Declassified Congressional notes 1967, Israel... and the USS Liberty

April 13, 2007

By Cherifa Sirry
Cherifa Sirry is an Egyptian producer based in Cairo


It's okay when Israelis murder Americans... as is made very clear in this session between esteemed US Senators representing the American people. Let's go back to 1967 and the USS Liberty... which until today, the US government refuses to officially investigate.

Secretary Rusk's reference to the Israeli attack on the USS Liberty as "this kind of operation" is very interesting. What exactly does the Secretary mean? I thought that the attack was an 'accident'. It's the first time I hear a US official admit that it was an operation... and not an accident. Thank you, Secretary Rusk.

1. Let's see what Israeli 'operation' the 'honorable US Congress or Senate shall be covering-up for soon in the Middle East and/or Persian Gulf?

2. Let's see how long it will take to hear the US to come up with official admissions on 9/11?


For entire text

S. Prt. 110-20

EXECUTIVE SESSIONS OF THE
SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE
TOGETHER WITH JOINT SESSIONS WITH THE
SENATE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE
(HISTORICAL SERIES)

VOLUME XIX

NINETIETH CONGRESS

first session

1967


MADE PUBLIC 2007

Printed for the use of the Committee on Foreign Relations

Secretary Rusk. Mr. Chairman, on the boat incident
yesterday, which brought our meeting to a conclusion, I may say
that as soon as I found out the real facts, I came on back
down, but the committee had adjourned.

The situation--the incident was extremely distressing, not
only because of the dead and the wounded which were involved,
but because it was a very reckless act.

Senator Hickenlooper. It seems to me it was completely
inexcusable.

Secretary Rusk. It was a vessel configured as a merchant
vessel. It was a U.S. Navy ship flying the U.S. flag,
relatively unarmed with 450 caliber machine guns. It was ninety
miles off Port Said, 14 miles off of the Gaza Strip territory,
and was attacked by six strafing runs by aircraft and by motor
torpedo boats.

Now, when I left here, I thought that it might well be an
Egyptian attack. You can imagine that would have raised the
most serious problems. But suppose it had been an Israeli
attack on a Russian ship.
The Chairman. Yes.

ISRAELI APOLOGY

Secretary Rusk. I called in the Israeli ambassador and
protested in the strongest possible terms and pointed out to
him the dangers that were involved in this kind of an operation
in that area (what kind of "operation"??). He had no explanation.
We have had nothing but an apology from the Israeli Government.
But there it is, and we will be in touch with Israelis further about it.
After all, there are some damages and there are dead and
wounded, and we will follow up on that with them.

Senator Carlson. Mr. Chairman, on that very point, one of
the families in our state is affected, and, of course, that
will be true of many others because of the dead and injuries.
They are not happy with just an apology. They are really
complaining. Is there anything more that can be done on this?
Secretary Rusk. I understand.

Senator Carlson. It was, I imagine, as I understand,
surface PT boats.

Secretary Rusk. Plus six strafing runs by aircraft.
Senator Carlson. I cannot understand it.

Senator Hickenlooper. I think we should file for
reparations. We should press for them, for the families, the
people that were killed, and I am not sure but what I am
impressed with the cavalier attitude of--it looks like a
cavalier attitude--of Israel on this thing. They can do that
with impunity.

Secretary Rusk. Well, the next move is at the moment up to
them to come back with a better statement of fact than they
have given us thus far. I will say this. We were very pleased
that Israel immediately notified us that they had done it (well
how gracious of Israel...), and here in this room I can say that
we did use the ``Hot Line'' for the purpose for which it was
invented on this one, to flash a message to Moscow to inform
Cairo, because at that moment we
thought that the probabilities were it was an Egyptian attack
and we would take the steps necessary to defend the ship. We
were able to use the ``Hot Line'' to cancel that, and inform
the Soviets immediately that it was an Israeli attack, and
that--but in any event, as far as the international side of it
is concerned, it proved not to be the kind of crisis that could
have caused far greater trouble, either Egyptian attack or a
Russian victim.

Senator Hickenlooper. Has the Israeli Government indicated
any real sorrow about this thing, or is it a perfunctory
apology?

Secretary Rusk. Oh, yes, they have been profuse.
Senator Hickenlooper. Have they said whether any
disciplinary action will be taken against the stupidity of this
crew or----

Secretary Rusk. I asked for that yesterday.

Senator Hickenlooper [continuing]. Or the commanding
officers of the area or anything?

Secretary Rusk. We have not heard any more except what I
have told you.

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