- há 1 semana
Documentary examining the circumstances that led to Israel's attack in 1967 on the USS Liberty, a spy ship belonging to its closest ally.
Israel claimed the two-hour assault - which killed 34 American servicemen - was a tragic case of mistaken identity, an explanation that the United States accepted. This film provides evidence to the contrary and explains how the incident almost resulted in a US nuclear attack on Egypt.
Israel claimed the two-hour assault - which killed 34 American servicemen - was a tragic case of mistaken identity, an explanation that the United States accepted. This film provides evidence to the contrary and explains how the incident almost resulted in a US nuclear attack on Egypt.
Categoria
📚
AprendizadoTranscrição
00:00:01One summer morning in 1967, a battered American ship pulled into the port of the latter.
00:00:09Six days earlier, on the 8th of June, the USS Liberty had been attacked.
00:00:18A torpedo had blown a huge hole in the ship's side, leaving her lower decks flooded.
00:00:27Everybody in the space that I worked in died, except me.
00:00:34Lost, too, was some of America's most sensitive electronic intelligence equipment, because the Liberty was a spy ship.
00:00:46The Liberty should not have been there.
00:00:50It was no enemy that tried to sink the Liberty.
00:00:53It was America's ally, Israel, then fighting its Arab neighbors in the Six-Day War.
00:01:05The survivors have always said the attack was no accident.
00:01:11We were well known, and the attack was obviously deliberate.
00:01:15I consider it this cold-blooded murder of American sailors that day.
00:01:21Yet Israel insists it was a tragic case of mistaken identity.
00:01:30It's very embarrassing for a military force like the Israeli defense forces to make such a blunder.
00:01:37No doubt.
00:01:38But we admit our mistake.
00:01:40That does not mean that there was any intention or any conspiracy or anything of the sort.
00:01:48But the men of the Liberty claim there was a conspiracy, and that it's been covered up for 35 years.
00:01:58If it was an accident, it was the best planned accident I've ever heard of.
00:02:03But one whistleier probably and was lucky enough.
00:02:12Good boy!
00:02:16Good boy!
00:02:22Good boy!
00:02:24Good boy!
00:02:25Good boy!
00:02:27Go baseball!
00:02:28Walk 10!
00:02:28He's got red hair
00:02:28If Jews today can gather at their holiest site,
00:02:31the Wailing War, it's because the Six-Day War
00:02:34brought them control of Jerusalem's old city.
00:02:45It's also brought 35 years of violence, hatred and bloodshed.
00:03:06Since 1967, Israel has become the dominant power in the Middle East,
00:03:10thanks to its alliance with the U.S.
00:03:14It was a turning point in our relationship with Israel.
00:03:18Up until that point, we had avoided being a major arms supplier to Israel.
00:03:34Paradoxically, the security of Israel
00:03:37became one of our strategic objectives,
00:03:40which it had never been in the past.
00:03:45For 35 years, the Liberty veterans have been campaigning for justice
00:03:50and a full inquiry into the attack on their ship.
00:03:53We need you because it's what keeps us going.
00:03:57We can't do the things we want to do
00:04:00without your help.
00:04:02We have never learned why it happened that day
00:04:07Why the ravage of war came in our way
00:04:12We lost our husbands, sons and friends
00:04:17And there is no hope our hearts will mend
00:04:23Oh, the Liberty
00:04:26For many young men in mid-sixties America,
00:04:29joining the Navy was a good alternative to Army service
00:04:39It was kind of funny
00:04:40I didn't want to go
00:04:42It was Vietnam
00:04:42My friends were coming back in body bags
00:04:45And I put it off for a month
00:04:47And I got a second notice
00:04:49And I figured I'd better do something
00:04:51And I went and enlisted in the Navy
00:04:56And went into the Navy
00:04:57And 13 weeks later after boot camp
00:05:01I got into the USS Liberty
00:05:05Rankowski didn't yet know it
00:05:07But the Liberty would also be on her way to war
00:05:10While America was distracted by Vietnam
00:05:12The Soviet Union was extending its influence in the Middle East
00:05:20It backed radical governments in Syria and Egypt
00:05:23Whose president, Gamal Abdul Nasser
00:05:26Had become the Arab world's chief spokesman in its struggle with Israel
00:05:31Egypt was under enormous pressure at the time
00:05:34Pressure by the Arab partners
00:05:40I remember the Jordanians calling President Nasser
00:05:44And telling him
00:05:45You are only bragging
00:05:47You are not doing anything
00:05:48You are letting down your Syrian allies
00:05:51And things like that
00:05:52And they saw it as a necessity
00:05:55To do something
00:05:57To help
00:06:03Meanwhile, the USS Liberty had crossed the Atlantic
00:06:06And put in at the West African port of Abidjan
00:06:13Some of the sailors were on leave
00:06:14And busy with their home movie cameras
00:06:32The Liberty was an unarmed ship
00:06:34Designed to listen in on electronic communications
00:06:37And pass intelligence on to the highest levels of the U.S. government
00:06:44There was no other ship like her
00:06:46Her decks bristled with 45 antennas
00:06:49And below were dozens of communications analysts and translators
00:06:56If it was broadcast on a radio wave
00:06:59We could receive it
00:07:00At any frequency
00:07:02Low frequency, high frequency, medium frequency, very low frequency
00:07:06If it was out there, we could receive it
00:07:08If we were listening and we heard a signal
00:07:11And when we looked at it, we couldn't understand it
00:07:14It was encrypted as well
00:07:15We'd send it back to NSA and let them hit it with their computers
00:07:20NSA, the National Security Agency
00:07:23Is America's top-secret organization for handling electronic intelligence
00:07:27From its headquarters outside Washington
00:07:30It controlled the Liberty
00:07:32As she cruised slowly along the west coast of Africa
00:07:38In May 67, NASA moved thousands of Egyptian troops
00:07:43Into the previously demilitarized Sinai Peninsula
00:07:46Israel and Egypt now confronted each other head-on
00:07:50Though the sabre-rattling didn't mean war was inevitable
00:08:01Then Nasser raised the stakes
00:08:03He closed the Straits of Tehran
00:08:06Cutting off the Israeli port of Eilat
00:08:12Israel saw this as an act of war
00:08:14And began to mobilize
00:08:19In fact, Hawks and the Israeli government
00:08:21Had been waiting for a showdown with the Arabs
00:08:24Both sides now prepared for war
00:08:29Soon to be caught up in this
00:08:31Was the USS Liberty
00:08:34A commander, William L. McGonigal
00:08:36Had been in the Navy since World War II
00:08:40The crew included highly trained codebreakers
00:08:42And radio experts
00:08:43Like Dave Lewis
00:08:51I was the research officer on the research ship
00:08:55The commanding officer drove the ship
00:08:58The executive officer was his assistant
00:09:00And I was in charge of the 195 security group personnel
00:09:07We were sent around the world
00:09:09Wherever there might be a hot spot
00:09:11To see if we could determine
00:09:13What was going on
00:09:15And if the United States
00:09:17Desired any intervention of any sort
