
States had full evidence of what had occurred in the attack on the
Liberty and strongly warning Israel to cease activities immediately.
Imagine my surprise when, upon going home that night, I was watching
the evening news and a short piece that gave vague reference to a
mistaken attack by Israel upon an American ship off Sinai came on. The
next day there was a small article buried in the A section of the
paper stating that there had been an accidental attack on the USS
Liberty and that the governments involved were in discussions. I saw
little mention after that in the popular press and, of course, said
nothing for the next 36 years.
I read these discussions debating whether Israel intentionally
attacked the USS Liberty and what their motivation would have been for
a deliberate attack. I can't debate their motivation. But, I will
carry the memory of those transcripts with me until I die. We all lost
our virginity that day.
The statement of Intelligence Analyst Forslund is
supported by James Ronald Gotcher, III, who was a Sergeant in the
United States Air Force, assigned to the 6924th Security Squadron, Da
Nang, in the Republic of Vietnam, when on June 8, 1967, CRITIC message
that the USS Liberty was under attack by Israel. In Gotcher's
September 2, 2003, sworn affidavit, quoted in part below, he states:
I, James Ronald Gotcher, do declare under penalty of perjury that the
following statement is true and complete, and based entirely upon my
personal knowledge gained through direct observation, unless
specifically stated otherwise:
* * * 7. It was clear from the explicit statements made by both the
aircraft crews and the controllers that the aircraft were flying a
planned mission to find and sink USS Liberty.
8. My understanding of what I read led me to conclude that the Israeli
pilots were making every effort possible to sink USS Liberty and were
very frustrated by their inability to do so.
9. Approximately ten days to two weeks later, we received an internal
NSA report, summarizing the Agency's findings. The report stated, in
no uncertain terms, that the attack was planned in advance and
deliberately executed. The mission was to sink USS Liberty.
10. A few days after the report arrived, another message came through
directing the document control officer to gather and destroy all
copies of both the rough and final intercept translations, as well as
the subsequently issued report.
11. After the destruction of those documents, I saw nothing further on
this subject.
12. I have read the translated transcripts, released by the Israeli
government, which purport to be actual transcripts of the air to
ground communications between the controllers and the attacking
aircraft. I know this document to be a fabrication because I have read
the actual intercepts and they were nothing like this. It is not
possible that the differences could be due to different translations
being used.
13. If called upon to testify, I am competent to testify to all of the
foregoing on the basis of direct observation and personal knowledge.
To add to the clear and convincing evidence that the
attack on the Liberty by Israel was deliberate, we have former Israeli
military personnel who were there on the scene and have since revealed
the truth. James M. Ennes Jr, in his book Assault on the Liberty,
reports the following:
Fifteen years after the attack, an Israeli pilot approached Liberty
survivors and then held extensive interviews with former Congressman
Paul N. (Pete) McCloskey about his role. According to this senior
Israeli lead pilot, he recognized the Liberty as American immediately,
so informed his headquarters, and was told to ignore the American flag
and continue his attack. He refused to do so and returned to base,
where he was arrested.
Later, a dual-citizen Israeli major told survivors that he was in an
Israeli war room where he heard that pilot's radio report. The
attacking pilots and everyone in the Israeli war room knew that they
were attacking an American ship, the major said. He recanted the
statement only after he received threatening phone calls from Israel.
Lieutenant Commander David E. Lewis, the officer in charge
of Liberty's Research Department, had a meeting with Rear Admiral
Lawrence R. Geis shortly after the Liberty attack. Admiral Geis was
the officer in charge of the embarked aircraft in both the USS America
and USS Saratoga. Commander Lewis stated that Admiral Geis told him
the following: Admiral Geis "said that he wanted somebody to know that
we weren't forgotten... attempts HAD been made to come to our
assistance. He said that he had launched a flight of aircraft to come
to our assistance, and he had then called Washington. Secretary
McNamara came on the line and ordered the recall of the aircraft,
which he did. Concurrently, he said that since he suspected that they
were afraid that there might have been nuclear weapons on board he
reconfigured another flight of aircraft... strictly conventional
weaponry... and re-launched it. After the second launch, he again
called Washington to let them know what was going on. Again, Secretary
McNamara ordered the aircraft recalled. Not understanding why, he
requested confirmation of the order, and the next higher in command
came on to confirm that...President Johnson... with the instructions
that the aircraft were to be returned, that he would not have his
allies embarrassed, he didn't care who was killed or what was done to
the ship...words to that effect. With that, Admiral Geis swore me to
secrecy for his lifetime. I had been silent up until I found out from
Admiral Moorer that Admiral Geis had passed away."
Thirty four Americans were killed and 172 wounded in the
attack. Israel claimed it was a case of mistaken identity. However,
U.S. intelligence revealed that it was a deliberate attack ordered by
Israeli General Moshe Dyan. Former Secretary of State Dean Rusk and
former Joint Chief of Staff Chairman, Admiral Thomas Moorer have both
stated that the Israeli attack was deliberate. | | | | Alpha | | | | | ©2002-2009 WarWithoutEnd.co.uk |
