During the six-day war between Israel and the Arab nations, Lyndon Johnson went active with operation Northwoods. The USS Liberty was sent by Johnson to collects intelligence in the Mediterranean Sea.

The clearly marked US intelligence ship was 14 miles off the coast of Israel in international waters. Israeli surveillance planes flew so low over the ship they could clearly read The US markings. Later that day the USS Liberty was attacked by three Israeli mirage fighter bombers. In the onset of the attack, the Israeli were blocking US signals. The bomber was also unmarked, the only unmarked fighter jets in Israel’s artillery.

The fighter planes dropped bombs and napalm on the ship. After the mirages had done their job a secondary attack took place dropping napalm and white psoriasis. Liberty was then attacked by three Israeli torpedo boats bearing Israeli flags. The attack on the Liberty went on for hour after hour after hour.

While all this was going on, the Liberty was repeatedly requesting help from the sixth fleet which was nearby. Two fighter aircraft sent to defend the USS Liberty were recalled by the Whitehouse. Rear Admiral Lawrence Geiss called Washington to confirm the orders. Secretary of Defence Robert McNamara came on the line, and then Lyndon Johnson who told Geiss “I want that goddamn ship going to the bottom. No help Recall the ‘wings’”. So Geiss was in the position where he couldn’t rescue a fellowship in need because the President of the United States had demanded it be sank.

A Russian spy ship in the vicinity came across the attack forcing the Israeli to withdraw because there were witnesses. The USS Liberty was able to limp to shore. In a nutshell, this is what happened President Johnson maintained control of the USS Liberty. He stationed the ship in the Mediterranean, Made a backroom deal with Israel to attack and kill all on board, and planned to blame the attack on Egypt as an excuse to enter the war.

The captain of the USS Liberty and his crew were told that they would spend the rest of their lives in prison or be put to death if they ever told anyone what really happened. Captain William Loren McGonagle was given the congressional medal of honour in secret and told not to tell anyone one he had won the award.