NationStates Jolt Archive

Since I recall the USS Liberty case generating some interest arond here, I find it worth posting for public interest: a new Jerusalem Post article containing actual translated transcripts of the Israeli pilots radio exchange during the Liberty incident. Enjoy.

P.S. Steph, sorry for posting the whole thing, but you know how it is with websites that require registering :( . If there was a way for me to upload it somewhere on the net and then post a link, I would do that- but I can't.


Cast of characters:
Homeland - Air Controllers
Kislev - chief air controller at general headquarters in Tel Aviv
Menachem - chief air controller at Air Control South
Yigal - Menachem's deputy
Robert - chief air controller at Air Control Central
Shimon - Robert's deputy
L.K. - Capt. Lazar Karni, weapons system officer
Kursa - two-ship formation of Mirage IIICJs commanded by Capt. Yiftach Spector
Royal - two-ship formation of Super-Mysteres that made the second run on Liberty
Nixon - two-ship formation of Mysteres armed with bombs for third strike
Pagoda - three torpedo boats commanded by Lt.-Cmdr. Moshe Oren
Migdal - one of the three torpedo boats that communicates with the pilots

Background:
The Navy has just identified a mysterious vessel off El Arish possibly shelling the ammo depot on the beach. It dispatched three torpedo boats against it, but has asked the Air Force to intercept the ship.

13:50
KISLEV: Yigal, you have a ship at 26 (site designation). Take Kursa over there. If it's a warship then screw it.

YIGAL Clear

13:51
UNKNOWN Wait a minute Kislev. The Navy says that our torpedo boats are in the area and are called Pagoda. They're on frequency 186.

KISLEV If it is a warship you can attack. There are two of our torpedo boats there and they want (the pilots) to either see them or contact them on frequency 186. (There were actually three boats) Robert, do you have Royal?

ROBERT Royal?

SHIMON He is at Hava 16 (grid coordinates) That's route 15.

KISLEV Robert, take Royal along the coast so that if Kursa identifies then he'll be able to go in too.

ROBERT All right

KISLEV Menachem, how much fuel does Kursa have?

MENACHEM he has a lot. About a minute ago he had 3000 (liters)

13:52
KURSA What's the range? Seven turns, 040 degrees. Roger, I'll stay on 19 and 9 (frequencies). How do you call the torpedo boats? Pagoda? Kursa 9 and 3.

13:53
KURSA Homeland, keep on directing me to the place.

HOMELAND 045 degrees, 20 miles. Ah, can you see them at the moment?

13:54
KURSA Affirmative, it looks longer by eyesight.

LK What is this? Americans? (the weapons system officer in the general headquarters blurted out in what he later testified was a hunch.)

SHOMON Where are Americans?

KISLEV Robert, what are you saying?

(quickly disregarding the comment, Kislev moves on)

KISLEV Does he see more torpedo boats north of him?

13:55
KISLEV Menachem, if there are three torpedo boats, then this could be ours. (he is aware of the correct number of boats now)

SHIMON Pay attention, Kursa

13:55
KURSA Pagoda from Kursa. Migdal?

MIGDAL Affirmative

KURSA Are You attacking some ship now?

MIGDAL We're on our way to one.

KURSA OK. I'll come and give you a hand. Where are you?

KURSA Migdal from Kursa. Are you three? There is no need. Bring yourselves up some 10-15 kilometers from the ship. Is it in the direction of your home?

KURSA I see you on a right turn. Why are you turning? It's not in that direction.

MIGDAL OK, all right. Affirmative Affirmative.

13:56
MIGDAL Can you identify the target?

KURSA Can you identify his target, Migdal?

KURSA She's running from you in the direction of El Arish, correction, Port Said. What is it? What is it? A destroyer? A patrol boat? What is it?

MIGDAL Kursa, Can you manage to identify it?

KURSA I can't identify it, but in any case it's a military ship.

MIGDAL OK, what is it?

KURSA It has one mast and one smokestack

MIGDAL Roger

KURSA It has one mast up front.

13:56
SHIMON Menachem, Kursa is calling you.

