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For Immediate Release
January 12, 2004
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CFL ACTION ALERT: DEMAND A CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATION OF THE ATTACK ON THE
USS LIBERTY
The State Department will cast a spotlight this week on the 1967 Israeli
attack on the U.S. spy ship Liberty where 34 American servicemen were killed.
As some of you might know, this past June marked the 35th anniversary of the
June 8, 1967 attack on the USS Liberty. On that date, the Israeli armed forces
carried out an attack by both sea and air against the ship. 34 American
soldiers were killed and 172 were wounded in the Israeli attack. Since that
time, two very different stories have circulated regarding the attack. Those
supporting Israel claim it was a case of “misidentification”, but survivors of
the attack and others dispute this and believe that the attack was deliberate.
When the attack occurred, the US government was quick to participate in an
Israeli cover-up, calling the attack “accidental” and ordered the surviving
crew of the ship to remain silent under threat of court martial. That cover-up
continues to this day. Last October, a former U.S. Navy attorney who helped
lead a military investigation into the incident said in a signed affidavit
that then-President Lyndon Johnson and his defense secretary, Robert McNamara,
ordered that the inquiry conclude the incident was an accident. Retired Capt.
Ward Boston said Johnson and McNamara told those heading the Navy's inquiry to
"conclude that the attack was a case of 'mistaken identity' despite
overwhelming evidence to the contrary."
CFL, Citizens for Fair Legislation, calls on its members and all individuals
of conscience to demand our government conduct a thorough and unbiased
investigation into the Israeli attack on the USS Liberty, and prioritize the
lives of US soldiers and citizens over Israeli political interests. Act today
by making phone calls and sending letters to our elected officials.
TAKE ACTION
GO TO http://cflweb.org/congress_merge_.htm AND SEND A LETTER NOW.
TALKING POINTS:
* In contrast to Israeli claims that the ship was unidentifiable as American,
survivors of the attack state that the ship was clearly in international
waters and was proudly flying an American flag. They also note that radio
transmissions from Israeli planes overhead indicated that Israel knew that the
ship was American.
*Both Israeli eyewitnesses and key U.S. government officials including members
of the Johnson administration, and CIA and National Security Agency personnel
concur that the attack was deliberate. One of the senior lead Israeli pilots
in the attack and a dual-citizen major who was in the Israeli war room during
the attack have stated that the attack was not an accident and that they knew
they were attacking an American ship.
* No thorough Congressional investigation of the attack has been allowed to
occur. The Navy investigation that did take place was not allowed to examine
the issue of culpability and all testimony suggesting that the attack may have
been deliberate was blocked. The captain who conducted that investigation is
now stating that the investigation was a fraud and that he knew at the time
that the attack was deliberate.
* By refusing to conduct a Congressional investigation into the attack, the
U.S. is covering the tracks of Israel, purportedly an ally. Yet the attack
itself demonstrates that Israel is not the ally that the U.S. government seems
to believe she is. U.S. government compliance with the Israeli cover-up is
evidence that Israeli interests and the Israeli lobby are more important in
Congress than U.S. interests are.
* 34 American soldiers were killed and 172 wounded in the Israeli attack.
Survivors were ordered to remain silent about what really happened that day
under threat of court-martial. By insisting on the silence of the survivors
and refusing to acknowledge what they experienced, and by clouding the memory
of the young American men who died in the attack, our government is
prioritizing a foreign interest over the lives and memories of American
soldiers.
TAKE ACTION:
To contact your elected officials see the personal contact information
available on: http://cflweb.org/congress_merge_.htm
Please choose the appropriate letter to send! (YOU MUST PICK A SUBJECT FROM
THE DROP DOWN BAR) [After you enter your contact info the appropriate
addresses are provided. Simply type, or send our prewritten letter and click
end. Be sure to bookmark this page so you can send ONE LETTER EVERY DAY. We
have prewritten letters for your convenience.]
EMAIL AND/OR CALL THE WHITE HOUSE
WHITE HOUSE COMMENTS LINE: 202-456-1111
WHITE HOUSE SWITCHBOARD: 202-456-1414
WHITE HOUSE FAX: 202-456-2461
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Citizens for Fair Legislation is a grassroots organization committed to
encouraging a fair domestic and foreign policy with an emphasis on the US/Arab
world.
http://www.cflweb.org/
NOTE: By clicking
"Submit to Congress" you will be
redirected to the main CFL Congress page. You will have
to choose the desired alert from the
DROP-DOWN BOX MENU.
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