On 8 June 1967, USS Liberty, a United States Navy electronic intelligence vessel sailing off Arish (just outside Egypt's territorial waters), was attacked by Israeli jets and torpedo boats, nearly sinking the ship, killing 34 sailors and wounding 171. Israel said the attack was a case of mistaken identity, and that the ship had been misidentified as the Egyptian vessel El Quseir. Israel apologized for the mistake and paid compensation to the victims or their families, and to the United States for damage to the ship. After an investigation, the U.S. accepted the explanation that the incident was an accident and the issue was closed by the exchange of diplomatic notes in 1987. Others, including the then United States Secretary of State Dean Rusk and Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Thomas Moorer, some survivors of the attack, and intelligence officials familiar with transcripts of intercepted signals on the day, have rejected these conclusions as unsatisfactory and maintain that the attack was made in the knowledge that the ship was American.Tim Fischer, "Six days of war, 40 years of secrecy" (). The Age, 27 May 2007. Cf. Dean Rusk, As I Saw it: A Secretary of State's Memoirs, W. W. Norton, 1990, pp. 386–388.
on 8 june 1967 uss liberty a united states navy electronic intelligence vessel sailing off arish (just outside egypt's territorial waters) was attacked by israeli jets and torpedo boats nearly sinking the ship killing 34 sailors and wounding 171 israel said the attack was a case of mistaken identity and that the ship had been misidentified as the egyptian vessel el quseir israel apologized for the mistake and paid compensation to the victims or their families and to the united states for damage to the ship after an investigation the us accepted the explanation that the incident was an accident and the issue was closed by the exchange of diplomatic notes in 1987 others including the then united states secretary of state dean rusk and chief of naval operations admiral thomas moorer some survivors of the attack and intelligence officials familiar with transcripts of intercepted signals on the day have rejected these conclusions as unsatisfactory and maintain that the attack was made in the knowledge that the ship was americantim fischer "six days of war 40 years of secrecy" () the age 27 may 2007 cf dean rusk as i saw it a secretary of state's memoirs w w norton 1990 pp 386–388