SHIMON He says he is starting to strafe them.

MENACHEM I told him that if it is a warship then he has authorization to attack. That was the last command.

KISLEV Menachem

MENACHEM Does he have authorization to attack?

KISLEV He does. If this is a warship then yes. Royal is to be directed to there.

MENACHEM OK

KISLEV Send Royal over there with bombs

ROBERT On what frequency are you attacking?

SHIMON She's running away from this (he says this as he monitors the Liberty on his radar screen)

KISLEV Menachem, after he attacks have him explain to Royal how to find her.

SHIMON She's fleeing very fast.

KISLEV OK, attack.

SHIMON Robert, have Royal call us on 19.

ROBERT Royal to you on 19.

13:57
SHIMON Just a second, Kislev, we see the ship. (on radar) That's one hell of a ship.

ROBERT Menachem, I passing 105th (Super Mysteres squadron) to you on 19. Royal (over) El Arish at 20 (20,000 feet)

KISLEV Menachem, have (Kursa) tell us if there is anti-aircraft fire.

13:58
KISLEV Menachem, nu?

MENACHEM We're asking him. She's not shooting back.

KISLEV Not shooting? Give me 19. (his voice has a puzzled expression)

13:59
KURSA We've hit her a lot ...but maybe she is doing it (putting out smoke) on purpose, I don't know. Oil is spilling out into the water. I'm in eye contact. Great! Wonderful! She's burning! She's burning!

MENACHEM Did you hear? He's hit her a lot. There's a lot of black smoke. There's an oil leak into the water. He's continuing.

KISLEV Was there any anti-aircraft fire on him?

MENACHEM She's burning! The warship is burning!

MENACHEM Shumlik, she's burning! The moment Kursa is finished we're sending in Royal.(he uses Kislev's first name Shmulik in his excitement)

KISLEV That's right, to sink her. (he says this flatly)

MENACHEM To sink her, OK.

14:00
ROYAL Eye contact with the target. Eye contact with Kursa. Royal requests 15 (15,000 feet)

KURSA OK, Kursa is coming in ..you a bit further in. I'll go in the direction OK (his comments are to his wingman)

KURSA I think she is putting out smoke on purpose. It's coming out of the smokestack. OK. I'm finished too. The ship is really burning. There is a large fire and a lot of black smoke.

14:01
KURSA Royal, you altitude? We're at 5 (5,000 feet).

ROYAL You're east, right?

KURSA We're south of the ship.

14:01
KISLEV Menachem

MENACHEM We're sending in Royal

KISLEV Good

ROBERT (garbled) this ship?

KISLEV Menachem, if Royal has napalm it would be more efficient.

14:02
KURSA Affirmative

ROYAL Not ours?

ROYAL Homeland, can you hear? Call Homeland on 19. Ask if it's allowed to go in.

ROYAL I understand do not go in. Fine. We're circling above the ship at 15. (15,000 feet) Tell him that the Navy will be arriving before us. I can see.

14:02
SHIMON Menachem, Royal is calling you.

MENACHEM He got off the line

KURSA I've got him. (Kursa is relaying to control for Royal)

ROYAL Does Royal have permission?

[20 empty seconds pass]

SHIMON Kislev, there's doubt as to the identification.

KISLEV If there is a doubt, don't attack.

SHIMON Don't attack Menachem.

ROBERT Pay attention. There is doubt as to the identification. (Robert consults with a naval liaison officer in his headquarters)

KISLEV What does that mean?

ROBERT OK, you can go in. (apparently resolving the issue with the Navy)

KISLEV You may go in.

KURSA Affirmative, you have permission, Royal.

14:02
ROYAL Sausages, in the middle and up in one pass. Two together. (he instructs his wingman on dropping the napalm) We'll come in from the rear. Watch out for the masts. Don't hit the masts, careful of the masts. I'll come in from her left, you come behind me.

SHIMON Next formation - get a briefing on what took place.

14:03
ROBERT Authorized to sink her?

KISLEV You can sink her.