00:09:24Life aboard the USS Liberty
00:09:26Was like no other naval life
00:09:29And in the 1960s
00:09:32Ships of that ilk
00:09:35Operated independently
00:09:36The commanding officer of the USS America
00:09:39Which was the flagship of the 6th Fleet
00:09:41Didn't keep track of a ship
00:09:42That was sailing all by itself
00:09:47When we were off duty
00:09:48When the sailors were off duty
00:09:49We went up topside and sunbathed
00:09:51We wore pressed, starched, creased uniforms
00:09:56And spit-shine shoes
00:09:57And our fingernails were never dirty
00:09:59I mean, we were slick
00:10:03McGonigal, he was a terrific person
00:10:06We always on Sunday had a cookout
00:10:09When a fan tell the ship
00:10:17Being aboard the ship
00:10:18Was really something
00:10:19It was fun
00:10:20Like going from Abidjan Ivory Coast
00:10:22All the way down to Cape Town
00:10:23You drifting along at three knots
00:10:26And listening
00:10:27Ten miles off the coast
00:10:34When the Liberty pulled into Abidjan
00:10:36That was the social event of the year
00:10:40I got back aboard at two o'clock in the morning
00:10:42The day we left
00:10:46I was met at the gangway
00:10:47By Captain McGonigal
00:10:48Who informed me
00:10:49That we had orders
00:10:50To get underway immediately
00:10:52And I was to get the rest of the troops
00:10:54And we were getting underway
00:10:58In a sudden change of mission
00:11:00The ship was ordered to head
00:11:01For the Middle East
00:11:085,000 miles away in Washington
00:11:11Israel's hardline spymaster
00:11:13Mayor Amit
00:11:14Was making a secret visit
00:11:16To his friends in the CIA
00:11:17And the Pentagon
00:11:20Amit's key meeting
00:11:21Was with Robert McNamara
00:11:23The US Secretary of Defense
00:11:25Amit wanted to know
00:11:26Whether the Americans
00:11:27Would back Israel
00:11:28If it struck the first blow
00:11:31But the two men
00:11:32Have very different memories
00:11:33Of their encounter
00:11:34I told him
00:11:35Look we don't want
00:11:36Even one soldier from you
00:11:37All what we want from you
00:11:39To stop the Russians
00:11:41Coming into the arena
00:11:44And number two
00:11:48To help us after the war
00:11:51So when I finished
00:11:53He asked me two questions
00:11:54One
00:11:55How long it will take
00:11:57I said one week
00:11:58How many casualties
00:12:00I told him less
00:12:01Than the war of independence
00:12:04So I asked him
00:12:05Mr. Secretary
00:12:07What do you advise to me
00:12:08Can I go home now
00:12:12Or stay here
00:12:13Until things will clear up
00:12:16He said no
00:12:17You go home
00:12:18Your place is there
00:12:20Now
00:12:22I
00:12:23Drew the conclusion
00:12:25That it was a green light
00:12:29Absolutely not
00:12:30Because at that point
00:12:33President Johnson and I
00:12:35And Dean Rusk
00:12:36Had fully agreed
00:12:38That we must
00:12:39Keep the US in a position
00:12:41Where if Israel called on us
00:12:43For military assistance
00:12:44To turn back
00:12:45The attack by Egypt
00:12:47And possibly
00:12:48Turn back
00:12:49An attack
00:12:50By Egypt
00:12:51With the support
00:12:52Of the Soviet Union
00:12:53We had to be in a position
00:12:54That we could
00:12:55Obtain the support
00:12:57Of the American people
00:12:58And the Congress
00:12:59For applying military force
00:13:01In support of Israel
00:13:02And we would not have
00:13:03That support
00:13:04If Israel
00:13:05Had attacked Egypt
00:13:06So our position was
00:13:08No
00:13:09Don't initiate the attack
00:13:11And I have no basis
00:13:12For believing
00:13:13That the Israelis
00:13:15Spoke of
00:13:16Received any other
00:13:17Indication from me
00:13:18Than that
00:13:22That same night
00:13:23A young NSA linguist
00:13:25Named Alan Blue
00:13:26Was suddenly dispatched
00:13:27To join the Liberty
00:13:32He was called
00:13:33In the middle of the night
00:13:34Around 2 o'clock
00:13:35In the morning
00:13:36And he left
00:13:38Left the house
00:13:39He went to NSA
00:13:40And at noon
00:13:42The next day
00:13:43He was on a plane
00:13:46To Rota Spain
00:13:47I'd never seen him
00:13:49That way
00:13:50He was almost teary
00:13:54He clung to me
00:13:56Like he didn't
00:13:58When he had
00:13:59Taken prior trips
00:14:03Alan Blue
00:14:04Met the ship
00:14:04At the Spanish port
00:14:05Of Rota
00:14:06By now
00:14:07The crew
00:14:07Had been told
00:14:08They were heading
00:14:08For the Gaza Strip
00:14:11We knew that
00:14:12From the daily news
00:14:14That the Arab-Israeli
00:14:17Situation was getting
00:14:18More and more hostile
00:14:21That so far
00:14:22There was no war
00:14:24But it looked
00:14:25To anybody
00:14:26Who read the newspapers
00:14:27That there would
00:14:28Soon be a war
00:14:28And so we were
00:14:29Sent out there
00:14:31Obviously
00:14:31To listen
00:14:33To what was going on
00:14:36Early on the morning
00:14:37Of Monday
00:14:38The 5th of June
00:14:39Israel went to war
00:14:41Its planes
00:14:42Pounded airfields
00:14:43In Sinai
00:14:44In the Suez Canal zone
00:14:46Destroying
00:14:46Most of Egypt's air force
00:14:49These are the original shots
00:14:51Taken by the gun cameras
00:14:53During the attacks
00:14:54On the Arab airfields
00:15:09The fact is
00:15:09That they didn't
00:15:10Have a clue
00:15:11When we came on
00:15:11They were completely
00:15:12Called by surprise
00:15:13They were having breakfast
00:15:14Immediately after breakfast
00:15:15Some coffee
00:15:16And boof
00:15:17Up we came on
00:15:18Nine airfields
00:15:18Two in Sinai
00:15:19Five in Egypt
00:15:21And two in Upper Egypt
00:15:23And then we were
00:15:24The second round
00:15:25And the third round
00:15:26And the fourth round
00:15:28Once again
00:15:29The actual aerial combat shots
00:15:31Taken by the Israeli gun cameras
00:15:45Meanwhile the Soviet Union
00:15:47Was boosting its military presence
00:15:48Near the war zone
00:15:49It moved 20 warships
00:15:52Into the eastern Mediterranean
00:15:55In response
00:15:56The Pentagon ordered
00:15:57The 6th Fleet
00:15:58To keep all aircraft
00:15:59And ships
00:16:00At least 100 miles away
00:16:01From the coast
00:16:04But one vessel
00:16:05Received no such message
00:16:07The USS Liberty
00:16:09Steamed on
00:16:10Towards the Sinai coast
00:16:14We were told
00:16:15There was no need
00:16:16To worry
00:16:17We had asked
00:16:18Commander 6th Fleet
00:16:19For an armed guard
00:16:22To go along with us
00:16:24A destroyer
00:16:24He sent the message back
00:16:27Saying we were
00:16:28In international waters
00:16:30Flying the American ensign
00:16:32There was no need
00:16:33For an armed escort
00:16:36The Liberty was approaching
00:16:37A scene of total
00:16:38Israeli victory
00:16:40On the third day
00:16:41Of the war
00:16:42They'd taken the West Bank
00:16:43But the big prize
00:16:45Was the capture
00:16:45Of Jerusalem's old city
00:16:49I was elated
00:16:50When I heard
00:16:50Jerusalem
00:16:52Every Jew
00:16:53Prays
00:16:54I think every day
00:16:55Next year in Jerusalem
00:16:57That evening
00:16:58The Liberty arrived
00:16:59At her destination
00:17:00Off the Sinai coast
00:17:07Thursday
00:17:08The 8th of June
00:17:09Dawned fine and clear
00:17:15But the war
00:17:16War was still raging
00:17:16And Israeli planes
