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2105Z 13 June 1967 transmitted message text from
Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Naval Forces Europe to
U.S. Commander-in-Chief, Europe

R 132105Z JUN 67
FM CINCUSNAVEUR
TO USCINCEUR
INFO CNO
CINCLANTFLT
COMSIXTHFLT
JCS
BT
S E C R E T
MOVEMENTS AND POSITION OF LIBERTY (U)
A. CINCUSNAVEUR 081903Z JUN 67
B. JCS 6724 J-3 SENDS DTG 011545Z JUN 67
C. CINCUSNAVEUR 061357Z JUN 67
D. DIRNSA 072104Z JUN 67 PASEP
E. JCS [7337] 072230Z JUN 67 PASEP
F. COMSIXTHFLT 071503Z JUN 67 PASEP
G. JCS 7347 DTG 080110Z JUN 67
H. CINCUSNAVEUR 080455Z JUN 67
I. USCINCEUR ECJC-JRC 09045 DTG 080625Z JUN 67 PASEP
J. COMSIXTHFLT 080917Z JUN 67
1. REF A IS CANCELED.
2. REF A WAS ISSUED IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE LIBERTY ATTACK.
SUBSEQUENT REFINEMENT AND RECAPITULATION SHOWS THE ORIGINAL REPORT
TO HAVE CONTAINED SOME OMISSIONS AND ERRORS. FOR EXAMPLE, SOME OF
THE TIMES WERE IN ERROR BECAUSE THE LOG USED FOR COMPILING REF A
HAD ENTRIES IN BOTH ZULU AND ALFA TIMES. IN FACT THREE LOGS WERE
KEPT AND ON SUBSEQUENT REVIEW WERE USED TO VERIFY TIMES IN THIS
MESSAGE.
3. FOR YOUR INFORMATION, THE FOLLOWING IS FORWARDED AS THE BEST
CURRENTLY AVAILABLE RECORD OF WHAT TRANSPIRED FROM MY VIEWPOINT
AND WHAT WAS TOLD THE JCS FACT-FINDING TEAM AS WELL AS THE COURT
OF INQUIRY:
   A. BY REF B, JCS DIRECTED LIBERTY TO PROCEED TO POSIT 32-00N
33-00E.
   B. BY REF C, CINCUSNAVEUR PASSED OPCON TO COMSIXTHFLT. MOVEMENTS
OF LIBERTY WERE STILL CONTROLLED BY JCS IN ACCORDANCE WITH REF B.
   C. AT 072104Z DIRNSA, BY REF D (NOT RECEIVED AT THIS HEADQUARTERS
UNTIL 080930Z), REQUESTED JCS TO MOVE LIBERTY WEST TO SATISFY
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS.
   D. BY REF E, DTG 072230Z, AND NOT RECEIVED AT THIS HEADQUARTERS
UNTIL 081642Z, JCS INCREASED LIBERTY'S CPA TO COAST OF ISRAEL AND
UAR AND INDICATED FOR FIRST TIME THAT OPAREA IN REF B WAS FOR
GUIDANCE ONLY.
   E. AT 072350Z, CINCUSNAVEUR DUTY OFFICER RECEIVED PHONE CALL FROM
DUTY OFFICER, JRC WASHINGTON, DIRECTING THAT USS LIBERTY COMPLY
WITH NEW COMSIXTHFLT OP AREA RESTRICTIONS DELINEATED IN LAST SENTENCE
PARA TWO OF REF F AND NOT TO PROCEED CLOSER THAN 100 MILES TO ISRAEL,
SYRIA, OR UAR. THIS WS AN ORAL COMMUNICATION WITH NO DTG OF MESSAGE
DIRECTIVE AVAILABLE WHEN REQUESTED BY CINCUSNAVEUR DUTY OFFICER.
THIS DIRECT PHONE CALL FROM JRC, DIRECTING A MOVEMENT WITHOUT GOING
THROUGH THE UNIFIED COMMANDER, WAS NOT A NORMAL PROCEDURE.
   F. AT 080030Z, THE USCINCEUR DUTY OFFICER WAS CALLED AND APPRISED
OF THE PHONE CALL DIRECT FROM THE JRC TO CINCUSNAVEUR BY JRC DUTY
OFFICER. HE WAS REQUESTED TO CONFIRM THIS DIRECTIVE AND TO OBTAIN
THE DATE-TIME GROUP OF THE JCS MESSAGE DIRECTIVE THAT WOULD FORMALIZE
THE PHONE CALL. THE DUTY OFFICER SAID HE WOULD CALL BACK.
   G. AT 080325Z USCINCEUR DUTY OFFICER WAS CONTACTED AND ASKED WHAT
ACTION HAD BEEN TAKEN ON THE LIBERTY. IN TURN HE ASKED WHAT ACTION
CINCUSNAVEUR HAD TAKEN AND WAS ADVISED THAT WE WERE STILL WAITING
A CALL FROM THE CINCEUR DUTY OFFICER CONTACTED AT 0030Z. IT WAS
SUGGESTED TO THE CINCEUR DUTY OFFICER THAT HE CALL THE JRC DUTY
OFFICER AND GET A DATE-TIME GROUP OR GIVE US A DIRECTIVE FROM
USCINCEUR. THE CINCEUR DUTY OFFICER CALLED BACK SHORTLY WITH THE
DATE-TIME GROUP OF REF B WHICH DIRECTED LIBERTY TO PROCEED 100 MILES
FROM THE COAST. AT THE SAME TIME REF G ARRIVE AT THE CINCUSNAVEUR
COMMAND CENTER BY NORMAL MEANS.
   H. AT 080410Z, CINCUSNAVEUR ESTABLISHED A COVERED TELETYPE
CONFERENCE WITH COMSIXTHFLT DUTY OFFICER, RELAYED REF G TO HIM AT
080440Z, AND TOLD HIM "BE ADVISED, TAKE JCS 080110Z FORAC - OFFICIAL
MESSAGE FOLLOWS." THE DATE-TIME GROUP OF REF H WAS ALSO PASSED AT
THIS TIME.
   I. AT 080455Z, CINCUSNAVEUR SENT IMMEDIATE MESSAGE, REF H, TO
COMSIXTHFLT DIRECTING HIM TO TAKE REF G FORAC.
J. AT 080727Z CINCUSNAVEUR RECEIVED USCINCEUR MSG, REF I, DIRECTING
CINCUSNAVEUR TO TAKE REF G FORAC.
   K. AT 080917Z, COMSIXTHFLT SENT A MESSAGE, REF J, DIRECTING
LIBERTY TO COMPLY WITH REF G AND REMAIN 100 MILES FROM COASTS UAR,
ISRAEL, LEBANON, AND SYRIA. LIBERTY WAS INFO ADDEE ON REF G, SENT AT
080110Z, WHICH DIRECTED HER TO REMAIN 100 MILES FROM BELLIGERENT
COASTS. SHE WAS ALSO AN INFO ADDEE ON REF E WHICH INCREASED HER CPA'S
BELLIGERENT COASTS.
   L. DUE TO COMMUNICATION DELAYS OR MISROUTING, IT HAS BEEN
ESTABLISHED LIBERTY DID NOT RECEIVE EITHER REFS E, G, OR J WHICH
DIRECTED HER FURTHER SEAWARD FROM BELLIGERENT COASTS OR TO
PROCEED 100 MILES FROM BELLIGERENT COASTS.
GP-4
BT

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