OPEN LETTER TO THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS BY THE SURVIVORS OF THE USS LIBERTY

I have been writing letters to our elected officials for the past 20 years, trying to get a congressional investigation into the deliberate attack on the USS LIBERTY on June 8, 1967 by the government of Israel. This atrocity and cold-blooded murder of America’s sons on the high seas was an act of war against the United States of America, not to mention the numerous war crimes committed against the crew of the USS LIBERTY.

Being that this is America where there exists at least a small shred of freedom, including freedom of speech and the right of redress to our government, let me speak to you then like an American, and as you read this, remember something, you asked for it. A great man once said ‘What you sow also shall you reap,’ and with that in mind what you are about to hear from me–which mirrors the thoughts and feelings of not only my fellow crew members but also a good portion of the American people, is a badge that you have earned by your own actions, so wear it with pride.

You, our elected officials, are in truth nothing but a bunch of stooges and front men for the government of Israel. Whatever Israel wants, Israel gets, no matter what. If you don’t follow their every want and need you won’t be in congress very long and you damned-well know it. The power the Israeli Lobby has over you is only slightly less sickening than what is your willingness to bow to their every damned demand. You are as guilty of murdering my shipmates as the Israelis are. You have their blood on your hands because you continue to cover up the truth concerning what happened to them. In a better time in America’s history, that would be considered treason, every bit as much as Benedict Arnold attempting to turn over West Point to the British during our own war for freedom. Were you ordinary people and not members of the US Congress your crimes would be considered accessory to murder and you would be put away for life.

You took an oath to protect and serve and honor the Constitution of the United States, not to serve Israel, and yet you serve the Jewish state rather than your own nation and even when you know it’s wrong. They are your masters and always will be until you get some backbone and say ‘enough already’.

The USS LIBERTY Veterans Association wants a Congressional investigation so that we–the survivors of the nearly-2-hour attack–can be questioned in an open and fair hearing. If an American ship were attacked by any other country, and especially by one of those other Middle Eastern countries that are on Israel’s hit-list, you know full-well that there would be investigations coming out our ears to the point where no other business in Congress would be taking place. Is this–a proper investigation into an act of war perpetrated against the people of the United States–to ask of our elected members of Congress who swore an oath of loyalty to the US by combat wounded veterans who swore an oath to protect and serve this country? Many gave their lives doing just that.

But we know what is really going on here, don’t we now, Mr. or Mz. Congressperson? We all know why a proper investigation cannot be allowed to take place, which is that the truth will overcome the mountain of lies that Israel has vomited out these 40 years about the attack being a case of ‘mistaken identity’, and we all know what would happen once the American people found out the truth, which is that Israel would be cut off from Uncle Sam’s generous bank account, or worse.

The last letter I got from my senator, Ken Salazar, on Nov. 27,2007 states as follows:

“Dear Phil,

Thank you for your letter regarding the 1967 attack on the U.S.S. Liberty. I appreciate hearing from you.

Multiple investigations have concluded that the Israeli forces who attacked the ship mistook it for an Egyptian vessel. The Israeli and U.S. governments closed the case in 1987, and the Israeli government has paid more that $13 million in reparations.

At this time, I do not think an additional investigation is necessary.

Again, thank you for writing.

Sincerely,

Ken Salazar

United States Senator

This was the standard form letter all of you send out to the survivors and the public. In fact, there has been only one investigation through the Board of Inquiry, which was a sham and cover-up for Israel. Look in the congressional record, senator, and show me where and when all of these ‘investigations’ took place. You can’t, and for one simple reason–THERE NEVER HAS BEEN ANY, NOT ONE. What you wrote me was a bold face lie and what that makes you sir is a liar, despite your undeserved title of ‘Honorable’. The proof of this is that a letter was sent from the Department of the Navy in response to an inquiry by Congressman Robert Simmons from Connecticut. His inquiry was made on March 16, 2005 and it clearly states that the Navy’s 5-day sham investigation is the ONLY investigation ever made by the U.S. Government, period! Check with your colleague for verification. One of the men who signed off on the Board of Inquiry, Captain Ward Boston, has recently come forward and said the Board of Inquiry was a lie which he was ordered to produce. That order came from none other than Admiral John S. McCain, Jr, Senator McCain’s father and the inquiry that should have lasted at least 6 months by Navy standards took less than ten days.

