Glossary | 9 June Messages | Message Tables | U.S. Messages page

1520Z 09 June 1967 transmitted message text from
U.S. Defense Attache Office, Tel Aviv to
White House and
Office of Secretary of Defense and
Chief of Naval Operations and
Department of State and others

O P 091520Z JUN 67
FM USDAO TEL AVIV ISRAEL
TO WHITE HOUSE
OSD
CNO
DEPT STATE
COMSIXTHFLT
CINCSTRIKE
CINCNAVEUR
JCS
INFO DIA
USUN
CINCEUR-USEUCOM
CTG SIX ZERO PT TWO
USAFE
CINCUSAREUR
CTG SIX ZERO
BT
S E C R E T 0845 JUN 67.
AT 09/1300Z THE IDF ASSISTANT ARMY SPOKESMAN
LT COL MICHAEL BLOCH TELEPHONED TO ALUSNA FOLLOWING
SEVEN POINTS AS QUOTE: FURTHER INFORMATION ON YESTERDAYS
INCIDENT WITH THE AMERICAN SHIP. UNQUOTE.
1. SHIP WAS SIGHTED AND RECOGNIZED AS A NAVAL SHIP 13
MILES FROM COAST.
2. PRESENCE IN A FIGHTING AREA IS AGAINST INTERNATIONAL CUSTOM.
3. THE AREA IS NOT A COMMON PASSAGE FOR SHIPS.
4. EGYPT HAD DECLARED THE AREA CLOSED TO NEUTRALS.
5. LIBERTY RESEMBLES THE EGYPTIAN SUPPLY SHIP EL QUSEIR.
6. SHIP WAS NOT FLYING FLAG WHEN SIGHTED. SHE MOVED AT
QUOTE HIGH SPEED
UNQUOTE WESTWARD TOWARD ENEMY COAST.
7. IDF NAVY HAD EARLIER REPORTS OF BOMBARDMENT OF
EL-ARISH FROM SEA.
COMMENT: 1. AT FIRST COL BLOCH MERELY READ OFF SEVEN
POINTS. ALUSNA VRESSED HIM FOR A LABEL FOR THE STATEMENT
ASKING IF THIS WERE AN OFFICIAL EXPLANATION OF INCIDENT.
COL BLOCH COULD NOT SUPPLY A PREAMBLE ON HIS OWN AND
ALUSNA REQUESTED HE CONSULT WITH SOME AUTHORITY WHO
COULD. BLOCH CALLED BACK IN TWO MINUTES WITH THE ABOVE
QUOTED HEADING. 2. WHILE EL QUSEIR BEARS A HIGHLY
SUPERFICIAL RESEMBLANCE TO LIBERTY, ALUSNA CAN NOT
UNDERSTAND HOW TRAINED PROFESSIONAL NAVAL OFFICERS
COULD BE SO INEPT TO CARRY OUT YESTERDAY'S
ATTACK. CERTAINLY IDF NAVY MUST BE WELL DRILLED IN
IDENTIFICATION OF EGYPTIAN SHIPS. EL QUSEIR IS LESS
THAN HALF THE SIZE; IS MANY YEARS OLDER, AND LACKS THE
ELABORATE ANTENNA ARRAY AND HULL MARKINGS OF LIBERTY.
3. ALUSNA EVALUATES YESTERDAY'S ERRONEOUS ATTACK
RESULTED FROM TRIGGER HAPPY EGERNESS TO GLEAN SOME PORTION OF
THE GREAT VICTORY BEING SHARED BY IDF ARMY AND AIR
FORCES AND IN WHICH NAVY WAS NOT SHARING. GP-3.
BT

Message subject lineage:

101000Z JUN 67 USDAO TEL AVIV
151615Z JUN 67 USDAO TEL AVIV

Message displayed as Document 233 in the Department of State Foreign Relations of the United States, Johnson Administration, 1964-1968, Volume XIX, Arab-Israeli Crisis and War, 1967.

Glossary | 9 June Messages | Message Tables | U.S. Messages page