"OPERATION CYANIDE"-Part III
There has just been an extremely important breaking news development in the unraveling saga of "Operation Cyanide"
This entry was intended to follow up on some important archival material from Jim Ennes, and will be continued and edited later, due to sudden news of a tragic accident, following this weekends' 40th USS Liberty survivors' reunion in Washington, D.C.
The original author of an article I used as a "springboard" for my preceding post on "Operation Cyanide", Richard Thompson,
who was the primary source for the excellent BBC documentary "Dead in the Water", and a primary source for Peter Hounams' book, "Operation Cyanide", has been found dead this Sunday in a mysterious auto accident in South Carolina, while he was returning home alone to Florida from the 40th Liberty reunion.
Michael Piper has what little there is to know at the moment, which he has apparently just learned from Mark Glenn -
I am only now getting wind of this, but it is very alarming and disappointing news indeed. I will keep you posted.
Here is Pipers' Monday broadcast
This battle-scarred flag flew during the Israeli air attack
on the USS Liberty, forty years ago, on June 8, 1967.
When it was shot down, crewmembers quickly replaced it.
I am replacing it again here, to fly at half-mast in salute
to my Liberty friend and yours, Richard S. Thompson.
addendum
operation cyanide - part III
As mentioned above, this entry was first intended to introduce some essential archival material supplied by James Ennes, Jr.
( exactly ten years ago. ) I am now submitting it in tribute to the passing of a brave soul, Richard Thompson, who should always be remembered as a full honorary member of the Liberty crew, although he was not one, and also as a possible answer that
he might have someday given to a foregoing question of mine -
"and who said anything about submarines, Mr. Thompson ?"
June 1997 - Anniversary of 30-Year Investigation of USS Liberty
- for sake of brevity, this article is abridged.
Periscope Photography
May Finally Reveal Truth
Submarine Photography
Can Prove What Happened
Moments after the attack, several Liberty crewmen reported seeing a periscope very close to the ship. Then the periscope
abruptly vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
A few weeks later, Liberty survivor Joe Lentini was approached
by another sailor in the cafeteria of Portsmouth Naval Hospital in Virginia. Lentini was in uniform and on crutches. His ship's name, USS LIBERTY, was embroidered on his shoulder.
"Were you there?" the sailor asked, seemingly astonished.
When Lentini confirmed that he was, the man continued. "We were there," he said. "Our submarine. We saw the whole thing. We took pictures. Then we sent an officer back to the Pentagon to deliver them."
Lentini was so stunned by this news that he neglected to get
the man's name or the name of the submarine. But when he
looked for this man again later, he was nowhere to be found.
Further Confirmation
I asked my Liberty shipmate, then-Lieutenant Jim O'Connor,
what he knew about a submarine operating near us. Jim's job
on the Liberty would have made him among the most likely people to know such things. Before the attack I had seen him plotting what looked to me like a submarine track on a chart.
Jim was stunned. "I don't know how you learned about it,"
he said. "Yes, there was a submarine near us. If you ever quote me I'll swear you are lying." From that time until
he died 25 years later of Lou Gehrig's disease, Jim never mentioned the submarine again. When I asked about it later on, he denied the earlier conversation.
During the next few years THREE OTHER NAVAL OFFICERS
in certain key positions to know about such things all told me,
"Yes, there was a submarine with you. There were THREE.
They spent most of the war on the bottom and got out in a hurry."
Recently one of Liberty's intercept operators, Charles Rowley, told me that just before the attack he had intercepted one very strange, very short radio signal that he had forwarded to (NSA) Washington. Instead of acknowledging his effort, Washington promptly ordered him to destroy any copies of that signal
and to ignore any like it that he heard in the future.
He felt like he was being scolded for doing his job.
Rowley concluded that he had picked up a submarine signal
and asked some of the other technicians about it. These men
mentioned "Project Cyanide" but were unable or unwilling to say more. He concluded that "Cyanide" and the strange track on the chart were associated with a compartmented
submarine project which only a very few people were ever privileged to know of. Most of those men died in the attack.
Frontlet 615
For the next several years, "Cyanide" and the mystery submarine remained elusive. One Liberty survivor mentioned a submarine to a free-lance reporter who wrote a book about it. Nearly everything he wrote was based on guesswork and was wrong. The book did absolutely nothing to advance the Liberty story any further.