The money Israel paid our government for the attack was given to them by the U.S. Israel was out nothing, not one a dime. The ship alone was worth $40 million, for God’s sake. Don’t you think that this alone is proof of the US being short-changed? But then, this is what always happens when you deal with Israel, and what we don’t give her willingly she steals by spying. Case in point, Jonathan Pollard, and who knows how many others.

By the way, Senator Salazar, in your letter you did not even mention a word about the men murdered that day or the wounded, nor did you say a kind word to their families for the heartaches they have endured these last 40 years. That in itself is disgusting and disrespectful towards the men and women who wear the uniform of the U.S. military. Shame on you. You won’t honor our fallen heroes, you could care less. I can say one thing for certain though, which is that had you been there that day and experienced what we experienced or had you lost a son or brother as a result of ‘our friend’ Israel, you would not be so quick to give her a clean bill of health.

To all of you in Congress, once the American public finds out that you have been covering up for the government of Israel and our government, you will all be looking for new jobs, and that is putting it mildly. Nobody wants a bunch of flunkies and liars working for them and never before in the history of any nation have there been as many flunkies and liars than the US Congress today.

ANALYSIS

TRAITORS, COWARDS AND A “PARLIMENT OF WHORES”*

What better words define and describe the disloyal and treasonous government officials, who on June 8, 1967 allowed over 200 American sailors on the unarmed U.S.S. Liberty to be murdered and wounded in broad daylight in international waters in what was a deliberate attack by Israeli aircraft and torpedo boats? Incredibly, these same subservient public officials, apparently owing their allegiance to a foreign entity, collaborated to protect a guilty Israel from public condemnation and punishment by manipulating and relegating the bloody massacre into a political black hole for four decades.

TRAITORS

President Lyndon B. Johnson and Sec of Defense Robert McNamara qualified as co-perpetrators in treason by ordering and executing the pull back of American aircraft responding to desperate calls from the helpless Liberty crew, and permitting the massacre to continue. Finally, the co-conspirators initiated and orchestrated a criminal cover up that remains in place to this day.

COWARDS

Every one of the faceless, gutless government officials and bureaucrats who know the truth and dare not to act or speak out.

“PARLIMENT OF WHORES”*

*(Patrick J. Buchanan’s incisive characterization of Congress’s servile sellout relationship with Israel.)

To date Congress has fearfully evaded and defaulted on its oversight responsibility to conduct an independent and open investigation to expose the truth of the deliberate and unprovoked attack on the U.S.S. Liberty by Israel. In fact, no investigation has ever been held at any level of government to investigate the Israeli treachery. Israeli political actions committees paid off and threatened members of Congress well for the pass - approximately $3,300,000.00 in the latest 2005-2006 election cycle, and over $50,000,000.00 since 1978. Of course a grateful Congress has reciprocated, having given lavishly to the Mideast mini state over $100,000,000,000.00 of U.S. taxpayers’ money. A return on investment that would put Warren Buffet to shame. Enough!

Allow the words of a few others finish this letter–“If American leaders did not have the courage to punish Israel for the blatant murder of American citizens, their American friends would let them get away with almost anything”–George Ball, Assistant Secretary of State, 1967

“The nation which indulges toward another… is in some degree a slave….a passionate attachment of one nation for another produces a variety of evils.”–President George Washington farewell address, Sept.17, 1796

“Never before in the history of the United States Navy has a Navy Board of Inquiry ignored the testimony of American military eyewitnesses and taken on faith the word of their attackers.”–Dr. Richard Kiepfer, Capt. USN ret. and USS Liberty survivor

Phillip F. Tourney, survivor of the Israeli attack on the USS Liberty and contributing editor to American Free Press newspaper

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