00:17:18Flew out from the Sinai
00:17:19Peninsula
00:17:19To check on the Liberty
00:17:24Reveille was at 6
00:17:28You got up
00:17:29You showered
00:17:30And everything
00:17:30And you go
00:17:31For a chow
00:17:33But before that
00:17:34We had heard
00:17:35That like at 5 in the morning
00:17:36Or around that time
00:17:38That the planes
00:17:39Were buzzing us
00:17:40The Israeli aircraft
00:17:41Seemed to be identifying
00:17:43The ship
00:17:43As belonging to their ally
00:17:44America
00:17:47There were
00:17:49About 9 different occasions
00:17:51That airplanes
00:17:52Came out
00:17:53And probably 12 times
00:17:55That were circled
00:17:5612 separate orbits
00:17:58Of the ship
00:18:00During the morning
00:18:01Lloyd Painter
00:18:03Relieved Ennis
00:18:04His officer of the deck
00:18:05He too was reassured
00:18:07By the presence
00:18:07Of the Israeli planes
00:18:08I remember vividly looking out
00:18:11Through the portholes
00:18:12Looking down
00:18:12On the 01 level
00:18:14And seeing all the officers
00:18:16Sunbathing
00:18:18And at the same time
00:18:20We were being overflown
00:18:21And I remember
00:18:22Feeling very good
00:18:23And very warm inside
00:18:24That we were safe
00:18:25They knew who we were
00:18:26We were not a stranger
00:18:27Out there that day
00:18:30Confident that the Israelis
00:18:32Knew who they were
00:18:33The Liberty men relaxed
00:18:34A new flag was flying
00:18:36Visibility was perfect
00:18:38And they'd received
00:18:39No orders to leave the area
00:18:42That sense of security
00:18:43Was about to be brutally shattered
00:18:47At 2 o'clock in the afternoon
00:18:49The officers on the bridge
00:18:51Spotted three Delta wing Mirage jets
00:18:55I saw them come at us
00:18:56In fact I was looking
00:18:57Through the porthole
00:18:58When the jets came down
00:19:00And leveled off on us
00:19:02At attack attitude
00:19:03To my surprise
00:19:07There were red flashes
00:19:09Under the wings
00:19:09And missiles rockets
00:19:13Started hitting the ship
00:19:17The portholes were blown out instantly
00:19:19Mine in my chest
00:19:20The fellow next to me
00:19:21Got it in his face
00:19:23And we all went down
00:19:25On the deck
00:19:26But the force of the concussion
00:19:27From the glass
00:19:28The next thing I heard
00:19:29Down in my space
00:19:30Was a panicky announcement
00:19:33On the loudspeaker 1MC
00:19:36General quarters
00:19:37General quarters
00:19:38This is no drill
00:19:39General quarters
00:19:41Ship is under attack
00:19:43And you hear
00:19:44Ping, ping, ping, ping
00:19:46The decks above
00:19:47Were being shredded
00:19:48Attempts to send
00:19:49An SOS message failed
00:19:51The Liberty's frequencies
00:19:52Were being jammed
00:19:55You'd have to know
00:19:56What frequencies
00:19:57We were going to come up on
00:20:00To know that
00:20:01You'd have to know
00:20:02That we were an American ship
00:20:04If you knew
00:20:05If you knew we were
00:20:05An American ship
00:20:06You knew what frequencies
00:20:07We were going to be on
00:20:08Because you knew
00:20:08What the fleet frequencies were
00:20:10Duh
00:20:11Hello
00:20:13The attackers knew
00:20:14Their target
00:20:16But they were keeping
00:20:17Their own identity
00:20:17Well hidden
00:20:19During the attack
00:20:21No one saw any markings
00:20:23And some of the men
00:20:25Told me later
00:20:26That they made a special effort
00:20:28To identify them
00:20:30And they swear
00:20:31That there were no markings
00:20:32That these airplanes
00:20:33Were unmarked
00:20:34They took out
00:20:35All of our transmitting antennas
00:20:38And shortly thereafter
00:20:40Deposited napalm
00:20:42On the deck
00:20:43It appeared to me
00:20:45That it was the intent
00:20:47Of the attacker
00:20:49To take out all communications
00:20:51And keep all people off deck
00:20:53So they couldn't reestablish
00:20:54Any sort of antennas
00:20:56Or communication system
00:20:59If it was an accident
00:21:00It was the best planned accident
00:21:02I've ever heard of
00:21:04The only reason
00:21:05We got the SOS out
00:21:06Was because my crazy troops
00:21:08Were climbing the antenna string
00:21:10And long wires
00:21:10While they were being shot at
00:21:13At the end of the air attack
00:21:14Eight men were dead
00:21:16And 75 injured
00:21:18But the worst was yet to come
00:21:24We immediately cast off our lines
00:21:26And rushed out
00:21:28I at least didn't know why
00:21:30The scene was very calm
00:21:32On a bright day
00:21:33I think it was around midday
00:21:36Or maybe a little before that
00:21:38But around midday
00:21:39And only on the way
00:21:42We were told
00:21:42There was an unknown vessel
00:21:49To the south of us
00:21:50Or southwest of us
00:21:51And we sped over
00:21:53In that direction
00:21:55Very soon we did see a ship
00:21:57Clearly a naval vessel
00:22:00The last thing I remember
00:22:01Is the captain
00:22:03On the intercom system
00:22:04Saying stand by
00:22:05For a torpedo attack
00:22:07Starboard side
00:22:09Down below the water line
00:22:11The men in the engine room
00:22:13Got ready to die
00:22:15Torpedo's coming in
00:22:16It's going to open that boiler up
00:22:17And you're going to die instantly
00:22:19It's going to be like
00:22:20An atomic bomb
00:22:20Because that cold water
00:22:22When that cold water
00:22:23Hits that boiler
00:22:24It's operating at full
00:22:26There's just no hope
00:22:27So all of us 19 year olds
00:22:30The best place to be
00:22:31Is right there
00:22:32You're going to get it
00:22:33You're going to give it up
00:22:33Right then and there
00:22:35So torpedo attack
00:22:37We waited
00:22:37And they said it went by
00:22:39And this went on
00:22:40Like three different times
00:22:41Four different times
00:22:43The torpedo
00:22:44Is simply dropped
00:22:45Into the water
00:22:46You lose sight of it
00:22:47For a minute
00:22:48And then you see the wake
00:22:49And it was going
00:22:50Straight for the ship
00:22:51And we were sure
00:22:52That our torpedo
00:22:53Was the one that hit
00:22:57It hit
00:22:59And it lifted the ship
00:23:00Right out of the water
00:23:01And put it down
00:23:02And we started
00:23:02To list 10 degrees
00:23:04But it was a slow list
00:23:06And it was going
00:23:07Going going
00:23:08And I said
00:23:09My god
00:23:10We're going to flip over
00:23:11I was one of the fortunate ones
00:23:13A temporary bulkhead
00:23:15Wrapped itself around me
00:23:17And the heat of the torpedo
00:23:19Exploded all of the paint
00:23:20Onto my skin
00:23:22So I was black
00:23:23But it was all superficial
00:23:26Lost both eardrums
00:23:27Got my eyes burnt a little
00:23:29But I survived
00:23:31Almost all of the troops
00:23:33Within 20 feet of me
00:23:34Were killed instantly
00:23:39We just went back to work
00:23:41And prayed that this thing
00:23:43Was not going to flip over
00:23:44Or was going to go down
00:23:45And it didn't
00:23:52That's about it for now
00:23:56The Liberty was now paralysed
00:23:58Her power and steering control lost
00:24:01But her desperate SOS message
00:24:03Had been picked up
00:24:04By the American 6th Fleet
00:24:06500 miles away off Crete
00:24:09Retaliation was ordered
00:24:10For the attack
00:24:12On the USS America
00:24:13Two bombers were readied