SHIMON Royal is exchanging words. They started chatting

ROBERT One Eight (sector coordinates) that is not the ship. Wait a minute

14:04
KISLEV Menachem, Is he screwing her?

MENACHEM He's going down on her with napalm all the time.

KISLEV You don't need anymore for the ship. Enough.

MENACHEM There is no need. Our forces are there. The Navy's there too.

SHIMON It'll be worth it just for the insurance.

KISLEV But napalm went there.

UNKOWN What does napalm do (to a ship?)

14:04
ROYAL on the right side of the stern ..

14:05
ROYAL WING You've missed by an undershot.

ROYAL a deep gash

14:05
KISLEV What is Kursa reporting? Was there any ant-aircraft fire?

MENACHIM I've passed him on to 33 (frequency) and asked for a report.

KISLEV Robert, ask Kursa if there was any anti-aircraft fire.

ROBERT Kislev, the Navy asks not to sink her completely. They want to get close and have a look.

SHIMON Have them rescue the people with the torpedo boats to help.

ROBERT OK, finish with this formation. The torpedoes are coming up to the them.

14:06
KISLEV What does Kursa say?

ROBERT I'm telling you already. 'This is easier than (shooting down) MiGs.'

KISLEV What is the situation now?

UNKNOWN I don't know. Two (Royal wingman) hit the ship with (napalm) and now he's strafing.

14:07
ROYAL Fine pull up.

ROYAL I'm behind you. Careful of her antennas.

14:08
ROYAL Homeland from Royal, how do you hear me? She has some kind of marking, P30 and something.

KISLEV Robert, take formation 116 (Nixon) out there too.

ROBERT Good

MENACHEM Her marking (he is cut off by Kislev)

KISLEV Yes I heard. We are checking.

14:09
ROYAL Homeland, if you could have a two-ship formation with bombs (here) before the Navy arrives then it would be a mitzvah. Otherwise the Navy will be here in 10 minutes.

SHIMON Before the Navy arrives, it will be a mitzvah.

KISLEV In the meantime take formation 116 (Nixon). Who is checking this? (the mysterious markings on the ship)

SHIMON Royal reported that it would be a mitzvah before the Navy comes!

KISLEV Look for a flag if they can see one. Have Royal look. See if they can identify her with a flag.

14:10
ROYAL Twelve o'clock ..look higher. Now left, slowly, slowly a bit faster so it will stay external, OK?

14:10
ROBERT Kislev, they (the Navy) are asking us not to do anything else about her. They want to take her. It's a pity to sink her. I want to receive an answer.

KISLEV No, no, We are attacking meanwhile.

14:11
ROBERT Menachem, Is Royal leaving?

MENACHEM Not yet. Just a moment. He is reporting something.

KISLEV OK attack, Menachem (he orders Nixon in for a third strike)

ROBERT Menachem, has Royal left?

MENACHEM Not yet.

14:11
ROYAL Homeland from Royal, do you read me? Pay attention. This ship's markings are Charlie-Tango-Romeo 5. There is no flag on her! She looks like a minesweeper with that marking. Roger, I'm leaving her. I'm staying around one more minute. (the Liberty's correct markings were GTR-5)

14:12
ROBERT What altitude? What altitude is Royal reaching?

MENACHEM Charlie-Senator-Romeo (he incorrectly recalls CSR-5)

KISLEV Leave her! (his flat tone changes dramatically as he realizes this was no Egyptian ship)

ROBERT Leave her. What ship is this?

KISLEV Leave her. (he says tersely) Menachem report the approximate damage. (Redirect) 116 to its original mission.

14:13
ROYAL Homeland, there's external fire on her, a lot of hits on her upper parts. People are jumping into the water. She's not shooting at all. She has hardly any armaments on her. She's going full steam towards the north.

KISLEV Shimon, Robert. We're sending two helicopters to them.

ROBERT Good. Clear. I am dispatching helicopters.

14:14
MENACHEM Kislev, what country?

