"After ten official US investigations (including five congressional investigations), there was never any evidence that the attack was made with knowledge that the target was a US ship. There is substantial evidence the attack was a tragic mistake caused by blunders of both the US and Israel. Eight US presidents, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush (41), Clinton, and Bush (43), have each accepted the conclusion that the attack was a tragic case of mistaken identity."
We have found no evidence that any of those assertions are true. Mr. Cristol has not responded to our repeated requests for proof or documentation of those claims. Moreover, the Liberty Veterans Association has long offered a $10,000 reward to anyone who can show that these statements are true. See www.ussliberty.org/challenge.htm. No one has ever applied for the reward. There has never been a Congressional investigation. We are unaware that any American president has accepted the position that the attack was a tragic accident. The only American government investigation of any kind was the U.S.Navy Court of Inquiry in 1967. That inquiry examined only the performance of the crew and the adequacy of communications and avoided entirely the question of whether the attack was deliberate, accepting "at face value" the Israeli claim that the attack was an accident. That inquiry has been dismissed by its own legal counsel, legal counsel to the convening authority and numerous other key figures as fraudulent. Yet Mr. Cristol persists in his false reports. Unfortunately, the big lie has been repeated so often that it is widely repeated even by Members of Congress as if it were established fact. Moreover, we have a letter from the Librarian of Congress verifying that there has never been such an investigation which is reproduced below.
Meanwhile, Cristol ignores our specific request for comment.
The Library of Congress confirms that Congress has never held hearings or launched an investigation into the attack on USS Liberty. Mr. Cristol's account is false. We have repeatedly asked him to remove his false report from his web site. He declines to reply or to correct the false claim despite frequent requests for him to do so.
The Library of Congress reports: "After checking numerous resources, including the CIS (Congressional Information Service) Indexes to Congressional Hearings (both published and unpublished), and the Public Documents Masterfile, I could find no evidence that the Congress ever held hearings or launched an investigation into the June 8, 1967 incident with the USS Liberty." ECH, Reference Librarian, Library of Congress.
The Question:
Patron: General Inquiry:
I was aboard the USS Liberty (AGTR-5) when the ship was attacked on June 8, 1967.
In searching through the Library of Congress website I could find references to Congressional investigations of the attacks on the USS Pueblo, the USS Cole and the USS Stark but none for the Congressional investigation of the attack on the USS Liberty.
Could you tell me why there is no copy of any Congressional investigation of the attack on the USS Liberty in the Library of Congress?
If it has not yet been provided to you, could you contact the appropriate Congressional personnel to ensure the Congressional investigation of the attack on the USS Liberty is provided to the Library of Congress?
Thanks in advance.
From: hssref@loc.gov
Dear Patron:
Date: Jul 25, 2006 12:06 PM
Subject: Library Question - Answer [Question #1727003]
To: joe@ussliberty.com
Thank you for your query.
After checking numerous resources, including the CIS (Congressional Information Service) Indexes to Congressional Hearings (both published and unpublished), and the Public Documents Masterfile, I could find no evidence that the Congress ever held hearings or launched an investigation into the June 8, 1967 incident with the USS Liberty.
The Library of Congress does have the following titles concerning the USS Liberty in the Library's collections:
[Several references follow]
I hope that this information is helpful.
ECH
Reference Librarian
Main Reading Room
Humanities & Social Sciences Division
Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave., S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20540-4660
(202) 707-3399
Return to the opening page
