Fact Check: Has the US government tried to cover up the USS Liberty incident?

What We Know

The USS Liberty incident occurred on June 8, 1967, when Israeli forces attacked the USS Liberty, a Navy technical research ship, during the Six-Day War. The attack resulted in 34 American deaths and 171 injuries, and the ship was severely damaged while it was in international waters off the coast of Egypt. Israel later claimed the attack was a mistake, believing the ship to be an Egyptian vessel (Wikipedia).

In the aftermath, various investigations were conducted by both the U.S. and Israeli governments, which concluded that the attack was unintentional due to confusion over the ship's identity (Wikipedia). However, many survivors and some military officials have contested these findings, alleging that the attack was deliberate and that there was a subsequent cover-up by the U.S. government (California State University, Congressional Record).

Admiral Thomas H. Moorer, a prominent figure in U.S. military history, led an independent commission that accused the U.S. government of deliberately preventing military support for the Liberty during the attack and of covering up the true nature of the incident (Congressional Record). This commission's findings suggest that the U.S. government was influenced by pro-Israel lobbying, which allegedly led to a lack of thorough investigation into the incident (Congressional Record).

Analysis

The claim that the U.S. government attempted to cover up the USS Liberty incident is supported by various testimonies and independent investigations, particularly those led by Admiral Moorer. The findings of his commission assert that there was a deliberate effort to suppress the truth about the attack and to prevent the Navy from coming to the ship's aid (Congressional Record).

However, the credibility of these claims is contested. Official inquiries from both the U.S. and Israeli governments have consistently maintained that the attack was a tragic mistake. The U.S. Navy's Court of Inquiry concluded that the attack was due to misidentification and did not find evidence of a cover-up (Wikipedia). Critics of the cover-up narrative often cite the lack of transparency in the investigations and the threats made to survivors as reasons to question the official accounts (California State University, Military.com).

While the allegations of a cover-up are serious, they stem largely from the testimonies of those who believe the attack was deliberate and the subsequent actions of the U.S. government. The reliability of these sources varies, as they often come from individuals with a vested interest in the narrative of a cover-up or from independent commissions that may not have had access to all relevant evidence.

Conclusion

The claim that the U.S. government tried to cover up the USS Liberty incident is Partially True. There is substantial evidence suggesting that the government may have downplayed the incident and its implications, particularly through the lens of political pressures and lobbying. However, the official stance remains that the attack was a tragic mistake, and the investigations conducted at the time did not conclusively support the cover-up narrative. The complexity of the incident, combined with conflicting testimonies and interpretations, leads to a nuanced understanding of the events surrounding the USS Liberty.

Fact Check: Has the US government tried to cover up the USS Liberty incident?