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#12
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From: (Steve Richter)
Date: 7/14/2003 21:52 Pacific Daylight Time (Mike Weeks) wrote in message From: (Steve Richter) Date: 7/13/2003 19:04 Pacific Daylight Time Cristol says that by the time the helicopters arrive the MTBs have identified the ship as American. It's suggested you really crack Cristol's book, or at least d/l the time line at: http://libertyincident.com/timeline.htm and check the entry for 1520 Sinai. Mike, I dont think you have your facts right on this matter. At least the facts as cristol reports them in his book. On page 57 of the TLI, middle of the page: Cristol tells us that at 1451 ( 10-15 minutes after the start of the naval incidenting of the Liberty) the MTB reports that the ship may be russian "based on writing on back of vessel". An order is made to dispatch a tug boat from Ashdod. Then the next para starts: "MTB 203 then recovered one of the damaged life rafts .... The raft had "US Navy painted on it. At this point the crew of MTB 203 concluded the ship was American. CDR McGonagle testified that immed after the ship was struck by the torpedo the torpedo boats milled around astern of the ship at a range of 500 to 800 yards. One of the boats signaled by flashing light in English 'Do you require assistance?' The Liberty log reports indicate that the first offer of help from the MTBs occurred at 1503. ...." That's one MTB which picks up one of the life rafts. Based on the detailed info available it's possible Cristol jumped ahead a bit on when 203 scooped up the damaged life raft. Again see the time line: 1540, even though that would seem a bit late, but as recorded by NSA late in the 1508-1512 time period: "815 to Pagoda: From behind it [Liberty] several uninflated boats were seen." The 1520 entry is the time recorded for when Haifa is informed by the MTBs (only Oren's boat which is doing the reporting.) But for the sake of discussion, suppose that 203 believes the ship to be American in the minutes prior to the helos arriving ... All this takes place before the IAF helicopters arrive on the scene at around 1508. Interesting that the MTBs are able to signal in english, yet they mistake the english writing on the back of the ship for Russian. Morse Code is not "English." The transcript should have reflected that; there's no "English" signaling, as there's no "Russian" signaling via light or flag (unless it's encoded for internal use.) This is signaling via international understood morse code. Why the word "English" is even used escapes me. This is all very perplexing because once the helicopters arrive on the scene, the MTB crew, presumably Moshe Oren, dispute the statement by 815 (helicopter) that the ship is not dangerous and they tell 815 that the hull markings of "GTR-5" means nothing. No MTB has a Jane's for heavens sake. Why do you think "GTR-5" would mean something to a couple of Israeli sailors which would not have a clue about all the possible hull numbers of all the possible foreign navies sailing in the Med? Besides, if you've read the sworn testimony, Liberty's Chief Thompson indicates that what was being signaled in the aftermath of the attack wasn't "GTR- 5." MW ------------------------------------- "As soon as movement begins, so does the fog of war" - Edward N. Luttwak |
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#14
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