00:24:15While their fighter escort
00:24:16Was launched
00:24:17Those aircraft were brought forward
00:24:20And I believe they were launched
00:24:24Before we went into condition November
00:24:27Condition November
00:24:28Meant that nuclear-armed A4 bombers
00:24:30Were to be used
00:24:31Incredibly
00:24:32The U.S. was about to launch
00:24:34A nuclear strike
00:24:35Against Egypt
00:24:36The Liberty's presumed attacker
00:24:38One of them was taxied forward
00:24:41To Cat 1
00:24:41And it was
00:24:43It had like a shroud
00:24:45Around the underside
00:24:47Of the fuselage
00:24:48And it had marine guards
00:24:51Escorting the A4
00:24:53So that was a very unusual
00:24:57Experience
00:24:58I've never seen anything like that
00:25:03There was a flash message
00:25:05As I recall
00:25:05From one of the carriers
00:25:06That said they had launched
00:25:08Ready aircraft
00:25:09The launching of ready aircraft
00:25:11You understand
00:25:13That is typically
00:25:14Nuclear-armed aircraft
00:25:17Cairo was about to be incinerated
00:25:21The U.S. Embassy was told
00:25:23That an attack was coming
00:25:25Richard Parker
00:25:26Was the political consul
00:25:31There was this message
00:25:32That they
00:25:32The Navy was
00:25:35Preparing to retaliate
00:25:37Against Egypt
00:25:38For the attack
00:25:39On the Liberty
00:25:41They thought that
00:25:42It was the Egyptians
00:25:44Who attacked it
00:25:45They were preparing
00:25:47To attack Egypt
00:25:48In response
00:25:52A few minutes later
00:25:54Tony Hart
00:25:54Passed a Pentagon message
00:25:55Through to the Navy
00:25:57Recall the aircraft
00:26:00My first thought was
00:26:02Well we don't want to do
00:26:04Mushroom clouds
00:26:07The recall probably
00:26:09Is to rearm the aircraft
00:26:11About ten minutes later
00:26:12The USS America
00:26:14And Washington
00:26:14Were connected
00:26:15By voice link
00:26:16The defense secretary himself
00:26:18Came on the line
00:26:20McNamara directed
00:26:21Com6 fleet
00:26:22To recall the aircraft
00:26:25And Com6 fleet
00:26:26Said are you sure
00:26:27And he said
00:26:28Absolutely certain
00:26:28Recall the aircraft
00:26:32The attack on the Liberty
00:26:34Had triggered
00:26:34An extraordinary response
00:26:37Nuclear-armed planes
00:26:38Had been on their way
00:26:39To Cairo
00:26:40A nuclear strike
00:26:41Had been minutes away
00:26:42And had only just
00:26:43Been averted
00:26:45But it seems
00:26:46McNamara
00:26:47Was also unwilling
00:26:48To send aircraft
00:26:49Directly to help
00:26:50The Liberty
00:26:51The fleet commander
00:26:52Asked for permission
00:26:52To send a rescue flight
00:26:54Of conventionally armed aircraft
00:26:56The admiral was talking
00:26:58To McNamara
00:27:00And asking for permission
00:27:02To relaunch the ready aircraft
00:27:05Relaunch any aircraft
00:27:07And McNamara said no
00:27:10That no aircraft
00:27:11Were to be launched
00:27:14McNamara's the boss
00:27:15You know
00:27:15He doesn't have to explain
00:27:16Why he says what he says
00:27:27Dave Lewis heard
00:27:28From another officer
00:27:29About McNamara's dealings
00:27:30With the 6th fleet
00:27:31I'm Admiral Larry Geis
00:27:34The commander of Task Force 60
00:27:36He was very upset
00:27:38He said
00:27:39Told me
00:27:40He knew it was going
00:27:40To be hushed up
00:27:41And I wasn't
00:27:43To say anything about it
00:27:44But he had to get it
00:27:45Off his chest
00:27:47That he had sent
00:27:48Aircraft
00:27:48And notified Washington
00:27:51Obviously via the
00:27:53Criticom network
00:27:54Because it got to
00:27:55Bob McNamara
00:27:56And Lyndon Johnson
00:27:57And he had the aircraft
00:28:00Recalled by Robert McNamara
00:28:02So he said
00:28:03He reconfigured
00:28:04A flight of aircraft
00:28:05With aircraft
00:28:06Incapable of carrying
00:28:07Nuclear weaponry
00:28:09And relaunched it
00:28:10He again notified Washington
00:28:13Again Robert McNamara
00:28:15Ordered the aircraft
00:28:16Recalled
00:28:17He challenged
00:28:18The order
00:28:19And Lyndon Johnson
00:28:20Came on
00:28:21Said he didn't give a damn
00:28:23If the ship sunk
00:28:23He would not embarrass
00:28:25His allies
00:28:27Robert McNamara
00:28:28Has never fully discussed
00:28:29His role in the liberty
00:28:30Controversy
00:28:33You recalled planes sent to rescue
00:28:35I'm absolutely certain
00:28:37That's false
00:28:39You didn't send a signal
00:28:40To the sixth fleet
00:28:41Absolutely not
00:28:42I don't know what the hell
00:28:43And I haven't taken time
00:28:45To find out
00:28:45But there are all
00:28:46Of these claims
00:28:47That we sent planes
00:28:48The planes were going out
00:28:49And we turned them around
00:28:51And that we intentionally
00:28:52Allowed the Israelis
00:28:53To sink the liberty
00:28:54I know nothing about it
00:28:59While the sixth fleet
00:29:00Was launching
00:29:01And recalling its aircraft
00:29:02The liberty was still
00:29:04Under attack
00:29:04By the Israeli torpedo boats
00:29:09You could see these
00:29:10Machine gun bullets
00:29:11Going through
00:29:12And ricocheting off
00:29:14All the metal
00:29:14That was down there
00:29:15And actually
00:29:16Some were going
00:29:17Into the boiler
00:29:18They were trying
00:29:18To explode the boiler
00:29:19And they knew
00:29:21What they were doing
00:29:22We basically were dead
00:29:24In the water
00:29:25The word came down
00:29:26Prepare to abandon ship
00:29:28That meant prepare only
00:29:29Go up and get ready
00:29:31Get near the life rafts
00:29:32Well I went up first
00:29:33Popped the hatch
00:29:34Looked out for the life rafts
00:29:36They were either gone
00:29:37Or burning
00:29:38And at the same moment
00:29:40I looked to the stern
00:29:41Of the ship
00:29:42And I saw
00:29:42One of the torpedo boats
00:29:44Methodically machine gunning
00:29:45One of our life rafts
00:29:47That had floated back
00:29:48We cut the life rafts loose
00:29:49Because they were burning
00:29:50Or had been damaged
00:29:52And they floated back
00:29:53Behind us
00:29:54And he was machine gunning
00:29:56The life raft
00:29:57And I knew
00:29:58That had there been
00:29:59Anyone in there
00:30:00They certainly
00:30:00Wouldn't be alive
00:30:03It happened so fast
00:30:04It didn't seem real
00:30:06None of the attacks
00:30:07Seemed real to me
00:30:08I was bewildered
00:30:10I couldn't understand
00:30:12Why they would do it to us
00:30:14I just didn't understand
00:30:15A thing at that point
00:30:16These guys didn't die
00:30:17For anything
00:30:18They just died
00:30:19They were slaughtered
00:30:20For nothing
00:30:30The assault was over
00:30:32But the cover-up
00:30:34Was about to begin
00:30:36At four o'clock
00:30:37The American naval attaché
00:30:38In Tel Aviv
00:30:39Heard from the defense ministry
00:30:41That a ship had been attacked
00:30:42In error
00:30:45The American embassy
00:30:46Immediately reported back
00:30:48To the State Department
00:30:48In Washington
00:30:51I was the first one
00:30:52That got the word
00:30:55And my immediate reaction
00:30:56Was it could not
00:30:57Have been an accident
00:30:59Shortly before
00:31:00Ten in the morning
00:31:00Washington time
00:31:02The news was passed on
00:31:03To President Johnson
00:31:05He was rather inclined
