Did Israeli gunboats shoot up USS Liberty's inflatable orange lifeboats during their attack on 8 Jun 1967?

Question

Israel first attacked USS Liberty, a clearly marked American ship in international waters, using unmarked jet fighters while jamming the US Navy communications and International distress frequencies. The unmarked Israeli fighter jets dropped bombs on Liberty to destroy its antennas, then send in those gunboats to torpedo the ship in an obvious attempt to sink it. Then, when Captain McGonagle ordered the lifeboats afloat preparatory to abandoning ship, the Israelis moved closer and machine-gunned the inflatable rubber rafts, rendering them incapable of saving the lives of the American sailors. Just as the US Sixth Fleet got wise to the Israeli attack and sent American fighter jets to Liberty's assistance, Israel had been loading troop helicopters full of commandos whose mission was (probably) to "finish the job" so that there would be no witnesses to the Israeli treachery. Why did Israel do this? Is it some persistent quirk of Jewish character, similar to what we see now in Lebanon?

m1a1mikegolf is not correct. According to John Stenbit, the US Assistent Secretary of Defense for C3I, the Israeli government contacted the US government and said, "If you don't get that ship, the LIBERTY, out of this place we're going to sink it in twenty-four hours." Back in 1968, it took longer than a day to relay communications through normal channels, and by before orders could come from the Navy for Liberty to move, Israel had already attacked. Further, Israel's pilots radio calls to Tel Aviv were intercepted and clearly identified Liberty as an American ship.

This is interesting not primarily because it proves that Israel knew where Liberty was, but rather because Israel was dictating to the US government and obviously expecting compliance. It's also clear that Israel considered itself to make free with the American ship, sinking it or not as they wished, secure in the knowledge that the US government would do nothing in retaliation.

BMCR's information is false. Communications between the Israeli pilots who attacked Liberty and their squadron command in Tel Aviv were intercepted by US Sigint aircraft and relayed to the US Embassy in Beirut, which sent them in turn to USAF Foreign Technology Division at Wright-Patterson AFB. The Israeli pilots transmissions clearly reveal that some of them, on approach to Liberty, identified it as an American ship and asked for confirmation of their orders. The reply from Tel Aviv was to go ahead an attack anyway.

Answer 1

The Israelis were at war at the time and wanted the U.S to think that Arabs were responsible so we would join the fight. Funny most people are unaware this incident ever happened.

Answer 2

Friendly fire incidents happen all the time, especially in the fog of war. Even now, one of the Israeli helicopters that was shot down over Lebanon may have been because of friendly fire.

Recently, the transcripts of the communications between the radio towers and the pilots who hit the Libery were declassified and published. They clearly indicate that the pilots had no idea it was an American ship.

This is addition to numerous investigations on both the Iaraeli and American side that have cleared Israel of any malicious intent to deliberately destroy and American ship.

Of course, to those who engage in such conspiracy theories this won't matter at all.

Answer 3

to a pair quantity, sure. My husband works the Chicago Marathon each twelve months, and he commented final night that if he'd been doing a similar interest in Boston, he would have been nicely suited interior the location of the explosions. of direction this delivered homestead the actuality of the attack in a fashion no longer something would have, and this is made me demanding with regard to the opportunity of a copycat attack in October, whilst the Chicago Marathon would be run. in addition to, I as quickly as stated as Boston homestead and comprehend the section the place the explosions got here approximately fairly nicely. I lived interior reach and used to circulate out to cheer on the Marathon runners each Patriots' Day. That, too, made the progression extra actual to me. although, I knew somebody who died on 9/11, and as undesirable as this tragedy is, it pales in assessment, nevertheless no longer, I comprehend, for the enjoyed ones of the lifeless and critically wounded. to boot, my instincts are telling me that this became into no longer an attack with the aid of foreign places terrorists yet fairly the paintings of a homegrown nutcase. That no longer right now places a distinctive complexion on the situation, nevertheless of direction i should be fullyyt incorrect.

Answer 4

The Israelis saw the US ship as target practice. They knew the Americans wouldn't do anything. (The US *punished* the Liberty's commanding officer.)

The jews were victims of one of the world's worst atrocities, but that doesn't give them the right to perpetrate them. Israeli terrorism needs to be stopped.

Answer 5

Yes, they did. And they covered up the "Israeli" massacre of about a thousand Egyptian POW's in the nearby desert. You can look that up.

Answer 6

Good question, though the real answer isn't likely to surface due to cover up. At best, you'll get conspiracy theories which may hit close to the mark, but lack some key components.

Answer 7

Great.

You are just another loser who gives a distorted and one-sided description of events.

Why didn't you bring up the fact that we told the Israelis that there were no US ships within 100 miles of that location?

Face it pal - we screwed up.

Answer 8

You already answered your own question, so what reason they
did this has really never been explained fully to the US's satisfaction.

Answer 9

Who gives a damn? it was ages ago. Theres about a million more pressing issues.