Navy Vet Honored, Foiled Israeli Attack on USS Liberty

[zengrifter]

CounterPunch.com | June 2, 2009

USS Liberty Vet Awarded the Silver Star
Navy Vet Honored, Foiled Israeli Attack

By RAY McGOVERN

What’s the difference between murder and massacre?

The answer is Terry Halbardier, whose bravery and ingenuity as a 23-year-old Navy seaman spelled the difference between the murder of 34 of the USS Liberty crew and the intended massacre of all 294.

The date was June 8, 1967; and for the families of the 34 murdered and for the Liberty’s survivors and their families, it is a “date which will live in infamy” — like the date of an earlier surprise attack on the U.S. Navy.



The infamy is two-fold: (1) the Liberty, a virtually defenseless intelligence collection platform prominently flying an American flag in international waters, came under deliberate attack by Israeli aircraft and three 60-ton Israeli torpedo boats off the coast of the Sinai on a cloudless June afternoon during the six-day Israeli-Arab war; and (2) President Lyndon Johnson called back carrier aircraft dispatched to defend the Liberty lest Israel be embarrassed — the start of an unconscionable cover-up, including top Navy brass, that persists to this day.

Given all they have been through, the Liberty survivors and other veterans – who joined Halbardier to celebrate his belated receipt of the Silver Star – can be forgiven for having doubted that this day would ever come. In the award ceremony at the Visalia (California) office of Rep. Devin Nunes, the Republican congressman pinned the Silver Star next to the Purple Heart that Halbardier found in his home mailbox three years ago.

Nunes said, “The government has kept this quiet I think for too long, and I felt as my constituent he [Halbardier] needed to get recognized for the services he made to his country.”

MORE- http://www.counterpunch.com/mcgovern06022009.html

[Katweezel]

June 8, 1967 was a special day in history for infamy and notoriety. This was the day when America's ally - Israel - deliberately hatched its evil plot to massacre the entire crew of USS Liberty, leaving no survivors. Their best efforts failed because of one brave seaman's efforts under fire to restore the use of an antenna. As soon as the mayday signal was sent to the US 6th fleet, the Israelis broke off the attack and fled. The toll: 34 dead, 174 wounded of the 294 crew. These were the first victims.

Other victims: truth, honesty, integrity, justice, honor, friendship, trust, respect, dignity, esteem, reputation, virtue, pride, conscience... and more. Those words are just for the US Johnson administration at the time; for the way they handled the whole sordid event, the cover-up and the shameful aftermath.

As for words to describe what Israel did, and why they did it, words fail me.

[zengrifter]

See also -

40 Years Ago Today - Israel's Attack on the USS Liberty

[aslan]

Because this event is inconsistent with the years that preceded it and the forty years that have followed it, one cannot reasonably suggest that this was an attack approved at the highest levels. Some military leader took it on himself to order the attack. There can be no other explanation. It was the action of a rogue individual or individuals, and nothing more. Tragic as it was, no conclusion can be drawn as to the friendship of Israel. To draw such a conclusion is nothing but unfounded speculation and an attempt to cast a shadow over the current friendly relationship between the US and Israel. It is also an unwarranted slam against the US government hwich has remained consistent on the handling of the issue regardless of administration or party affiliation over the years. Even the quick-to-criticize-the-US President Obama, has said nothing with respect to this event. That in itself should be proof enough. az

[Katweezel]

With respect to those American sailors killed and wounded on that day of Israeli infamy, the truth of why it happened must eventually come to light. History will decide...

Some relevant facts:
1 In June, 1967 - the fourth day of the Arab-Israeli 6-day war - the Cold War was alive and happening, with both Egypt and Syria aligned with Russia.

2 President Johnson was heavily focused on the Vietnam war, with Russia backing the Viets.

3 USS Liberty was deliberately stationed in an extremely vulnerable position, close to land, off the coast of Egypt, about 70 miles from Tel Aviv.

4 Israeli aircraft had been spotted several times around USS Liberty since daybreak that day. Israeli military intelligence was of high quality, as was pilots' eyesight.

5 It's quite clear from evidence that the ship was flying the US flag since daybreak that day.

6 It's clear from evidence that some attacking pilots were reluctant to attack when they saw the US flag flying on their target, and so called for confirmation of orders. Orders were confirmed.

7 SIX torpedoes were launched from 3 Israeli gunboats, just ONE of which hit the target.

8 An Israeli gunboat machine-gunned a lifeboat.

9 In response to the Liberty's mayday radio signal, a US rescue squadron took off from the 6th Fleet - some 400 miles distant - and was ordered to return to its aircraft carrier.

10 Some 45 minutes after the disaster, Israel was apologizing for a grave error.

11 Quickly, the Johnson administration began a cover-up.

12 Around this time or shortly after, Israel seized the Golan Heights and has held them since.

Sinister overtones...
The Russians at the time had some prominent Arab friends among Israel's enemies, and the Russians were also supporting Vietnam. The Cold War mentality at the time was a source of some seriously-deluded and unbalanced geo-political thinking, on both sides.