00:31:06To agree with
00:31:07My view was
00:31:08That it had to have been
00:31:10An intended attack
00:31:13Johnson's belief
00:31:14That the attack
00:31:15Was deliberate
00:31:16Is preserved
00:31:17In the minutes
00:31:17Of a White House
00:31:18Meeting the following day
00:31:22Also present
00:31:23Was the CIA director
00:31:24Richard Helms
00:31:27And I know
00:31:28That for the first
00:31:3024 hours
00:31:31The president
00:31:32Was furious
00:31:32That something like
00:31:34That this had gone on
00:31:35Whatever Johnson's inner circle
00:31:37Thought privately
00:31:39Officially they accepted
00:31:40Israel's apologies
00:31:41And its explanation
00:31:44Everybody seemed to be
00:31:46A little appalled
00:31:47At the Israelis
00:31:48But this was not reflected
00:31:50In the public positions
00:31:51That the collective group
00:31:54Had outside that room
00:31:56And I think we were
00:31:57Overprotective of the Israelis
00:31:58At that point
00:32:02I think the feeling was
00:32:03That the pressure
00:32:06Political pressure
00:32:07Would be too much
00:32:08And they were just
00:32:09Going to let it go
00:32:10That and thought
00:32:11Maybe it would just go away
00:32:13As a matter of fact
00:32:14He said to me
00:32:16Standing in the cabinet room
00:32:17One day
00:32:18Have you looked
00:32:19At the New York Times
00:32:20The attack on that
00:32:21American ship
00:32:22Is on page 29
00:32:25When it should have been
00:32:26On the front page
00:32:29And then
00:32:29I guess various people
00:32:31Got at him
00:32:32And so forth
00:32:33And he changed his mind
00:32:35But I don't think
00:32:37He changed his mind
00:32:37He just changed his actions
00:32:40President Johnson's
00:32:41Public stance
00:32:42Allowed Israel also
00:32:44To cover up the attack
00:32:46Israel has always maintained
00:32:47That it was a series
00:32:48Of mistakes
00:32:50None of the former
00:32:51Fighter pilots
00:32:51Would agree to speak
00:32:52But one of the
00:32:54Torpedo boat sailors
00:32:55Gave us his account
00:32:58We were inexperienced
00:32:59At the time
00:33:00We were
00:33:02Probably
00:33:02A little trigger happy
00:33:05And it was a war zone
00:33:07No one
00:33:08Should have been there
00:33:09And anybody who is there
00:33:10Is doing it
00:33:12At his own risk
00:33:14Israel admits
00:33:15The reconnaissance planes
00:33:16Had identified the liberty
00:33:18During the morning
00:33:19The air force notified
00:33:21Naval HQ in Haifa
00:33:22Where the ship's position
00:33:23Was marked
00:33:24On a combat information map
00:33:27Later that morning
00:33:28Navy HQ received reports
00:33:30Of the Sinai coast
00:33:31Being shelled from the sea
00:33:32But by this time
00:33:33Say the Israelis
00:33:34The liberty had been erased
00:33:35From their naval map
00:33:37When the patrol boats
00:33:38Went to find the source
00:33:39Of the alleged shelling
00:33:40The only ship they found there
00:33:42Was the liberty
00:33:44Then the patrol boats
00:33:45Misread the mystery ship's
00:33:47Speed on their radar
00:33:49They thought it was
00:33:50Making 28 knots
00:33:51So could only be
00:33:52An enemy warship
00:33:55The way you do it
00:33:56Is by taking the
00:33:57Direction and distance
00:33:59From the radar
00:33:59To the target
00:34:01On the radar screen
00:34:03And if you do it
00:34:05For a short period
00:34:07For just several minutes
00:34:08The differences in the speed
00:34:10Can be fantastic
00:34:11Anything between
00:34:13Going backwards
00:34:14And 30 knots forward
00:34:15So that's a very normal mistake
00:34:18And so the air force
00:34:20Was summoned
00:34:21To catch the fast moving target
00:34:25Then says Israel
00:34:26The sailors made another fatal mistake
00:34:29Confusing the ship
00:34:30With the El Kuzer
00:34:32An Egyptian transport vessel
00:34:34Half the liberty's size
00:34:39It looked very similar
00:34:40To the El Kuzer
00:34:41There were some differences
00:34:43And again you have to remember
00:34:45That she was already
00:34:46She had already been fired upon
00:34:48By the airplanes
00:34:51This was when word of the attack
00:34:53First reached the head of the Navy
00:34:54Who happened to be
00:34:55Udi Arel's father
00:34:57He'd been at Haifa Harbour
00:34:59Out of radio contact
00:35:00And had just got back
00:35:01To Navy HQ
00:35:05Of course I was furious
00:35:09The minute she was torpedoed
00:35:11And it was clear to me
00:35:14Actually that she
00:35:15Couldn't have made 28 knots
00:35:17So I actually
00:35:19Immediately ordered
00:35:20Definite identification
00:35:22And then they reported
00:35:24That the flag was going up
00:35:25Was being hoisted
00:35:27And then his first identification
00:35:30Was Soviet
00:35:33I said oh my god
00:35:36Come closer
00:35:37He came closer
00:35:38And he identified her
00:35:40As an American ship
00:35:42Whatever the ship's identity
00:35:44The Israelis vehemently denied
00:35:46That they'd ever fire
00:35:47At life rafts
00:35:48In the water
00:35:50I don't believe it
00:35:51I never saw such a thing
00:35:54There was nothing
00:35:55Even resembling a life raft
00:35:59And then we certainly
00:36:00Didn't shoot at it
00:36:04We are taking part
00:36:05Of the plane
00:36:06But only part
00:36:07Of the plane
00:36:08We made most
00:36:09Of the mistakes
00:36:10They made many mistakes
00:36:12On the spot
00:36:13And by the fact
00:36:15That the liberty
00:36:18Should not have been there
00:36:20But the evidence
00:36:21Points to Israel
00:36:22Knowing the ship's identity
00:36:24And wanting it sunk fast
00:36:27This US Air Force
00:36:29Intelligence analyst
00:36:30Was following radio intercepts
00:36:31Of the attack
00:36:33The communications
00:36:35I had in my hands
00:36:36Originated
00:36:37From an Israeli flight commander
00:36:40Evidently
00:36:41From his questioning
00:36:43To the ground control
00:36:44One can deduce
00:36:46That he had been given
00:36:48Specific orders
00:36:49To attack
00:36:50That ship
00:36:51Before he left the ground
00:36:53And when he saw
00:36:54It was an American ship
00:36:55He questioned those orders
00:36:57And he questioned those orders
00:36:58To his ground control
00:36:59That same
00:37:03Conversation
00:37:04That I had in my hands
00:37:06Specifically
00:37:07Noted that the ground control
00:37:09Said proceed with the attack
00:37:12And there was still doubt
00:37:13In the Israeli pilot's mind
00:37:15And he said
00:37:16No this is American
00:37:17Repeat those orders again
00:37:19And he was told
00:37:20Flat out
00:37:21Do attack
00:37:23This ship
00:37:55That night was a very long night
00:37:58I'm thinking at that point
00:37:59I hope we don't sink
00:38:00Because I knew
00:38:01The extent of the damage
00:38:02I'd been down
00:38:03And taking a look at it
00:38:04And I knew
00:38:04That we were in bad
00:38:05Bad shape
00:38:07We had a lot of
00:38:08Dead folks
00:38:09A lot of gravely wounded
00:38:11Folks on that ship
00:38:12Including the captain
00:38:13Who toward the end
00:38:14Of the shift
00:38:16Toward the end of 15 hours
00:38:17Had regained consciousness
00:38:18And was sitting up
00:38:20In his chair
00:38:20And but not saying much
00:38:23Just sat
00:38:24Help was finally on its way
00:38:27Ships from the 6th fleet
00:38:29Were steaming towards the Liberty
