June 8 marks the 50th anniversary of the brazen and deliberate attack by Israel on the USS Liberty, a lightly armed intelligence-gathering ship in international waters off the coast of Egypt.

On that afternoon during the Six-Day War in 1967, waves of Israeli jets attacked the Liberty without warning. A subsequent barrage from three torpedo boats nearly sank the ship, while the two attacks killed 34 American sailors and injured 174 others.

According to Paul Craig Roberts of the Institute for Political Economy, who interviewed survivors and government officials, President Lyndon B. Johnson not only aborted an American rescue mission, but also ordered a cover-up of the whole affair. He reportedly said he wasnt going to embarrass an ally.

Notwithstanding the damning conclusions of the Moorer Commission in 2003, no subsequent U.S. administration has dared break an apparent vow of silence.

Its time to honor both Libertys victims and remaining survivors. Its time to tell the American people what happened on that day and why.

L. Michael Hager

Eastham

The writer is co-founder and former director general of the International Development Law Organization.

Continue reading here:

50 years long enough to find truth on Liberty - Cape Cod Times (subscription)