Breaking news - Israel attacks US naval vessel in the Mediterranean!
@Karmic_Dragon (6)
June 12, 2010 2:45pm CST
At least 30 crew members are reported to have been killed and over 150 wounded as a result of a prolonged and sustained attack by Israeli war planes and torpedo boats on a lightly armed American naval vessel, the USS Liberty.
No, this isn't really breaking news as this incident occured on June 8th 1967. But to many Americans I believe it will be news. Yet it shouldn't be, the USS Liberty is the most decorated ship in American naval history, it has more Purple Hearts than a cardiac ward.
When the USS Liberty was attacked, it was a bright sunny day and the American flag was clearly visible; as were the hull numbers. There could be no mistake that this was an American naval vessel in international waters. But the Israeli planes and torpedo boats still attacked it with lethal force, including missiles, armour piercing shells and napalm.
Israel claimed it was a case of mistaken identity, believing it to be an Egyptian freighter half the size of the Liberty and without the Liberty's distinctive silouhette, bristling with communications antennae. Maybe the Israeli's just forgot their sunglasses that day. The US government accepted this explanation, as has every successive administration since then. This not only dishonours the young men who died that day, but marks out each and every one of those administrations as craven cowards, scared to stand up to Israel, who slaughtered their military personnel in cold blood.
"Yes sir, no sir, 34 bodybags full sir."
So to all those American citizens who act as apologists for the foreign power which murdered their servicemen, I ask:
Where do you stand, with Israel, or with the 34 fathers, husbands, brothers and sons of Americans; who were murdered by Israeli armed forces?
Will you wear your little hypocrisy badges with pride, or hang your heads in shame?
If you'd like further details of the attack on the USS Liberty then the following video "The Loss of Liberty" should provide you with enough background information: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7384200507117357203#
Also, there is this BBC documentary "Dead in the Water" which probes a little deeper into the background and possible motives for the attack: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid7384200507117357203#docid=5911854258361448985
1 person likes this
4 responses
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
15 Jun 10
Hi Holly, it's a good point, but then I'm not quite sure that you can compare the Israeli regime/military from 1967 to that of 2010. Too many years gone by and changed circumstances.
@Instant_Karma (6)
•
4 Jul 10
xfahctor -
Karmic Dragon sends his apologies for the delay in replying to you but finds himself locked out of his account, unable to post, message or contact admin. He's emailed mylot and is waiting for a reply. Until he get's this sorted, he's asked me to babysit this discussion for him. He sends this reply to your comment:
1) Yes, it is a 43 year old story, but I believe, to many Americans, it is news, as shown by nyhollyjean's response:
[i]
"I likely still wouldn't know about it, if it weren't for trying to do research on the recent Israeli attack on the Mavi Marmara."[/i]
2) It draws historic parallels with recent events aboard the Mavi Marmara:
[i]"Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it."
- George Santayana[/i]
3) It asks American citizens to think about their unquestioning support of the Israeli government, in light of the probability that the Israeli government deliberately murdered US servicemen, and lied to cover up their crimes.
As such, I respectfully suggest that it is of extreme relevance today.
@Instant_Karma (6)
•
5 Jul 10
Hi TTCCWW
I'm babysitting for KD - see box #3
Let me see if I can answer your 'real' question.
If Netanyahu, Lieberman and the rest of the extreme right remain in control of the Israeli government; then the Israeli people will never be given the chance to let go of the victim mentality. I believe Netanyahu does not want peace at any price; regardless of the cost. What Netanyahu wants is perpetual conflict. He creates this by maintaining the blockade of Gaza and extending the building of Israeli settlements on Palestinian land in the West Bank. This continual oppression of the Palestinian people inevitably provokes a response. Now Israel is being attacked and claims victim status. And on it goes.
constant oppression = constant response = constant victim mentality
There are many voices for peace inside Israel but the government has taken to arresting and deporting activists there lately.
@EvanHunter (4026)
• United States
13 Jun 10
Great minds think alike! But than again so do insane ones...lol. Your head line is a real grabber for attention though.
@Karmic_Dragon (6)
•
13 Jun 10
Yes they do, and if what I see around me in the world is regarded as sane, rational behaviour, then I wear my insanity badge with pride!
That's what headlines are for isn't it, grabbing attention?
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
15 Jun 10
I watched both videos and also read the "official story". I agree that it almost certainly had to be deliberate and that there was a cover up. However, two questions come to mind:
1. Why would Israel risk pissing off their strongest ally that way?
2. Why would the US cover it up?
OK, I can answer the second question maybe. The US Government decided that having a strong "pro-western" ally in the Middle East was more important than the lives of its people. But what about the first question? What possible motivation could they have had?
PS My husband read the official story and his reaction was, "so what? It was wartime and they were in a war zone. Shoot first, ask questions later." More or less...
@Instant_Karma (6)
•
5 Jul 10
Hi Dawnald
baby sitting here - see box #3
Having also watched both videos, it seems obvious to me that the first Israeli planes which flew over the Liberty could not have missed either the US ensign fluttering in the breeze, or the hull numbers. So, unless Israeli military intelligence don't possess a copy of 'Jane's Fighting Ships', then you have to conclude that they knew they were attacking the USS Liberty.
Hmmmm, you raise two good questions here. Lets see...
Q1: The konspiracists say the Liberty was attacked to prevent the US eavesdropping on Israeli military communications while the IDF was busy killing Egyptian POW's in the Sinai Desert. This doesn't make sense as Israel should have no concern about America being aware of this, considering America's unquestionibg support of Israel at the UN by exercising it's power of veto on every motion agaist Israel. So what would Israel have achieved if they had sunk the Liberty?
If the Liberty had been sunk without getting off a radio message to the 6th Fleet (note that the Liberty crew said the first attack by the Israeli planes concentrated on the ship's many antennae, followed by the napalming of the upper deck to prevent repairs to the antennae), then it would have been easy to blame Egypt for the attack. This drags America into the Six Day War (again note that the first American planes sent to the Liberty's rescue were carrying nuclear weapons), indirectly supporting Israel, or should I say 'doing Israel's dirty work'.
I can think of no other reason why Israel should want to sink the Liberty, and that's what their intention was, the ferocity of the attack bears witness to that.
Q2: As the BBC documentary suggests, from the statements made by one of those interviewed, America had apparently been flying spy missions for Israel. If the rest of the world, especially the Arab world, was to find out about this then the US is in deep doo-doo. So the US needs to bury this incident quickly, hence the cover up.
My overall take: Israel intended to sink the Liberty and blame it on Egypt, thus dragging America into the Six Day War. When the attack failed, and the Liberty was able to get a message off to the Sixth Fleet, Israel backed off but then turned round and blackmailed the US government - with their nice little surveillance photos of Arab air fields - into covering the whole incident up. Nice job huh?
So America's ally is prepared to murder American servicemen in order to drag America into Israel's war; and when this fails, they are prepared to blackmail America into lying about the deaths of American servicemen, to cover up their own crimes. As that old adage says "With friends like these..."