00:38:30And would reach her
00:38:31The next morning
00:38:34It was quite a sight
00:38:37To see so much
00:38:38Of a flotilla there
00:38:40The carriers
00:38:41We looked
00:38:43And we said
00:38:44God what a flotilla
00:38:46Where the hell were you
00:38:47Why didn't you come
00:38:52Everybody aboard the ship
00:38:53Said the same thing
00:38:57The Liberty was now
00:38:58Heading to Malta
00:38:59For emergency repairs
00:39:01An important visitor
00:39:03Was helicoptered aboard
00:39:05Admiral Isaac Kidd
00:39:06Was leading a naval inquiry
00:39:08Into the attack
00:39:09His behavior
00:39:10Surprised the sailors
00:39:12I thought he was
00:39:13A very strange person
00:39:14Because he took his stars off
00:39:15And walked around
00:39:16Tried to walk around
00:39:18Like a regular guy
00:39:19You know
00:39:19Everybody knew who he was
00:39:20But I thought
00:39:21That was rather strange
00:39:22I didn't buy into
00:39:24That one real easy
00:39:25He took his
00:39:27His eagles off
00:39:28And he says
00:39:29Well guys
00:39:29He says
00:39:29You just pretend
00:39:30That I'm one of you guys
00:39:32Now tell me
00:39:33Tell me all about it
00:39:35So they told
00:39:36What they seen in that
00:39:37And after a while
00:39:38He put his
00:39:40Pins back on
00:39:41And he says
00:39:42I don't want you guys
00:39:43Talking about this at all
00:39:44To anybody
00:39:45Your shipmates
00:39:45Don't
00:39:47Don't be giving
00:39:48Any interviews here
00:39:49While we're in Malta
00:39:50He says
00:39:50Anything that has to be
00:39:51Told
00:39:53Through your
00:39:53Division officer
00:39:55Through your captain
00:39:55Don't be
00:39:56Talking to your family
00:39:58About I mean
00:39:58He was very specific
00:40:01By this time
00:40:02All the injured men
00:40:03Had been taken
00:40:03Aboard the rescue ships
00:40:07I remember being
00:40:08Hulled up into
00:40:09That helicopter
00:40:09In a basket
00:40:10That had been
00:40:12Wrapped tightly
00:40:13Around me
00:40:13From head to toe
00:40:14The corpsman
00:40:15Not knowing which end
00:40:16Was up
00:40:16Sat on my head
00:40:17All the way back
00:40:18And all I could think
00:40:19Of was
00:40:20What an ignominious
00:40:21Way to die
00:40:22After having survived
00:40:23The torpedo attack
00:40:32They took the wounded
00:40:33And the dead off
00:40:34And took them
00:40:35To the USS America
00:40:36Where we were then
00:40:38Taken into their
00:40:39Hospital area
00:40:41That was when
00:40:42The Navy
00:40:42And the might
00:40:43Of the United States
00:40:44Navy
00:40:45Was really with us
00:40:46Up until then
00:40:47It hadn't been
00:41:15Back to our
00:41:25an unarmed American ship had been attacked by Israeli planes and boats 34
00:41:31sailors were dead and the US had done nothing to help for the first time in
00:41:3635 years we can explain why the theories cast light on the tangled web of
00:41:44American-Israeli relations some people suspect the ship might have been
00:41:49overhearing information on Israeli operations in the Sinai I think they
00:41:54intended to attack the ship exactly why they wanted to though I'm not sure they
00:42:01may have felt we were with that with the Liberty we were listening in to some
00:42:06conversations and other things that were going on that they didn't want us to know
00:42:09about and they had been engaged in some pretty outlandish stuff in the course of
00:42:16the war and I didn't think they wanted us to know all the tale of that
00:42:25I don't think that we would have cared America was not an enemy there was
00:42:31nothing they could in any way involve us threaten us concern us no I don't even
00:42:42know what were the task of the Liberty what really what the purpose to find out
00:42:46where how the war was going on I don't know
00:43:01but there's a broader theory that the attack was intended to be blamed on Egypt
00:43:06and would therefore draw America into the war and was carried out with the
00:43:11foreknowledge of certain people in Washington the Liberty's captain had
00:43:15always suspected this was the case in 1997 at Arlington Cemetery he broke his 30
00:43:22year silence for many years I had wanted to believe that the attack on the Liberty was pure
00:43:38error it appears to me that it was not a pure case of mistaken identity I think that it's about
00:43:48time that the state of Israel and the United States government provide the crew members of the Liberty
00:43:59and the rest of the American people the facts of what happened and why it came about that the Liberty
00:44:10was attacked 30 years ago today less than two years later McGonagall himself
00:44:19would be buried at Arlington shortly before he died he sent an open letter to
00:44:24President Clinton calling for Israel to acknowledge publicly that her armed
00:44:28forces had deliberately attacked the USS Liberty captain McGonagall was more
00:44:35than just a captain and a Navy he was a friend he was a sailor's captain towards the end of
00:44:42his life
00:44:43McGonagall confided in his old friend the chief engineer Captain I was was it was real close and
00:44:51every time I'd see him while he was in the hospital he would cry and and he called me a
00:45:03few years two or
00:45:04three years before he died he was going to be in Washington for me to come up there and I
00:45:10sat in the room with him we chatted a while and then he got started telling me that those SOBs
00:45:19really
00:45:19did us in George and I said what are you talking about McGonagall went on to say that if the
00:45:25Liberty
00:45:25had been sunk with all hands the blame would naturally fall on Egypt and her Soviet backer
00:45:33we were guinea pigs to be sunk and then we could say Egypt and Russia did it that way
00:45:42the United States could have stepped right in and helped Israel we found evidence that this was part
00:45:51of a larger plan hatched by Israeli and American intelligence to invade Egypt and overthrow NASA a
00:45:57plan code named cyanide a key figure was James Angleton Israel's closest friend in the CIA and unique
00:46:06beneficiary of a memorial from Mossad Jim Ennis first came across cyanide almost by chance I had gone to
00:46:15the LBJ library asking for you know all Liberty documents and this one-page paper came out of nowhere minutes
00:46:26from the 303
00:46:27committee the 303 committee it was a secret group that used to meet at the old executive office building
00:46:34around the corner from the White House 303 committee was simply a device for examining covert operations of any kind
00:46:45and making a judgment on behalf of the president so he wouldn't be nailed with the thing if it failed
00:46:53here in April 1967 the committee met to discuss a sensitive defense department project it would involve the Liberty with
00:47:01a highly risky
00:47:02submarine operation to help Israel scribbled on the minutes as a note submarine within UAR waters another term
00:47:11for Egypt especially the fact that this was in the Liberty file suggested that this had to do with
00:47:19with the submarine that was near us and with cyanide and all the other things Dave Lewis had also heard
00:47:27about
00:47:28cyanide one of his officers had told him the ship was carrying secret documents in connection with a