Then in 1988 the Lyndon Johnson Library declassified and released an intriguing, highly sensitive document with the rare "Eyes Only" security caveat."Memorandum for the Record" dated 10 April 1967 reported a briefing of the "303 Committee"
by General Ralph D. Steakley. Members then present were -
Walt Rostow, Foy Kohler, Cyrus Vance and Adm. Rufus Taylor.
According to the memo, General Steakley briefed the committee on a sensitive DOD project known as FRONTLET 615, which is identified in a handwritten note on the original memorandum as "submarine within U.A.R. waters." ( At that time Egypt was formally known as "United Arab Republic".) After considering alternatives, the proposal was approved by committee principals.
This memorandum was filed in the LBJ Library's USS Liberty archive. WHY THERE ? Obviously it has something to do with the Liberty. Could this memorandum have referred
to the submarine we have heard about since 1967 ?
Survivors filed further Freedom of Information Act requests with the Library, Navy, Department of Defense, National Security Council, National Security Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, Joint Chiefs of Staff and elsewhere seeking more information.
We sent copies of the declassified memo to support our request. In every case we were told that there is no record within the government of Operation Cyanide or Frontlet 615 or
of any submarines operating near the Liberty in 1967.
When we called General Steakley, he told us his job for nine years with the Joint Chiefs of Staff was to win approval of such projects from appropriate authorities. He was rarely involved in projects themselves. He could remember nothing of Frontlet 615.
Breakthrough
In February 1997, we were contacted by another man who,
like the first visitor in the cafeteria, told us - "I WAS THERE."
"We watched through the periscope and TOOK PICTURES.
News reports said Liberty was under attack for only five minutes, but that attack lasted MORE THAN AN HOUR."
This person identified himself as a relatively senior member of
the submarine crew, but he was unwilling to give his name or to talk to us except through a third party, as he feared punishment for telling the story. He did, however, give us the name of the sub-
USS Amberjack SS522, a 'Guppy' snorkel-equipped diesel boat built in 1945. He also told us that Amberjack's mission had been RECONNAISSANCE WITHIN U.A.R. WATERS.
Apparently USS Amberjack was the Frontlet 615 submarine.
This source gained credibility when we obtained Amberjack's official ship's history from the Department of Defense. Amberjack was indeed in the area during the Six-Day War, just as he said.
Further searches of Navy-oriented Web sites on the Internet quickly turned up four more Amberjack crewmen from the "Med Cruise" of June 1967. Some of these were Amberjack's most senior enlisted men. All four of these men, contacted by telephone, readily told us that they were very close to the USS Liberty when we came under attack. Amberjack was so close, they said, and a thundering sound of gunfire, missiles and the torpedo explosion so loud, that some of the crew thought Amberjack was under depth charge attack.
These men, all career submariners and all fairly senior at the time, had not seen or talked to one another for many years.
Yet they all told the same story. They were very close to or "almost directly under" Liberty when the ship was under attack. Amberjack was specially fitted for periscope photography
and was fully capable of photographing the attack, they said,
yet none of these four was certain that pictures were taken.
All four men told us that Amberjack proceeded from the Gaza Strip to a brief stop at Souda Bay, Crete, where the ship was kept at anchorage and the crew was not allowed ashore. Next, Amberjack went to Malta, where she tied up near the Liberty.
All four men told us that the Amberjack was only one of FIVE submarines in the Gaza Strip area. Others were USS Trutta SS421, USS Requin SS481, and French and Italian submarines. Any of those might have photographed or recorded the attack.
Amberjack Skipper Denies Everything
Next we located Amberjack's 1967 skipper, AUGUST HUBAL.
By coincidence, Hubal was an Annapolis classmate of Liberty Executive Officer, Phil Armstrong, who died in the attack. Hubal's room at the Naval Academy was directly across the hall from Research Operations Department Head, David Lewis.
Hubal knew both men well.
Now a retired Navy captain, Hubal denies everything. Interviewed by telephone, he insists his ship was nowhere near Liberty.
