). ▁The ▁US ▁government ▁formally ▁accepted ▁the ▁ap ology ▁and ▁the ▁explanation ." ▁Some ▁continue ▁to ▁accept ▁this ▁position . ▁Yet ▁" sch ol ars ▁and ▁military ▁exper ts ," ▁according ▁to ▁author ▁Thomas ▁Pow ers , ▁state ▁that ▁" the ▁hard ▁question ▁is ▁not ▁whether ▁the ▁attack ▁was ▁deliber ate ▁but ▁why ▁the ▁Israel is ▁thought ▁it ▁necessary ." ▁About ▁the ▁Liber ty ▁Hel ms ▁in ▁his ▁mem oir s ▁quotes ▁the ▁opinion ▁of ▁his ▁deput y , ▁D D CI ▁R uf us ▁Taylor , ▁and ▁mentions ▁the ▁conclusion ▁of ▁a ▁board ▁of ▁inqu iry . ▁Then ▁Hel ms ▁adds , ▁" I ▁have ▁yet ▁to ▁understand ▁why ▁it ▁was ▁felt ▁necessary ▁to ▁attack ▁this ▁ship ▁or ▁who ▁ordered ▁the ▁attack ". ▁ ▁On ▁the ▁morning ▁of ▁the ▁sixth ▁day ▁of ▁the ▁war , ▁President ▁Johnson ▁sum mon ed ▁Hel ms ▁to ▁the ▁White ▁House ▁Situ ation ▁Room . ▁Soviet ▁Premier ▁Alex ei ▁Kos yg in ▁had ▁called ▁to ▁threaten ▁military ▁inter vention ▁if ▁the ▁war ▁continued . ▁Def ense ▁Secretary ▁Robert ▁S . ▁Mc N am ara ▁suggested ▁that ▁the ▁Six th ▁Fle et ▁be ▁sent ▁east , ▁from ▁the ▁mid ▁Mediter rane an ▁to ▁the ▁Lev ant . ▁Johnson ▁agreed . ▁Hel ms ▁remembered ▁the ▁" vis cer al ▁physical ▁reaction " ▁to ▁the ▁strateg ic ▁t ension , ▁similar ▁to ▁the ▁emot ions ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 2 ▁Cub an ▁miss ile ▁crisis . ▁" It ▁was ▁the ▁world ' s ▁good ▁fortune ▁that ▁host ilities