James Bamford: Nearly as bizarre as the attack itself was
      the reaction of the American government to the incident.
      A foreign nation had butchered American servicemen,
      sending thirty-four to their graves... A virtually
      unarmed American naval ship in international waters was
      shot at, strafed with rockets, torpedoed, set on
      fire...then left to sink as crazed gunners shot up the
      life rafts. The foreign nation then says, sorry about
      that, and offers an explanation so outrageous that it is
      insulting, and the American government accepts it, sweeps
      the whole affair under a rug,then classifies as top
      secret nearly all details concerning it.