Amberjack was at least 100 miles away, he says. When we told Captain Hubal that several senior members of his crew, including a periscope photographer, have told us they were within sight of the attack, he shrugged that off. "They must be mistaken" -
he says, apparently still muffled by ancient security restrictions.
Why Is This Important ?
These stories matter because they can resolve a difference
between Israeli and American versions of what happened.
For 30 years Israel and its supporters have denounced survivors as liars and anti-Semites for reporting what really happened to their ship. Members of Congress are unwilling even to listen to their stories. All these brave men seek is JUSTICE.
Recent White House executive orders call for declassification
of virtually every record which is more than 30 years old.
Amberjack photography and other reports fall in that category.
If the submarine photography can be found, it would show that the ship's flag was clearly visible to the attacking fighters and torpedo boats. Photographs would also show that the Israelis continued to fire from close range with our flag and any other markings in clear view, long after the torpedo explosion they claim ended the attack. Pictures may reveal the methodical machine-gunning of Liberty's life rafts while in the water. Other Amberjack records, reports and recordings would show the duration of the attack and other details denied by the attackers.
Liberty survivors will continue their quest for these records.
We believe they exist and we think they can be found.
With those files and photographs declassified, Israel will never again be able to pretend survivors of the Liberty attack are lying.
Do we have a denial problem ?
NEVER GIVE UP THE SHIP !
Thank You, Commander Jim,
for helping to save our 'Liberty'
!
Is it such a mystery how people who expose the zionists end up dead?
http://judicial-inc.biz/patton_murder.htm
Dead in the Water 2002
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-6595846710992512471
Occupation 101 torrent
http://torrentspy.com/torrent/1186888/Occupation_101_A_Great_Documentary...
the question is - is it also criminal???
Any details yet on the circumstances surrounding the accident?
---------------------------------------
"Money" has no value - people do.
Here is some 9 minutes of shaky video from the 40th Liberty memorial at Arlington, last Friday, June 8, 2007. Stan White, a Senior Chief Petty Officer, gives thoughts on true heroism.
I assume Richard Thompson was fully in attendance and he wouldn't have missed this day for the world. Little did he know at that point, the bugler was also playing taps for himself.
Thanks, William Hughes and Mike Rivero
( Arlington, VA - On a beautiful, but very humid morning, Friday, June 8, 2007, I joined about two hundred others at the National Cemetery, located here, on the south side of the Potomac River, opposite Washington, D.C. My invitation card read: "No Greater Love: The 40th Anniversary Remembrance Ceremony: Honoring the 34 Americans killed on the USS Liberty." The proceedings began at 12 noon sharp, with a prayer given by U.S. Navy chaplain, Rev. Ray Houk. There was a presentation of colors, tributes, then a roll call of remembrance, a wreath-laying ceremony, musical selections and the playing of taps. One of the keynote speakers was Stan White, the former Senior Chief Petty Officer on the Liberty on the fateful day in question. By the time he got done making his very touching remarks, there wasn't a dry eye in the crowd. )
Like the cream of the crop, maggots are forming on the top.
Now the Huffster has himself all in a huff over Glenn again. Please allow me to scrape off some more of these maggots, before they infest a fresh corpse, and before this whining paranoid delusionist completely and utterly desecrates it.
I wish a buzzer would go off on this blog, everytime he
unloads another one of his "Painful Deceptions".
In addition to what appears to be a total news blackout,
now we are treated to fresh infestations a la Hufschmid,
on Mark Glenn and Richard Thompson, in entirety -
Michael Collins Piper announces
the death of Richard Thompson
by Eric Hufschmid, Star Editor-in-Chief
"Piper discussed this on his radio show for June 11, 2007"
"On June 8, 2007 about 200 people went to Washington, DC for the 40th anniversary of the attack on the USS Liberty."
"One of the speakers was Richard Thompson, a 76-year-old man who has been involved in exposing the attack as a deliberate attack by ISRAELIS."
Hold it right there, Huffster. Don't give the ISRAELIS all the credit. Never mind that a major and primary focus of Thompsons' work was on the AMERICANS' collaboration WITH THE ISRAELIS, in the planning and execution of this whole damn thing. Is that why your red, white and blue sailor buddy from France is having such a hissy fit ? Because, having been formerly enlisted in the U.S. Navy -
he can't possibly bring himself to believe that WE - U.S. - OURS TRULY, could have had anything whatsoever to do with setting it up ? Has it ever occurred to either of you how long the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA has had
A ZIONIST OCCUPIED GOVERNMENT, BONEHEAD ?