The Johnson administration went to great efforts to silence and cover up the affair. This extraordinary cover up policy, after 34 Americans had been killed and 172 wounded in what appeared to be a deliberate attack by an ally, was peculiar to say the least. Who gave the order, and why, when the assistance flight from the 6th Fleet was ordered to return to its carrier?

Speculation... Could there have been some hare-brained, seriously-deluded plot hatched by Secret Services, whereby one (small) US ship and crew was to be sacrificed (attacked and sunk with zero survivors, by Israel) and made to look like Egypt was the villain? With Arabs getting bad press (and Russians by extension/complicit) perhaps world opinion would be swayed, and also swayed in favor of the Israelis.

Israel was about to seize the Golan Heights from Syria. Perhaps that was an important factor...

At this point in its history, Israel has more than enough enemies. It needs all the friends it can get; and to especially keep the most important one of the few it has. Due respect was never paid to 34 dead American sailors and 172 wounded, by the Johnson administration, nor by any administration since. This 1967 event refuses to stay covered up and silent any longer.

[Thunder]

Seems like all Israel bashers bring up the Liberty incident. Just ask yourself as Aslan said, why on earth would Israel knowingly attack the USA??? It would be akin to sucker punching your best friend. Until the real truth gets let out, all of this is only speculation and serves no purpose.

[shadroch]

Originally Posted by Thunder

Seems like all Israel bashers bring up the Liberty incident. Just ask yourself as Aslan said, why on earth would Israel knowingly attack the USA??? It would be akin to sucker punching your best friend. Until the real truth gets let out, all of this is only speculation and serves no purpose.

Because the Liberty was a spy ship that had the capability of tracking a planned Israeli counter-attack that the US would not have permitted. As it was, the fortunes of war turned and said response was not needed,but no one knew it at the time.

[zengrifter]

Israel attacked the USS Liberty using UNMARKED AIRCRAFT. This is the single fact which proves Israel knew exactly who they were attacking. Israel's story is that they thought USS Liberty was an Egyptian ship and therefore a legitimate target of war. Were that true, there would be no reason to attack a supposedly Egyptian ship with unmarked aircraft. The only possible reason to use unmarked aircraft to attack the ship is that Israel knew it was an American ship and intended to sink it, then to blame the attack on Egypt.

Moorer, who as top legal council to the official investigation is in a position to know, agrees that Israel intended to sink the USS Liberty and blame Egypt for it, thus dragging the United States into a war on Israel's behalf. This seems to be a common trick of Israel. Starting with the Lavon affair, through the USS Liberty, to the fake radio transmitter that tricked Reagan into attacking Libya, to potentially 9-11 itself, Israel's game is to frame Arabs and set them up as targets for the United States.

The official US investigation is discredited. And with it, every claim of innocence for Israel that relied on the official investigation as a source.

The real question facing the American people is why the US Government seems more concerned with protecting Israel after they are caught playing these dirty tricks, rather than doing something to convince Israel not to kill any more Americans.

Source: What Really Happened?

[aslan]

Originally Posted by zengrifter

Israel attacked the USS Liberty...

... Israel intended to sink the USS Liberty ...

Someone gave the order.

Maybe it was the government,

maybe it was a part of the government,

maybe it was a single powerful member of the government,

maybe it was rogue elements of the military,

maybe it was a single rogue commander in the military,

maybe....

I think we call this "speculation."

Does anyone here have firsthand knowledge of what happened--who ordered it, what the complete communications between the US and Israel was, why we still keep it secret?---no speculation please.

[creeping panther]

Originally Posted by zengrifter

CounterPunch.com | June 2, 2009

USS Liberty Vet Awarded the Silver Star
Navy Vet Honored, Foiled Israeli Attack

By RAY McGOVERN

What’s the difference between murder and massacre?

The answer is Terry Halbardier, whose bravery and ingenuity as a 23-year-old Navy seaman spelled the difference between the murder of 34 of the USS Liberty crew and the intended massacre of all 294.

The date was June 8, 1967; and for the families of the 34 murdered and for the Liberty’s survivors and their families, it is a “date which will live in infamy” — like the date of an earlier surprise attack on the U.S. Navy.



The infamy is two-fold: (1) the Liberty, a virtually defenseless intelligence collection platform prominently flying an American flag in international waters, came under deliberate attack by Israeli aircraft and three 60-ton Israeli torpedo boats off the coast of the Sinai on a cloudless June afternoon during the six-day Israeli-Arab war; and (2) President Lyndon Johnson called back carrier aircraft dispatched to defend the Liberty lest Israel be embarrassed — the start of an unconscionable cover-up, including top Navy brass, that persists to this day.

Given all they have been through, the Liberty survivors and other veterans – who joined Halbardier to celebrate his belated receipt of the Silver Star – can be forgiven for having doubted that this day would ever come. In the award ceremony at the Visalia (California) office of Rep. Devin Nunes, the Republican congressman pinned the Silver Star next to the Purple Heart that Halbardier found in his home mailbox three years ago.

Nunes said, “The government has kept this quiet I think for too long, and I felt as my constituent he [Halbardier] needed to get recognized for the services he made to his country.”

MORE- http://www.counterpunch.com/mcgovern06022009.html

Thanks for keeping this atrocity alive.

Remember The U.S.S. Liberty!!

CP