KISLEV Apparently American.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1086230742987



If conspiracy theories could be refuted by facts and logic, this transcript would finally lay the "conspiracy" version of Liberty attack to rest. It proves clearly that the pilots did not know that the ship they attacked was American, and presumed it to be an enemy warship. But then, of course, conspiracy theories about Jews in Israel tend to be immortal. Just like Michael Oren says.

It's kewl Wom, it's not like you do it often. :)

Hmm . . . if I read that transcript right the people knew before the torpedo bombardment began that the ship was an American one. I still dont get why Israel attacked us; we were in INTERNATIONAL waters, and hey it was our duty to keep an eye on the situation there (the Liberty was gathering intel on what was happening in that war)

Hmm . . . if I read that transcript right the people knew before the torpedo bombardment began that the ship was an American one. I still dont get why Israel attacked us; we were in INTERNATIONAL waters, and hey it was our duty to keep an eye on the situation there (the Liberty was gathering intel on what was happening in that war)
You don't read the transcript right, of course. Re-read it more carefully. They did not know that the ship was American. The only person who suggests such possibility is the weapons system officer in the general headquarters, who doesn't himself see the ship and basically just ventures an unfounded blind guess. For others things become clear only at 14:08, when they manage to semi-clearly see the ship's markings so the headquarters can now identify the ship. Until then it was presumed to be an enemy warship. They are looking for an enemy ship shelling an Israeli ammo depot, they find "one hell of a ship" that "is running in the direction of El Arish" (Egypt, that is), they guess that it may be their ship so they attack. Then they are puzzled that there is no anti-aircraft fire, there is doubt about identification, but there is also a fair bit of miscommunication, so the attack continues until one of the pilots sees the said markings.

these transcripts are all faked, everyone knows the liberty was attacked because it stumbled on proof that grey alien mother ships were being used to direct isreali fire on egyptian positions.

Hmm . . . if I read that transcript right the people knew before the torpedo bombardment began that the ship was an American one. I still dont get why Israel attacked us; we were in INTERNATIONAL waters, and hey it was our duty to keep an eye on the situation there (the Liberty was gathering intel on what was happening in that war)

you mean spying? :shock:

Of course they new the ship was American, two times they shot up the American Flag, they would have to be looking right down their cross hairs at it in order to shoot it. They had to have known it was an American Ship, their torpedoe boats came in very close, close enough to see the letterings on the ship to know that it was an American Ship, they had a helicopter loaded with combat troops to storm the ship. Why did we not do anything? Because we backed Israel, the Soviet Union backed the rest of the Middle East, Israel was a check to the power of the Soviet Union in the Middle East. Politics, politics got in the way of justice.

Jew maybe you can see the truth at. http://www.ussliberty.org

Like always the jews wanted us to do their own fighting by making us think it was Egypt who attacked us in International Waters with a Clear American flag and getting America to fight Israel's war. Since that failed, whenever the truth comes out the jews always resort to lies even when archival evidence and classified documents claim otherwise, such as President Johnson covering it up due to jewish pressure.

Hmm . . . if I read that transcript right the people knew before the torpedo bombardment began that the ship was an American one. I still dont get why Israel attacked us; we were in INTERNATIONAL waters, and hey it was our duty to keep an eye on the situation there (the Liberty was gathering intel on what was happening in that war)
You don't read the transcript right, of course. Re-read it more carefully. They did not know that the ship was American. The only person who suggests such possibility is the weapons system officer in the general headquarters, who doesn't himself see the ship and basically just ventures an unfounded blind guess. For others things become clear only at 14:08, when they manage to semi-clearly see the ship's markings so the headquarters can now identify the ship. Until then it was presumed to be an enemy warship. They are looking for an enemy ship shelling an Israeli ammo depot, they find "one hell of a ship" that "is running in the direction of El Arish" (Egypt, that is), they guess that it may be their ship so they attack. Then they are puzzled that there is no anti-aircraft fire, there is doubt about identification, but there is also a fair bit of miscommunication, so the attack continues until one of the pilots sees the said markings.

