The Israeli Attack on the USS Liberty
12/16/2022 12:07 AM UTC by Jack
The USS Liberty was attacked by Israeli forces on June 8, 1967.1 The attack occurred on the 4th day of the Six-Day War.2
The Six-Day War happened between June 5th and June 10, 1967. The war was fought between Israel and the Arab states of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan. After a series of escalations by both sides, Israel launched a preemptive strike on Egypt consisting of 200 planes which targeted 18 Egyptian air bases and destroyed 90% of their aircraft. Israel then launched air attacks and decimated the air forces of Syria, Jordan, and Iraq. Israel then used ground forces to steal the Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip from Egypt, the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan, and the Golan Heights from Syria.3
Prior to the war, but as the conflict was escalating, the US deployed the USS Liberty to the eastern Mediterranean Sea. The USS Liberty was a World War II-era cargo vessel which had been refitted as a surveillance vessel. It's mission was to gather intelligence by listening to signals from Israel, the Arab nations, and the Soviet advisors of the Arab nations.4
"In the morning hours of June 8, 1967, the Israeli aerial reconnaissance spotted an unidentified ship 70 miles off the coast of Gaza. Three hours later, a second reconnaissance flight spotted an unidentified ship 20 miles off the coast of nearby El-Arish. The Israeli Air Force notified the Israeli naval command that these two sightings were the USS Liberty. The ship was marked as neutral and removed from the threat board."4
Just prior to the attack, the USS Liberty had finished a routine attack drill and was in stand down mode.4 The Israelis claimed that they spotted the USS Liberty during the attack drill doing 30 knots which under Israeli naval doctrine a ship travelling at that speed is presumed to be a warship.2 This was a blatant lie because the USS Liberty's top speed was much below 30 knots.4 At just before 2pm four Israeli fighters strafed the USS Liberty with 30mm cannons and rocket fire4 even though the ship was easily identifiable by both hull markings and a large American flag.1 During the initial attack the Israeli craft blocked transmissions on all channels that US forces use.1 The Israeli aircraft then disengaged upon receiving a communication that the ship was "apparently American," according to declassified documents.4 During the initial attack, 9 of the 294 crew members were killed and 60 were injured including the captain.1
Eventually the USS Liberty was able to make contact with the US aircraft carrier Saratoga. The Saratoga launched 12 fighters and 4 tanker planes to aid the USS Liberty. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara ordered the aircraft recalled to the Saratoga. The US chose not to help the USS Liberty.
Opinion: If you take a look at Lyndon B. Johnson's extremely close ties to the Jewish community,5 it seems likely that his first loyalty was not to the American sailors aboard the USS Liberty.
Israeli torpedo boats then approached the USS Liberty. The US Captain saw the Israeli flags on the torpedo boats and ordered his men not to fire, but the order did not reach all of the gunners and a burst of machine gun fire was shot at the torpedo boats.4 The torpedo boats launched torpedoes and fired artillery. The USS Liberty averted 4 torpedoes but the 5th struck her under the waterline. The USS Liberty launched 3 life boats but these were attacked in direct violation of international law.1 During this second attack records show that the torpedo boats were ordered to stop the attack. The captain said that he never received that order though his deputy commander testified to relaying the order to the captain.4 The USS Liberty was heavily damaged but managed to limp back to a safe port.
In the end, a total of 34 Americans were killed and 171 wounded.1 Israel claimed that they had mistaken the very clearly marked US ship as the Egyptian vessel, El Quseir.2 Israel offered $6.9 million to the victims.1
Many of the USS Liberty survivors and former US officials believe that the attack was deliberate and meant to conceal the Israeli operation of the next day which would be the controversial theft of Syria's Golan Heights.1
The website of the survivors linked in this article2 is no longer accessible.
The Six-Day War happened between June 5th and June 10, 1967. The war was fought between Israel and the Arab states of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan. After a series of escalations by both sides, Israel launched a preemptive strike on Egypt consisting of 200 planes which targeted 18 Egyptian air bases and destroyed 90% of their aircraft. Israel then launched air attacks and decimated the air forces of Syria, Jordan, and Iraq. Israel then used ground forces to steal the Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip from Egypt, the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan, and the Golan Heights from Syria.3
Prior to the war, but as the conflict was escalating, the US deployed the USS Liberty to the eastern Mediterranean Sea. The USS Liberty was a World War II-era cargo vessel which had been refitted as a surveillance vessel. It's mission was to gather intelligence by listening to signals from Israel, the Arab nations, and the Soviet advisors of the Arab nations.4
"In the morning hours of June 8, 1967, the Israeli aerial reconnaissance spotted an unidentified ship 70 miles off the coast of Gaza. Three hours later, a second reconnaissance flight spotted an unidentified ship 20 miles off the coast of nearby El-Arish. The Israeli Air Force notified the Israeli naval command that these two sightings were the USS Liberty. The ship was marked as neutral and removed from the threat board."4
Just prior to the attack, the USS Liberty had finished a routine attack drill and was in stand down mode.4 The Israelis claimed that they spotted the USS Liberty during the attack drill doing 30 knots which under Israeli naval doctrine a ship travelling at that speed is presumed to be a warship.2 This was a blatant lie because the USS Liberty's top speed was much below 30 knots.4 At just before 2pm four Israeli fighters strafed the USS Liberty with 30mm cannons and rocket fire4 even though the ship was easily identifiable by both hull markings and a large American flag.1 During the initial attack the Israeli craft blocked transmissions on all channels that US forces use.1 The Israeli aircraft then disengaged upon receiving a communication that the ship was "apparently American," according to declassified documents.4 During the initial attack, 9 of the 294 crew members were killed and 60 were injured including the captain.1
Eventually the USS Liberty was able to make contact with the US aircraft carrier Saratoga. The Saratoga launched 12 fighters and 4 tanker planes to aid the USS Liberty. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara ordered the aircraft recalled to the Saratoga. The US chose not to help the USS Liberty.
Opinion: If you take a look at Lyndon B. Johnson's extremely close ties to the Jewish community,5 it seems likely that his first loyalty was not to the American sailors aboard the USS Liberty.
Israeli torpedo boats then approached the USS Liberty. The US Captain saw the Israeli flags on the torpedo boats and ordered his men not to fire, but the order did not reach all of the gunners and a burst of machine gun fire was shot at the torpedo boats.4 The torpedo boats launched torpedoes and fired artillery. The USS Liberty averted 4 torpedoes but the 5th struck her under the waterline. The USS Liberty launched 3 life boats but these were attacked in direct violation of international law.1 During this second attack records show that the torpedo boats were ordered to stop the attack. The captain said that he never received that order though his deputy commander testified to relaying the order to the captain.4 The USS Liberty was heavily damaged but managed to limp back to a safe port.
In the end, a total of 34 Americans were killed and 171 wounded.1 Israel claimed that they had mistaken the very clearly marked US ship as the Egyptian vessel, El Quseir.2 Israel offered $6.9 million to the victims.1
Many of the USS Liberty survivors and former US officials believe that the attack was deliberate and meant to conceal the Israeli operation of the next day which would be the controversial theft of Syria's Golan Heights.1
The website of the survivors linked in this article2 is no longer accessible.