00:47:33submarine project he said there are sealed orders in my safe for a project cyanide that involves communication
00:47:41by a submarine in case of war that that's all I know about it the orders were never open when
00:47:52the attack
00:47:52took place there wasn't time I don't know what they said what connection could this mysterious submarine
00:48:01have had with the Liberty and why was it being discussed a full two months in advance of the war
00:48:08the operation is still so sensitive that we could get no comment from us or israeli intelligence
00:48:15operation cyanide if i heard about it i heard so what was it
00:48:33i suggest we stop the interview here what do you say why you want it why would you not be
00:48:41able to speak
00:48:42to speak about operation cyanide it's 34 years since
00:48:54signature and loyalty to my country
00:49:02is it very sensitive
00:49:05I am built so and i know exactly what i am able to tell you and i know exactly where
00:49:15i stop and here i stop
00:49:19operation cyanide was a joint israeli-american venture using submarines and other covert type
00:49:29uh... intelligence gathering efforts uh against the uar but that has a logical explanation the explanation is
00:49:38the uar uh was uh totally soviet equipped they had soviet advisors the soviet union was our arch enemy at
00:49:46the
00:49:46time and we were concerned in a volatile mid-east situation with the soviet problem we were concerned
00:49:53wherever the soviets showed showed up and is and they had considerable influence in the united arab republic
00:50:00so there were these joint ventures with israeli intelligence we were strategic and tactical
00:50:08reconnaissance photo processing specialists we flew probably eight missions that day all bomb damage
00:50:17assessment all airports in disarray lines of aircraft destroyed in place from what we saw in that film
00:50:30it was unchallengeable destruction of the enemy
00:50:37this covert operation was also part of cyanide
00:50:41before the war the team had secretly been sent to an israeli airbase in the negev desert the men wore
00:50:47unmarked uniforms and had no id while four american reconnaissance planes were disguised as israeli
00:50:56there was a hurry up paint job done to the aircraft to identify them
00:51:04as israeli aircraft so that that they would be in conformance with normal israeli uh normal israeli markings
00:51:13no not one single word of it is true i don't know what is the man i don't know fantasy
00:51:20it's a fantasy
00:51:21he's dreaming he's making it up nothing um they can deny it now fine take a look at the
00:51:32reconnaissance information that israelis have that was published publicly in time magazine life
00:51:41magazine and i think look magazine that was our work the israelis had no reconnaissance aircraft
00:51:48and you can't get the detail off of gun cameras that that was in those films
00:51:55if it's true that america was secretly in the war against egypt this had to be kept quiet at all
00:52:00costs
00:52:01well the implication be very serious i mean first of all it means that that lbj and his people around
00:52:07him had been lying to us through their teeth and that might be a minor matter for most people but
00:52:13be important to us but more important it would mean a an american participation in the attack on on
00:52:23egypt a very serious thing for us to have done and it would have you know finished our relations with
00:52:30the
00:52:31with the arab world for a long time to come as it was six arab states broke relations with us
00:52:54whatever lies behind the attack the human tragedy was that 34 young men were dead
00:53:01most were killed below decks and their remains could only be removed when the liberty finally arrived at malta
00:53:11by then the bodies of five others had drifted out of the hole
00:53:17only when the dock was drained did the full horror of the destruction become apparent
00:53:22i remember taking that photograph and i remember seeing parts of bodies in in the cables and wiring
00:53:29that were jammed around especially in the top part it seemed like on the overhead a lot of parts of
00:53:35bodies were hanging there it looked like a meat locker we had to go down and start cleaning that up
00:53:42one of the men killed was alan blue the nsa linguist so suddenly sent abroad his wife didn't even
00:53:50know he was on the uss liberty i was sitting in a park in washington dc having my lunch about
00:54:00one o'clock
00:54:00in the afternoon on june 8. it was a beautiful clear sunny day and um about 15 20 feet away
00:54:09from me
00:54:11someone had a radio administration handling of the june arab israeli war crisis and i overheard
00:54:18this report on their radio that an american ship had been attacked in the mediterranean and my heart
00:54:28sank even though i did not know he was on that ship i was still very frightened i picked up
00:54:36my lunch
00:54:36i went inside to my office i called nsa and they said yes we've been looking for you
00:54:57so i think they were anxious to not have um any press um around us at that time
00:55:15no one from the nsa uh ever contacted me to explain what happened there were many many people
00:55:24at the service i'm not sure who they all were in malta meanwhile the liberty men were alarmed by the
00:55:33way admiral kidd was steering the naval inquiry he seemed to have made up his mind in advance and was
00:55:39ignoring crucial evidence i testified about three major items that i had witnessed one was the
00:55:45captain's condition i also testified about the armor piercing projectiles that have been sent through
00:55:50our ship and i also testified about the machine gunning of the life rafts by the israeli torpedo boats
00:55:57i testified uh like i said for about two and a half three hours i didn't know until i don't
00:56:06remember
00:56:07months later that the much of my testimony was never recorded mcgonagall had blacked out during
00:56:14the attack so the chief engineer took command of the ship yet the inquiry wasn't interested in what he had
00:56:20to say i got so peeved off i couldn't see straight uh before it broke up i stood outside the
00:56:28door
00:56:30and wanted to go in there so that i could get my say in those many minutes that were being
00:56:37taken
00:56:38but he wanted to keep me out of that almost completely
00:56:45the report was reviewed at the navy's european headquarters by merlin starring later the navy's
00:56:51top lawyer it didn't appear to support kidd's conclusion that israel had attacked in error
00:57:00well i i simply could not find an evidentiary basis for that conclusion i had
00:57:10considerable trouble with the record in attempting to as i read through it attempting to find the
00:57:21evidence the testimony and or other evidence that would support some of the findings or opinions or
00:57:30conclusions that the court of inquiry had uh had drafted and had reached
00:57:41today even after 35 years the liberty incident remains so sensitive
00:57:47that the u.s navy refuses to comment on it
00:57:55i think there was a cover-up i think there were details known from talking with some of those crews
