The USS Liberty
On June 8, 1967 (during the Six-Day War), Israelis attacked the Liberty,
a US Navy communications vessel. It was in international waters 15 miles
north of the Sinai Peninsula. 34 American seamen were killed, 171 were
wounded, and extensive damage was done to the ship. Israelis immediately
apologized and claimed the attack was an accidental one, although the US
said that Israel had "ample opportunity to identify the Liberty
orrectly." Later, Israel paid $3,323,500 in compensation.
The USS Pueblo
On January 23, 1968, North Koreans seized the Pueblo in the Sea of
Japan off the Korean coast. 82 crew members survived the boarding. They
were held for exactly 11 months and charged with spying. Neither Moscow nor
Peking intervened; as a result, North Korean President Kim Il Sung became a
demigod in the eyes of his people. The crew was set free after the U.S.
signed an apology for having conducted espionage on North Korea, and
promised never to do it again; however, in a procedure unprecedented in
international law, the United States branded the document false before
signing it.
The ship remains in Wonson Harbor, North Korea.
The SS Mayaguez
The Mayaguez was a merchant freighter bound to Thailand from
Singapore. On May 12, 1975, Cambodian Khmer Rouge guerrillas in two
gunboats captured the ship and its 39-member crew. The crew was charged
with spying. Following 2 days of military attacks and counterattacks,
the
Mayaguez was retaken in a lightning raid using a small amphibious force
of U.S. Marines. 15 Marines were killed and so were dozens of Cambodians.