Have you seen a picture of the ship? It's got "party colors" on it, meaning a massive flag, well over 1,000 square feet, visible from all sides. American flags are not that easy to confuse with Egyptian flags. The only two ways you could not know this ship was American would be not knowing what an American flag looks like, or being in a submarine and almost immediately below it. Even if someone who wasn't there was the only one who suggested it, an impossible to miss American flag should have raised questions. If we accept this, then it isn't far off to think that they could consider a hotel miles inland could be an Egyptian military vessel.
Of course, if this was meant merely as a malicious action, I have no doubt that Israel could have made absolutely sure there were no survivors and we were all damn sure Egypt had attacked the USS Liberty and they were nowhere around at the time. So it wasn't from sheer viciousness, but they had to know it was an American ship, or else they'd be dangerously negligent. It is perplexing.

A few questions that might be in the article, since I'm not fond of registering to a site I might go to once a month...
Who translated it, did they play the tapes in Hebrew on the air, if so can you say if this if roughly correct? If this story had legitimate confirmation, shouldn't it be frontpage news around the globe? How the hell did all those people explain not noticing the party colors? Why do so many people still care after all these years?

Have you seen a picture of the ship? It's got "party colors" on it, meaning a massive flag, well over 1,000 square feet, visible from all sides. American flags are not that easy to confuse with Egyptian flags. The only two ways you could not know this ship was American would be not knowing what an American flag looks like, or being in a submarine and almost immediately below it. Even if someone who wasn't there was the only one who suggested it, an impossible to miss American flag should have raised questions. If we accept this, then it isn't far off to think that they could consider a hotel miles inland could be an Egyptian military vessel.
The question is whether the flag was up and visible at the time of the attack. The Liberty crew says it was- but it is their word against the pilot's word. It is entirely possible that someone on Liberty screwed up. And, of course, Israel should have been notified about a US Navy ship being in the war zone- which they were not.


Of course, if this was meant merely as a malicious action, I have no doubt that Israel could have made absolutely sure there were no survivors and we were all damn sure Egypt had attacked the USS Liberty and they were nowhere around at the time.
It was Israel who rescued the Liberty survivors, by the way.


A few questions that might be in the article, since I'm not fond of registering to a site I might go to once a month...
Who translated it, did they play the tapes in Hebrew on the air, if so can you say if this if roughly correct? If this story had legitimate confirmation, shouldn't it be frontpage news around the globe?

Quoting:

The Israel Air Force archives have audiotapes of the radio transmissions made prior, during and after the attack. They have never been made public. The Jerusalem Post was allowed to listen to these tapes on an exclusive basis together with other Air Force historians. Here, for the first time, the actual transcripts of the radio transmissions between the pilot and ground station appear in the press.

Historians will be the first to say that raw material needs context. Therefore, it is important to present the entire unedited transcript of the attack to prevent Israel bashers from dissecting out the unflattering and incriminating comments and using them out of context.

This said, it is also vital that the text be annotated, translated from the jargon of 1967 Air Force language, to one that can be understood today.

...There are two tapes, one of the radio transmissions between the pilots and controllers, and the other is of telephone conversations between the chief air controller and regional air controllers. The audiotapes themselves were not released. The following transcript is a mix of the two tapes into one transcript, which explains the time overlaps.


How the hell did all those people explain not noticing the party colors?
This specific article says nothing about it, I'm afraid.


Why do so many people still care after all these years?
Well, in the words of Michael Oren, Israeli military historian, ""Conspiracy theories in general live, and regarding Jews and Israel they are immortal" :roll:

One of the odd things is, I like Israel for what they did to the USS Liberty, even though it pisses me off whenever I think about how they got away with it. Israel doesn't take any sh*t from anyone, including the US. When they want to do something they go out and do, sounds like the US in Iraq, but Israel is seen as a hero for the free world when they do it. They don't care what other people think, they just do it, like attacking the leaders of Hamas, eventhough the US told them not to for fear of derailing the roadmap to peace, they still did it.