00:58:03it was pretty bad how can my personal view be other than my american view which was that uh they
00:58:12intended
00:58:13to attack this ship and there's no excuse it can be found for saying that this was just a mistake
00:58:23most importantly president johnson like richard helms would also have been getting the radio intercepts
00:58:31it's like a cable or a a telex right that was sent to all the intelligence agencies and to the
00:58:38white house at the white house at the same time because it was an american ship being attacked by a
00:58:43friendly power anything that's inimical and dangerous to the to the united states that the
00:58:49president has to see on a near real-time basis he has to receive it did johnson order a cover
00:58:58-up
00:58:59uh no that i'm aware of but people were sworn to secrecy the naval inquiry is regarded by many
00:59:09as incomplete you ask magnum about those questions i'm not going to answer words
00:59:19i am not saying anything about the liberty period
00:59:26in israel it was soon business as usual an inquiry attended by the navy chief shlomo arel concluded
00:59:33that the attack was mainly due to a series of israeli blunders despite this nobody was charged or
00:59:40court-martialed they didn't find anyone guilty of
00:59:46uh committing any any crime or negligence or whatever but this is i don't want to
00:59:57uh to make apologies for that because it was outside my jurisdiction
01:00:08after a month in malta the liberty was patched up and ready to begin her journey home
01:00:22it was pretty eerie because uh we had to stand watches um different uh times down where the
01:00:29torpedo had hit we had to check for leaks and you could smell the fuel oil and it was so
01:00:35eerie you
01:00:36you know your shipmates were just down there and you'd swear that they were talking to you
01:01:01uh we arrived uh to fanfare to uh local press and miss norfolk miss hospitality miss everybody
01:01:18uh anyway they got us in and got us tied up and uh all inside was nothing but just shell
01:01:24of a ship
01:01:25nothing was left one of the things that that bothered me for years was coming home i'd survived
01:01:30all that other stuff but the coming home part and facing people who had lost their loved ones that was
01:01:36very difficult very very difficult the men had been ordered never to talk about the attack and the
01:01:41threat of court martial now the navy scattered them and no two were posted together even their medals
01:01:49were awarded secretively i remember receiving my my uh purple heart in the captain's office in
01:01:57bremerhaven germany and with the ad with the with a warning don't ever tell anyone where you got it
01:02:02don't ever i knew at that time that things had gone terribly wrong with with what had happened to us
01:02:10i knew something was up and so i basically made a decision to get out of the navy and i
01:02:16and i uh
01:02:17did my uh finished off my obligation resigned my commission and left the navy captain mcgonigal
01:02:24was given america's highest award but with little ceremony that's the only congressional medal of honor
01:02:32that i'm familiar with that was not presented by the president of the united states it's normal
01:02:38protocol for the president to present the cmh it was presented by the secretary of the navy
01:02:45at the navy yard a little base down in southeast washington
01:02:51rather than at the white house by the president
01:02:53well certainly i think it was it the way that the the navy and the white house handled this was
01:03:00a
01:03:00travesty johnson didn't want this thing publicized uh he thought it would uh uh harm relations with
01:03:08israel and his relations with uh with jews in the united states more liberty as you were commanding
01:03:19for the officers and men of liberty i accept this presidential unit citation and i would add my own
01:03:26personal appreciation for their professional devotion to duty every one of our citations
01:03:37is talks about military action occasionally mentions enemy action but never mentions that
01:03:44it was the state of israel for heroic achievement in connection with the unprovoked and unexpected
01:03:49armed attack on uss liberty in the eastern mediterranean on 8th of june 1967 a silver star medal to
01:03:57lieutenant george h golden three times when told to stand by for torpedo attack i witnessed a cover-up take
01:04:05place of the highest magnitude i witnessed someone receiving the highest medal of the land someone
01:04:12being promoted someone given his choice of duty in the navy for his silence nothing more nothing less
01:04:18and the silence paid off the captain never stepped forward until the end of his life
01:04:24and i only think what could have been if he had stepped forward in 1967
01:04:33but a presidential election was coming up nobody in power wanted to let questions about the uss liberty
01:04:39spoil relations with victorious israel
01:04:54i think it should have caused more of a problem than it did it was we went on in official
01:05:01reactions to
01:05:03each other and we renewed our old friendships considered we really ignored it for all practical
01:05:10purposes and we shouldn't have it was a very bad thing
01:05:30if you want to win a war and quickly there will be more mistakes unfortunately but this the result of
01:05:37those mistakes is that you have won the war in six days so this is the price you have to
01:05:42pay unfortunately
01:05:43the price in this case one of the prices was the libertorship israel today still occupies the conquered
01:05:51palestinian territories thanks to continued u.s support the war of only six days has left a painful legacy
01:05:59of suspicion suffering and sorrow
01:06:04among those living with that legacy are the liberty survivors bitter about their own government's cover-up
01:06:12jim ennis spent years trying to find out what had really happened
01:06:20this book will be with me as long as i'm here i've often said i'd like to have seen it
01:06:26go away years ago i
01:06:28would have hoped that my book would have generated a congressional investigation that would have
01:06:34answered the remaining questions and the whole thing could have been put to rest and there'd be no
01:06:39question about what happened and why and we just put it on we all go on to other things jerry
01:06:47goss petty officer
01:06:51melvin smith chief petty officer
01:06:56call noah seaman
01:06:59john spicer petty officer
01:07:19there's 34 guys that can't talk and there's 34 families that need some answers and there's
01:07:27the rest of the crew that needs some answers too
01:07:30i really don't have any malice against the guys who pulled the triggers because they were the guys that
01:07:38were given orders do it because if you don't do it you're going to be in a lot of trouble
01:07:45i would like to meet those guys and see what they've had to say to me
01:07:49people gave the orders they got away with murder
01:08:01coming up next more from u.s conspiracy week with tension almost too hard to bear in the dramatic
01:08:08conclusion of the state within then at 10 the dangerous relationship between the u.s military
01:08:13and the arms industry in storyville
01:08:29so
01:08:29and
01:08:31once
01:08:31Roberto
Comentários