The USS Liberty (AGTR-5) was an American intelligence ship.
At about 2pm on June 8, 1967, the fourth day of the Six-Day War, while the ship was steaming in international waters 13 miles off the coast of the Sinai Peninsula it was attacked without warning by the combined forces of the Israeli Air Force and Navy.
During the attack:
- the Israelis used unmarked aircraft;
- the Israelis jammed the Liberty's radios on both US Navy tactical and international maritime distress frequencies;
- Israeli torpedo boat personnel deliberately machine gunned life rafts Liberty's crewmen had dropped over the side in anticipation of abandoning ship. This act would have denied survivors of any chance for survival in the event the ship had sunk;
- Israeli torpedo boats slowly circled the torpedoed and burning ship while firing from close range at Liberty crewmen who ventured topside to help their wounded shipmates;
- Israeli attackers refused to offer assistance immediately upon their ceasing hostilities. They opted instead to depart the scene for some 90 minutes before returning with an offer of assistance; and,
- Rescue aircraft launched within minutes of the beginning of the attack from American aircraft carriers located some 450 miles away were recalled before reaching the scene of the attack.
34 Americans were killed and 172 were wounded.
The claim has often been made that subsequent to the attack ten American commissions of inquiry and three Israeli ones have all concluded that the attack was conducted because of USS Liberty being confused with an Egyptian vessel, and failures of communications between Israel and the US.
Those reports are:
- US Navy Court of Inquiry [1967]
- CIA Report [1967]
- JCS Fact Finding Team (Russ Report) [1967]
- Clifford Report [1967]
- Senate Armed Services Committee [1968]
- House Appropriations Committee [1968]
- House Armed Services Committee Investigation [1971]
- Senate Select Committee on Intelligence [1979/1981]
- NSA/CSS [1981]
- House Armed Services Committee [1991/1992]
- Ram Ron Investigation
- Israeli Examining Judges Investigation
- IDF History Department Investigation
None of these reports was made as a result of a complete and comprehensive investigation of the attack on the USS Liberty so any opinions about the incident included in these reports is without foundation.
Some of these reports simply mention the Liberty incident in passing.
It appears that some were simply the work of an author with an active imagination and not supported by anything whatsoever.
Some people have claimed that the USS Liberty refused to identify itself on the radio.
The fact is the Liberty never refused to identify herself. Indeed, immediately prior to the torpedo attack I was on the Signal Bridge repeatedly sending "USS Liberty US Navy Ship" by flashing light to the torpedo boats.
The attack on the USS Liberty holds a unique position in United States maritime history.
It is the only attack of its kind not to be the subject of a complete and comprehensive public Congressional investigation.
See also
- http://www.ussliberty.com The official website of the Veterans of USS Liberty
- http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/History/liberty.html Some have deemed this to be the Israeli position regarding USS Liberty
- http://www.ussliberty.org/nci.htm Transcript of the US Navy Court of Inquiry Report. It should be noted that this transcript has been edited by the Department of Defense prior to its being released to the public. Removed has been the testimony of Lt. Lloyd Painter regarding the deliberate machine gunning of the USS Liberty's life rafts by Israeli torpedo boat personnel.
Prepared and submitted by:
Joe Meadors
Vice President
USS Liberty Veterans Association
email: [email protected]
jmeadors
March 26, 2002