An interesting letter in regards to this story:

http://www.ussliberty.org/bregman.pdf

One of the odd things is, I like Israel for what they did to the USS Liberty, even though it pisses me off whenever I think about how they got away with it. Israel doesn't take any sh*t from anyone, including the US. When they want to do something they go out and do, sounds like the US in Iraq, but Israel is seen as a hero for the free world when they do it. They don't care what other people think, they just do it, like attacking the leaders of Hamas, eventhough the US told them not to for fear of derailing the roadmap to peace, they still did it.

So yuo think it would be good if every country just used military might all the time?

Because, you know, it would be great for the world to be like a ghetto, with countries bombing each other for the hell of it.

And why was the Fifth Fleet (I think that is the one) constantly being told to send planes to rescue the Liberty then their orders were cancelled as the planes were ready to take. The attack lasted what, 1 hour and 45 minutes? Until the planes were finally allowed to take off and chase off the last of the Israeli planes in the area. I know that their was some confusion as to the location of the Liberty, but even so, a US ship was being attacked, I don't care who was attacking them, you shoot down or chase them off, then ask questions.

And why was the Fifth Fleet (I think that is the one) constantly being told to send planes to rescue the Liberty then their orders were cancelled as the planes were ready to take. The attack lasted what, 1 hour and 45 minutes? Until the planes were finally allowed to take off and chase off the last of the Israeli planes in the area. I know that their was some confusion as to the location of the Liberty, but even so, a US ship was being attacked, I don't care who was attacking them, you shoot down or chase them off, then ask questions.
Well that is a question to the Americans, not to Israelis.

Besides, why didn't the Brits fire on American warplanes hitting them with "friendly fire" in Iraq? :wink:

And why was the Fifth Fleet (I think that is the one) constantly being told to send planes to rescue the Liberty then their orders were cancelled as the planes were ready to take. The attack lasted what, 1 hour and 45 minutes? Until the planes were finally allowed to take off and chase off the last of the Israeli planes in the area. I know that their was some confusion as to the location of the Liberty, but even so, a US ship was being attacked, I don't care who was attacking them, you shoot down or chase them off, then ask questions.

Sixth Fleet.

They probably figured the Soviets would think it was the begining of a larger attack...

I have no clue, to be honest.

And why was the Fifth Fleet (I think that is the one) constantly being told to send planes to rescue the Liberty then their orders were cancelled as the planes were ready to take. The attack lasted what, 1 hour and 45 minutes? Until the planes were finally allowed to take off and chase off the last of the Israeli planes in the area. I know that their was some confusion as to the location of the Liberty, but even so, a US ship was being attacked, I don't care who was attacking them, you shoot down or chase them off, then ask questions.
Well that is a question to the Americans, not to Israelis.

Besides, why didn't the Brits fire on American warplanes hitting them with "friendly fire" in Iraq? :wink:

Because those incidents don't last for over 100 minutes.

And why was the Fifth Fleet (I think that is the one) constantly being told to send planes to rescue the Liberty then their orders were cancelled as the planes were ready to take. The attack lasted what, 1 hour and 45 minutes? Until the planes were finally allowed to take off and chase off the last of the Israeli planes in the area. I know that their was some confusion as to the location of the Liberty, but even so, a US ship was being attacked, I don't care who was attacking them, you shoot down or chase them off, then ask questions.
Well that is a question to the Americans, not to Israelis.

Besides, why didn't the Brits fire on American warplanes hitting them with "friendly fire" in Iraq? :wink:

Because those incidents don't last for over 100 minutes.
Perhaps. But most importantly because the planes were American. Same with the Liberty case. It is entirely possible that the US Sixth Fleet wanted to avoid confrontation at all costs, for reasons political and diplomatic, and therefore was hesitant to send planes. It is also possible, as you said, that US war planes entering a combat zone would warrant the Soviet planes do the same for their reasons. Finally, it is likely that Liberty wasn't supposed to be where it was, and someone in the Sixth Fleet tried to cover his own personal arse, thinking that if Liberty is sunk, his blunder will not come out.

An interesting letter in regards to this story:

http://www.ussliberty.org/bregman.pdf
Any comment, Womblingdon?