"Mark Glenn has been "investigating" the attack on the USS Liberty, and he is currently writing Zionist propaganda for the American Free Press."
Does the fact disturb you that Glenn has taken the time and trouble to delve a little deeper than simply revisiting an already well established case of a deliberate Israeli attack, which HE HAS NEVER DENIED ? Does that now
make him a ZIONIST DENIER, and PROPAGANDIST ?
"Thompson invited Glenn to the reunion, perhaps because
he foolishly believed Glenn was honest."
Spare me the cheap character assassinations, already.
Is it conceivably possible that Thompson might have invited Glenn simply because he took such a GREAT INTEREST in Thompson's work ? Why weren't YOU,
FOREMOST ZIONIST INVESTIGATOR in the WORLD,
EVER INVITED, BONEHEAD ?
"Piper claims that Thompson planned to give Glenn some details of the attack, including some names of people involved, so that Glenn could write another article about it."
"After the reunion, Thompson was driving alone back to his home in Florida, but he was involved in a traffic accident all
by himself and died."
"Michael Piper was deeply saddened by this tragic accident and spends a lot of time wondering if it was murder by those mysterious people who kill us for exposing the truth."
Your nauseating sarcasm is quite putridly self-evident,
and the sickening stench of it could not go unnoticed.
Here is an excerpt of his show that gives some
background on who Richard Thompson is:
Piper-sad-death-11June2007.mp3 1.1 mb
At this point, why should I care to listen to it, ASSHOLE ? It's painfully obvious that you have NARY A CLUE who Richard Thompson is, SO STOP TELLING the WHOLE FREAKIN' WORLD TO GET ONE, WHEN YOU NEVER HAD A SINGLE ONE TO BEGIN WITH, BONEHEAD !
The entire show is at the RBN archives for Monday, June 11 -
www.republicbroadcasting.org/get_archive.php?hn=Piper&yr=07
No foolin' ? Are you the only one who ever listens to that "ZIONIST" rat trap you're so fond of excoriating ?
"Piper also claims that because Thompson appears to be murdered "-
Allright, that tears it right there. NOWHERE in the RBN broadcast does Michael Piper ever CLAIM that Thompson "appears" to be murdered, to the best of my recollection. GET SOME EARS WHILE YOU'RE AT IT, BONEHEAD !
"-this proves that Mark Glenn is an honest researcher, and Smith, Hufschmid, and Bollyn are liars when we accuse Glenn of trying to cover up the truth about the USS Liberty."
if you disconnect that sentence from the rest of your ridiculous paragraph, I'm tempted to agree, with the notable exception of Bollyn. And how did he ever get mixed up with you miserable clucks, anyway ?
" What kind of reasoning is that ?"
GOOD QUESTION !
"Listen to this amusing excerpt":
Piper-Smith-11June2007.mp3 360 kb
No Thanks !... I don't find this amusing in the least !
"So, did Thompson provide Glenn with important information about the attack? Will Glenn let us know what Thompson said to him? Was Thompson one of the honest researchers? Or was Thompson working with Glenn to produce propaganda ?"
Huffster, I'm afraid you have left me utterly...
So YOU TELL ME, MR. KNOW-IT-ALL !
qrswave - You had asked for any further available details of circumstances surrounding this tragic accident. Yes, there are some to be had, though few as of yet. It's really rather astounding that a complete blackout seems to be in effect, except through the Liberty pipeline. There's been hardly a whimper to be heard on AP, or anywhere else on the web,
( with the exception of the idiocy noted above ) regarding
even the most basic details of name, date, time, place, etc.
Is it really any wonder though, once we begin to understand
what an earth shaking message this man had for us ?
Whatever proves to be the ultimate cause of this man's demise, one thing to me is perfectly clear. This sudden monumental loss to the Liberty effort is no less devastating than the looting of the Baghdad museum was to Iraq. But even though it is a premature tragedy, I believe even more, and possibly all, the truth will eventually come out of it.
