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~ep SEeRB~- UNITED STATES CRYPTOLOGIC HISTORY Approved for Releas signed: Date: 02-Jul-2003 ~,6'f ftf3t.f3~*Bt.f3'f6 Peftf316~,~,~'fle~,,~I:B ~Wli I)O~~~~ji~ ~O~!'!'_Y~li~ogi~rgRg ~.~'_:;iRI_~ Classified by NSA/CSSM 123-2 Review in April 2011 Tep SEeRET Contents of this publication should not be reproduced, or further disseminated outside the U.S. Intelligence Community without the permission of the Director, NSA/CSS. Inquiries about reproduction and dissemination should be directed to the Office of Cryptologic Archives and History, T54. ~ j ) 1f9P SB6RB!I! H~.IBH.~ UNITED STATES CRYPTOLOGIC HISTORY Special Series Crisis Collection Volume 1 William D. Gerhard Henry W. Millington NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY/CENTRAL SECURITY SERVICE 1981 ~;ell3 RHI.H*S*B~B 1139P9RBI8~~ ...~~fFl9...:.\LS ~ep 8B8RB~ H~.~R UNCLASSIFIED (b) (1) (b) (3) -50 USC 403 (b) (3)-18 USC 798 (b) (3) -P.L. 86-36 Contents ~ i Page ! , ! vii :f ix i t, f ::::~o~:::~:=::::~~:~;::::::::::::::::::~Chapter I POLlTIC~Mn.lTARY , B~CKGROUND", (U) 1 1 f t Chapter II CONSmERATIONS LEADING TO THE SHIP'S DEPLOYMENT (U) 5 ~ I ; { ~ 1__\--~--~:-::~E;e~~-~ i The Technical Requirements Collection'Factors f~r Intelligence (U) (U) ':::: ':::::--:: : 5 I 6 6 10 i 10 i ; ; j f Chapter U.S.S. Abidjan AUborne Air The Liberty Force III Decision Liberty's at to Collectors DEPLOYMENT Security Rota, Rota, to Deploy Modus 31 24-31 Service's (U) ; May the May Operandi to TO 2 Technical Liberty 1967 June THE (U) (U) 1967 (U) MEDITERRANEAN Processing (U) Center (U) (U) ~: 11 12 15 15 17 17 18 Chapter Enroute Operational Directions Liberty's IV to THE Processing to Operational Area Withdraw ATrACK(U) ,, Three, Mission Area the 8 June Liberty (U) Three (U) : (U) : (U) 19 21 23 23 25 Chapter U.S. Chronology Israeli Israeli Reconnaiaaance VVaahington Johnson Explanation Israel Air Torpedo-~t Post-Attack Sixth Liberty General Liberty V Attack Naval Fleet Reports Pr~ecutor's Helicopter THE Recovers Licks LDforms Quarters Begins of Attache ~act8 Informed Reexamined Reconnaissance ISRAELI Its Israeli Attack Error of ~ygin VVounda (U) Conversations Drill the (U) Charges (U) Helicopters Actions (U) (U) Liberty (U) EXPLANATION (U) (U) (U) of (U) (U) Negligence (U) to (U) the Liberty (U) (U) (U) : ~ ~- 25 25 26 28 30 31 ; i 32 ~ 32 ;, 32 32 ¥ \ 34 1 34 ~ 35 ~ 37 37 38 40 Chapter Replacement Medical Commander, V I Assistance RECOVERY Inquiries Sixth Fleet (U) AND (U) Arrives INITIAL (U) ASSESSMENT (U) 43 43 43 .! 43 ! ~ t i j i UNCLASSIFIED ill ~ ~ f, lib) 11) nib) (3)-50 USC 403[lib) UNCLASSIFIED 13) -18 USC 798 'lIb) (3)-P.L. 86-36 Page Chapter Chapter Bibliography Illustrations Command FTeparations Damage JCS Accounting The File Assistance Unanswered Recovery Blalock Clearing Liberty's Joint Denouement Cleanup Evacuation Safety Availability Congreasional Comm VIII VII JCS Reduction NSA fact Survey unica Eatimates Returns Continues Survey (U) Damaged (U) of Arrival Review Finding THE Review Investigations to A tions of for Sensitive of Queations (U) at at NSA FINAL Review VVilson Linguista Classified for INCmENT Norfolk ~ta at Home Problems at (U) and for Team's Exp~ed AJeas ~ta Personnel~eet":_JL+ (U) Malta LOOK Collection Materials (U) (U) Reaction (U) (U) (U) (U) ~Gj Initiated Material (U) (U) Intemewa (U) Collectora UNDER (U) -' Missiona (U) (U) ! (U) (U) ---~.1__J.~ ~-+--- l_L___L (U,)! ~~___l~ l-t--tr ~-~--~~ ~~W ~ tr-1t ---~-+ ~+--+~ (U) ~~-~~ ~~-4~ H-~~ ~~J+- 4c~~ UJ+ +~~t -~~ of 4~ ~+ LL 1..:' L Mobile (U) Platforms (U) « 45 45 47 47 48 48 51 51 52 52 54 55 57 57 58 59 61 61 62 62 62 63 64 67 Maps FTojected EC-121 and Track C-130 of Liberty Aircraft on Collectipn 8 June 1~8 QQQ.~ (U) Rout;es IE~8 -~ = (e-eeO, QQQ ~~j 6 7 12 30 Photographs i I U.S.S. U.S.S. Scorched DanLaged U. ~ual-Inorse F4 Israeli Liberty's DaBsault Egyptt Sigint Liberty S" PhantoIn S" " analysts Motor Little America Papago, Liberty Docked ~irage Antenna Starboard Gun Ftghter Torpedo Rock Positions I ~ount (U) in (U) Ocean Jet ~a, Configuration (U) U.S.S. of BoInber (U) (U) Boat Liberty Tug I Spain (U) (U) (U) (U) (U) j ~8e8T-= ! L ke e68~ 2 8 9 16 18 26 27 29 31 33 34 35 38 an Sht " p EI -Kasl" , r (U) 40 iv UN CLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED Page ! Vice ~n~d ~anu~-morse Helicopter Dish Inspection Sijpnt Navy Commander Liberty Admir~ Antenna Divers Equipment Davi. 1. Arrivine in of Malta BI~ock Evacuating William Recover Torpedo-Damaged Martin (V) on P~itions in Liberty (V) Ruined (V) ~~ta 1. Classified Visit. Liberty's ~cGonagle Destroyed (U) by (V) V.S.S. Liberty Torpedo Debris Wounded Hull ~e (U) (U) (U) Blast~8 eeet (U) (U) ee~ 40 ,), ~2 « i 45 46 ,I 48 1 ~9 1I 50 1 51 .1 53 ~ 54 :: 55 i; .! ~ I ! .i 1 t I I UNCLASSIFIED v ! Si~Ri~- Foreword E8 889~ The Israeli attack on the U.S.S. Liberty some 14 years ago was, indeed, a wrenching experience for U.S. Sigint agencies. The l~, particularly in the case of those Sigint specialists who gave their lives or were wounded, was difficult to accept. The knowledge that the tragedy resulted not only from Israeli miscalculation but also from faulty U.S. communications practices was even more difficult to accept. ~S-ee6) The passageof time has made it possible for the authors to reexamine the Liberty incident objectively and answer a number of persistent questions. The authors accordingly set forth the technical rationale for the Liberty mission, the particulars of the Israeli miscalculation, the details of the American communications failures, a narrative of the attack and of attempts to minimize the compromise of cryptologic materials, and the lessons to be learned from the event. E~ 889! Finally, this is also an account of the way the U.S. Sigint agencies organized their response to requirements brought on by a crisis situation. As such, it has much to offer the student of U.S. cryptologic operations. ,~ E8 888" A word about the authors, who worked on this project part time after they had I, retired. An experienced operations officer and research specialist, Mr. Gerhard headed the NSA- ~ SCA Task Force that produced the Southeast Asia History Series, as well as the Special Research ~ .. ~ Element that produced studies of Sigint crisis situationslb).. (3)-P.L. 86-36whospent most of his .., career in research and documentation activities, was for years in charge of the NSA Library. Vincent J. Wilson, Jr. Chief, Cryptologic History and Publications Staff 8i~Ri~ vii UNCLASSIFIED Authors' Note Many people contributed to the completion of this history. The authors gratefully acknowledge the efforts of members of the NSA History and Publications Staff who offered substantive suggestions and labored over publication format and preparation.. -Vincent J. Wilson, Jr., Chief; Henry Schorreck, Historian~{b){3)-P.L. 86-361Editor; an(b,,(3)-P.L. 86-.36:ecretary.Robert D. Farley, of the History Staff, spent many hours arranging for and conducting interviews of personnel intimately associated with the Liberty incident. In turn, I (b) (3)-P.L. 86-36 I painstakin I transcribed the interview tapes. To (b) (3)-P.L. 86-36 Cryptologic Records Declassification Staff, we are indebted for his security classification review. Both Bob Rush, Electronic Security Command, and James Gilbert, Intelligence and Security ColIlmand History Staff generously provided useful source materials from their collections. ; ~ I: , I. William D. Gerhard I (b) (3}-B.L. 86-36 I 8 December 1980 i I.I I f ~ L I UN CLASSIFIED ix I t r 8fieRHif Chapter I (U) A brief look at the Middle Eastern (U) The United States supported the situation during early 1967 is necessaryfor an appre- United Nations' efforts to maintain peace in the area ciation of the mounting political and military tensions and, while championing the right of the State of Israel that ultimately led to the U.S. decision to p~ition to exist, urged restraint and respect for the rights of the U.S.S. Liberty in the eastern Mediterranean. all nations. (U) Since the mid- 195<M,the major world (U) Within the Arab world, President powers had been keenly aware of and sensitive to the Gamal Abdel Nasser of the United Arab Republic buildup of tensions in the Middle East. Both the (U.A.R.) sought to overcome opposition to his leader- Soviet Union and Communist China were quick to take ship by the monarchies of Saudi Arabia and Jordan.' advantage of unsettled conditions there to extend their In late January 1967, when U.A.R. aircraft bombed own influence over governments wherever p~sible - Najran in Saudi Arabia, relations between the two often competing with one another in this effort. countries were further strained. In Yemen, the U.A.R. supported the insurgents against the Royalists. Jordan, (U) By the end of the 195~ the Chinese trying to keep from becoming embroiled in Israeli- Communists had begun to assert themselves, especially Arab frictions, ordered in March a halt to Arab in Iraq and Syria. In May 1966,Syria's new president, infiltration into Israel through Jordanian territory as Nureddin el-Attassi, scoffed at waging a conventional well as a cessation of Palestine Liberation internal war against Israel and urged what he called a "people's agitation against the Jordanian Government. war of liberation," Chinese-Communist style. 1 The i- (U) Between January and April 1967, the " head of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), '" Syrian-Israeli frontier was the scene of a series of .I Ahmed Shukairy, also admitted to receiving Chinese J escalating clashesranging from potshots at tractors to aid.