US government betrayed Americans by covering up USS liberty attack
Israel attacked USS Liberty with torpedoes in the Mediterranean 45 years ago, killing 34 and injuring 174 others, but the incident was covered up by the US government.
Press TV has interviewed Franklin Lamb, international lawyer from Beirut on the 45th anniversary of the cover up of the purposeful attack by Israel on USS Liberty. What follows is an approximate transcript of the interview.
Press TV: There are calls still for a thorough investigation after 45 years. And still those who survived that attack saying that they are disappointed, that they want to see this case being investigated. What has stopped that thorough probe into what actually happened?
Lamb: Yes. First I just want to point out that the survivors who have followed this story and published ample material over the last 45 years know this subject best and I think their accounts are very credible.
Of course the reason why Linden Johnson and Admiral McCain, the father of John McCain, put the lid on this was the relationship between the Zionist lobby and the American government, which during these 45 years has only become stronger.
So I think the reason why these sailors have been betrayed and their families have been betrayed by their own government goes to the core of the relationship between Israel and the US government that continues and if anything, as your report suggested, has deepened.
The survivors are absolutely right in their courageous work that they've been doing. I've corresponded with three of them over the past few years. They are American heroes who have been betrayed by their government and there must be an investigation and it's up to every American to demand that investigation and let the chips fall where they may.
There is plenty of evidence that is classified that needs to be released and then let the facts follow where they may and then let the American public make the judgment on this issue.
It's a cover up - a classic cover up that betrays the American people.
Press TV: One of the accusations raised here is that some of the survivors say that Israel meant this attack to look like it was an Arab nation who attacked the US ship.
If we consider that allegation correct or if we consider it not correct, the question still remains - Was the US aware that this attack was going to happen, meaning the US government, before it happened or did it just participate in covering it up?
Lamb: I have no knowledge of the knowledge of the US government as they've put the lid on this tightly of what occurred before the attack. But again, the evidence, and the best evidence is the accounts of the survivors and other analysts make it pretty plain that it was intended by the Zionists to present to the Americans, to present to President Johnson, evidence that in fact Egypt had attacked that ship.
And they got away with that for a while. Finally that was exposed and then the Americans made the political - purely political - decision to cover it up. And that ignoble act has last till this day.
I think there are no questions what the facts are on that subject and again we salute on this 45th anniversary of the families of those who gave their life in the service of their country and the courageous men who are now being marginalized every day by their own government in order to preserve the pressure of the Zionist regime and its control over our government.
http://www.presstv.com/detail/2012/06/08/245202/us-covered-up-israel-attack-on-u...