I promised I would keep you, and everyone else posted,
as well as I could. All I have at the moment is simply tonights' follow-up Piper show , and his discussion with Mark Glenn, which brings forth much information worth a second look ,
and should absolutely not be missed.
Cover-Up Alleged in Probe of USS Liberty
Former Judge Advocate General of the Navy,
Rear Admiral Merlin Staring, right, looks on as
former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral
Thomas Moorer, left, speaks to reporters during a press conference on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2003 in Washington. Staring and Moorer are both part of an independent commission of inquiry into the 1967 Israeli attack
on USS Liberty, that claims to have found proof
of a cover-up by the U.S. government.
-from Egypt Daily News 6-13-07
The m3U link that Quasimodo posted for Piper's June 12 show didn't work for me. Here is the audio file in the mp3 format.
http://arc.republicbroadcasting.org/Piper/07/06/Piper_061207_200000.MP3
..sort of sound like Sinai.
..maybe they'll release photos of israelis shooting life-rafts and american flag at the same time as american troops playing ball with decapitated head; then everyone will go.. MaD!
I'd believe the victims in this, the ones who actually talk about it have said it all, why would they make up lies? Just piece it all together and you have the whole story. It would be nice if some israeli witnesses would come forward, but i won't hold my breath.
Can you imagine the ship there, with 5 nearby subs, all basically spies.. what a setup!
Offered as sacrifice to the zionist god lucifer, one USS Liberty sold for the land of Pharaoh. But by the grace of God, the Liberty did not sink. It may as well been named USS Freedom. The SS zion is ill favored; chosen, and will sink by the weight of it's own guilt.
In America, someone should citizen's arrest that McNam for treason! Send him to Guantanamo ! Use enhanced interrogation techinques to make him sqeal! Heck that would be a great idea for ALL the war-hawks!
Richard Stanford Thompson
December 2, 1929 -
June 10, 2007
RICHARD S. THOMPSON, INDIALANTIC, FLORIDA
Mr. Richard Stanford Thompson, 77, died in an auto accident in Florence, SC on Sunday, June 10, 2007.
Mr. Thompson was a successful international businessman. His passion was to help others realize their dreams
and locally this manifested in the establishment
of the Space Coast Early Intervention Center.
He has been a longtime supporter of the survivors of
the U.S.S. Liberty. He was a decorated Navy veteran who served with distinction in the Korean War.
His family has issued a statement saying -
"He left this world as he lived in it, committed to
the cause of justice and working in the service
of those who are less fortunate."
One of his oldest and dearest friends described
Mr. Thompson as a happy-go-lucky gentleman,
aggressive in his business and always proud of his family.
Two of his grandsons, Noah Vandenberg and
Conor Thompson, are currently serving in Iraq.
Mr. Thompson was born in Macon, GA on December 2, 1929 to Wilburn Thompson and Georgia Will Stubbs. He graduated with a B.A. degree in Business from Mercer University.
He married Miss Elizabeth Jeanne Sheridan, also of Macon, in 1954. They have lived in Indialantic since 1971.
He is survived by his beloved wife, Jeanne; his children, Richard (Sara), Elizabeth (Joseph), Timothy (Leslie), Patrick (Jennifer), Susan (Anthony), and Wendy (Steven); his grandchildren, Conor, Natalie, Kaytlin, Elizabeth, Ria (Jake), Noah, John, Lydia, Sam, Tyler, Jenna, Meghan (Sean), Haley, Courtney, Holly, Carlyn, Dylan, Kelly and Shane, and his great-grandchildren, Skyler and Zachary.
A visitation will be held from 10-11 a.m., Saturday, June 16th, with a Mass of Christian Burial to follow at 11 a.m. at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church in Indialantic. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to either Liberty Veterans Assoc., c/o Mr. Moe Shafer, 4994 Lower Rosewell Rd, Ste 33, Marietta, GA 30068. Checks payable to LVA ( tax deductible receipt will be sent ) or, Shy Wolf Sanctuary, PO Box 3032, Naples, FL 34106. Local arrangements by Beach Funeral Home East Chapel. Condolences may be sent to www.beachfuneralhome.com.
I think they are referred to, ( rightly so ), as war crimes!