Liberty incident
The Liberty incident refers to a significant event that occurred on June 8, 1967, during the Six-Day War, involving the USS Liberty, a U.S. Navy intelligence ship. While patrolling off the northern Sinai Peninsula, the Liberty was attacked by Israeli jets and torpedo boats in a two-hour assault that resulted in 34 American fatalities and 171 injuries. The attack followed extensive aerial surveillance of the ship, and Israel later claimed it was a tragic mistake due to poor visibility. However, this explanation was met with skepticism by U.S. officials, and subsequent investigations highlighted failures in communication that hindered the Liberty's withdrawal.
The incident led to a contentious relationship between the U.S. and Israel, with widespread public outcry and criticism of U.S. support for Israel following the attack. Israel ultimately paid compensation for the losses, but many aspects of the incident remain controversial and debated. The attack on the Liberty has been documented in various accounts, reflecting the complex interactions of military strategy, international relations, and the quest for accountability in wartime actions.
Liberty incident
Date: June 8, 1967
Israeli forces attack the USS Liberty. The surprise assault provoked an international crisis and public distrust of the Israeli and U.S. authorities.
Origins and History
The USS Liberty was sent to monitor Israeli and Arab electronic communications while patrolling off northern Sinai during the 1967 Six-Day War between Israel and the Arabs. On June 8, 1968, Israeli jets and torpedo boats strafed, napalmed, and torpedoed the Liberty during a two-hour assault. The attack followed six hours of repeated “close-up,” aerial observations in clear visibility. During the attack, 34 men were killed and 171 were wounded. The ship’s antennae were destroyed, and the ship was damaged beyond restoration to service. The USS Andrew Jackson, a missile submarine, accompanied the Liberty and photographed much of the engagement through its periscope camera according to unacknowledged reports by several independent observers. Reportedly, the strike was ordered by Israeli defense minister Moshe Dayan to prevent detection of Israel’s invasion of Syria. This invasion was postponed to June 9, the day after the Liberty was “silenced.”
Authorities soon realized that messages from the U.S. joint chiefs of staff ordering Liberty to withdraw from its patrol just outside of Egyptian and Israeli-claimed territorial limits were repeatedly misdirected and failed to arrive. Therefore, retaliatory bombing raids, including a first launch of nuclear-armed aircraft, from the USS Saratoga and USS America, were almost immediately recalled when the Israelis hastily claimed that poor visibility had prevented them from recognizing the ship’s U.S. nationality.
Israel’s formal apology on June 10, 1967, termed the incident a “tragic accident.” The United States accepted the apology but refused the explanation. Israel paid $3.3 million in death benefits under duress on June, 13, 1968. Injury benefits of $3.5 million were received April 28, 1969. In December, 1980, after prolonged evasion, $6 million was paid for damage to the ship.
The Liberty received a Presidential Unit Citation, her commanding officer received the Congressional Medal of Honor, and thirty-six additional officers and men were decorated for their conduct.
Impact
Suppression of information regarding the incident and persistent denial of apparently well-founded, embarrassing reports, caused widespread public and congressional complaint in the United States. In addition, U.S. public and governmental support of Israel came under heavy criticism.
Additional Information
James M. Ennes, Jr.’s Assault on the ’Liberty’ (1979) is an eyewitness account by one of the Liberty’s officers. U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Phil G. Goulding reviews official reactions to the attack in Confirm or Deny (1970). Anthony Pearson’s Conspiracy of Silence (1978) includes many rumors and contradictions in his muckraking account. Donald Neff’s Warriors for Jerusalem (1984) discusses the Liberty in a general history of the Six-Day War. The Liberty incident is part of James Bamford’s history of the U.S. National Security Agency, The Puzzle Palace (1982).