P.S. Would you mind if I call you Lady MacBeth? :twisted:

An interesting letter in regards to this story:

http://www.ussliberty.org/bregman.pdf
Any comment, Womblingdon?
Can't open the file. I seem to have a bit of a problem with pdf's. I do know the website, however. Had some good laughs reading it at the time.

An interesting letter in regards to this story:

http://www.ussliberty.org/bregman.pdf
Any comment, Womblingdon?
Can't open the file. I seem to have a bit of a problem with pdf's. I do know the website, however. Had some good laughs reading it at the time.
It's a letter from Ahron Bergman disputing the transcript and interpretation of intonation of voice as it is presented by A. Jay Cristol (presumably, in his book The Liberty Incident) and, by extension, similar treatment of the disputed parts of the transcript by The Jerusalem Post.
The key excerpt from Bergman's letter:

------------------------------

Cristol's version:
13:54
LK: What is that? Americans?
Shimon: What Americans?
Kislev: Robert, what did you say?
[No one answers.]

Bergman's version:
13:53
LK: What is that? Americans?
Shimon: How do you mean American?
Kislev: Robert, what do you say? [namely: what's your opinion and clearly a reference to the query just raised regarding the ship's identity - AB]
Robert: I didn't say (the tone: I don't want to know - AB)

Why did Cristol edit the text by saying that "no one answers" where in fact Robert does answer by saying "I didn't say" in a tone which suggests "I don't want to know" or "no comment"?

------------------------------

An interesting letter in regards to this story:

http://www.ussliberty.org/bregman.pdf
Any comment, Womblingdon?
Can't open the file. I seem to have a bit of a problem with pdf's. I do know the website, however. Had some good laughs reading it at the time.
It's a letter from Ahron Bergman disputing the transcript and interpretation of intonation of voice as it is presented by A. Jay Cristol (presumably, in his book The Liberty Incident) and, by extension, similar treatment of the disputed parts of the transcript by The Jerusalem Post.
The key excerpt from Bergman's letter:

------------------------------

Cristol's version:
13:54
LK: What is that? Americans?
Shimon: What Americans?
Kislev: Robert, what did you say?
[No one answers.]

Bergman's version:
13:53
LK: What is that? Americans?
Shimon: How do you mean American?
Kislev: Robert, what do you say? [namely: what's your opinion and clearly a reference to the query just raised regarding the ship's identity - AB]
Robert: I didn't say (the tone: I don't want to know - AB)

Why did Cristol edit the text by saying that "no one answers" where in fact Robert does answer by saying "I didn't say" in a tone which suggests "I don't want to know" or "no comment"?

------------------------------

Well, first off, we don't know how (and if at all) Bergman came into posession of the transcript. Second, as I have pointed out, LK is a person in the headquarters who does not himself see the ship and merely ventures a wild guess. Third, Bergman makes assumptions about Robert's tone that lead the reader to conclusions; by the context of what is being said, he merely points out that he indeed didn't say anything- the remark came from LK, not from Robert. The JP's version of the transcript correlates with Cristol's version, demonstrating that Kislev simply disregarded the remark and moved on. Finally, all remarks by the pilots themselves indicate that they did not know whose ship it was, they were even completely unfamiliar with the ship type.

KURSA She's running from you in the direction of El Arish, correction, Port Said. What is it? What is it? A destroyer? A patrol boat? What is it?

MIGDAL Kursa, Can you manage to identify it?

KURSA I can't identify it, but in any case it's a military ship

or,

ROYAL Homeland from Royal, do you read me? Pay attention. This ship's markings are Charlie-Tango-Romeo 5. There is no flag on her! She looks like a minesweeper with that marking. Roger, I'm leaving her. I'm staying around one more minute. (the Liberty's correct markings were GTR-5)

It would be awfully weird if the headquarters identified the ship before the pilots actually described it. :roll:

Keep in mind that Israel does not, and did not back then, have specialized Navy aviation, trained to identify ships by their silouette. Israel never had the need for that as they never had a big Navy. In all its history, Israel only had one warship (a destroyer), in the Red Sea, and the only warships they could expect to encounter in the Mediterranean were Egyptian.