Washington DC, January 20, 2004

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YOUR article about the State Department’s recent conference on the USS Liberty incident was highly misleading (“Israel blamed for USS Liberty attack,” World, Tuesday).

The headline suggests that Israel attacked the Liberty knowing it was a US. vessel, which contradicts the U.S. government’s position, that Israel, at war with its Arab neighbors, believed the ship to be Egyptian. New documents released during the conference support this view, as your article itself suggests.

The claim that there has never been a “full-fledged” investigation into the incident is wrong. The U.S. Navy, CIA, Joint Chiefs of Staff and National Security Agency, among others, all have released reports finding no evidence that Israel attacked the Liberty knowing it was an American vessel.

ABRAHAM H. FOXMAN

National director

Anti-Defamation League

New York

 Website dossier on the Liberty Incident

 Website dossier on the Anti-Defamation League and Abraham Foxman