-Caveat Lector- Answers overdue about USS Liberty Published June 3, 2001 Charley Reese http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/columnists/orl-oped-reese03060301.column June 8, 1967, is a day that really ought to live in infamy. On that day, Israeli jets and torpedo boats attacked the U.S. Navy intelligence ship, the Liberty, in international waters. Thirty-four Americans were killed and 171 wounded. The attack, beyond doubt deliberate, is bad enough, but the real infamy is that on that very day, the U.S. government conspired with the Israeli government to cover up the truth. Before any American had talked to the ship, U.S. politicians were rushing to the press to peddle the Israeli claim that the attack was a mistake. They claim they thought it was an Arab ship. This cover-up continues. Alone among all the maritime disasters and attacks, the attack on the USS Liberty, clearly marked and sailing in calm seas under clear skies, is the only one that Congress has never made the subject of a public inquiry. At the time of the attack, the survivors were ordered never to speak of it. After they retired, however, they gathered and for decades have been collecting information and asking for a public inquiry. All of their requests are stonewalled. The standard government boilerplate sent to people is that these are old charges and there is no evidence to back them. That is a bald- faced lie. There are several sources of information: One is the USS Liberty Homepage: http://www.uss liberty.org/jim/ussliberty. Another is the book Assault on the Liberty by Jim Ennes, the officer on deck at the time of the attack. A third is another excellent book, The USS Liberty, Dissenting History vs. Official History, by Dr. John E. Borne. History Undercover on the History Channel is scheduled to air a documentary about the attack and cover-up on Aug 9. Even though this program is completed and scheduled, I am skeptical that it will be aired. Those who support Israel have proven in the past to be effective in censoring negative information about Israel. After all, it is they who have frightened Congress into abandoning its duty. The cover-up itself is full of mysteries and questions that need to be answered. Survivors have from separate sources information that a U.S. submarine was present during the attack and photographed it through its periscope. The U.S. government continues to deny this, though the sources claim to have been crew members of the sub. Why is this denied? Why, if the sub were present, did it not surface and offer assistance to the USS Liberty, in grave danger of sinking from a large hole blasted in its side by an Israeli torpedo? The ship would have sunk but for the heroic efforts of her officers and the surviving crew members. The Israelis used machine guns, cannon fire, rockets, napalm and torpedoes in an attack that lasted more than an hour, crew members say. They also deliberately destroyed the ship's life rafts. Clearly, they intended to sink the ship with all hands lost. Their apology and compensation do not change the facts. The Liberty didn't sink, and the Israelis abruptly ended the attack. Survivors believe they did so because they had learned that the jets had been launched from a U.S. aircraft carrier 300 miles away. But those jets were recalled by a direct order from Washington. Why? If they had been allowed to proceed, the attack by torpedo boats could have been prevented. Why are more than 6,000 pages of documents still classified? Survivors and the American people deserve to know the answers. Reach Charley Reese at 407-420-5315 or [EMAIL PROTECTED] <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
