The next action in the USS Liberty FOIA lawsuit will be a hearing before a three judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in the Seattle courthouse.

As I wrote last May on Antiwar.com, the appeal seeks to reverse a US District Court decision that a 57-year-old report in the possession of the National Security Agency (NSA) is a Congressional record not subject to release under the Freedom of Information Act. The report was prepared by the US House Appropriations Committee (HAC Report) and pertains to the 1967 Israeli attack on the USS Liberty (AGTR-5). The HAC Report is of great public interest because, according to the late Rep. Robert L. F. Sikes, who was an Appropriations Committee member, the report contains testimony from a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) witness that on June 7, 1967 – before the Liberty arrived at its designated area of operations – the Israeli government threatened to attack the ship.

Best wishes,
Michelle J. Kinnucan

From: ACMS@ca9.fedcourts.us <ACMS@ca9.fedcourts.us>
Sent: Sunday, December 21, 2025 12:21 PM
Subject: Kinnucan v. National Security Agency, et al. 24-7642 – 044 – Notice of Oral Argument

[EXTERNAL]

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United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
 

Notice of Docket Activity


The following transaction was entered on 12/21/2025 12:19:41 PM PST and filed on 12/21/2025


Case Name: Kinnucan v. National Security Agency, et al. 

Case Number: 24-7642

Docket Text:

 NOTICE OF ORAL ARGUMENT on Monday, March 2, 2026 – 09:00 A.M. – SE 8th Flr Courtroom 1 – Scheduled Location: Seattle WA

View the Oral Argument Calendar for your case here.

NOTE: Although your case is currently scheduled for oral argument, the panel may decide to submit the case on the briefs instead. See Fed. R. App. P. 34. Absent further order of the court, if the court does determine that oral argument is required in this case, you are expected to appear in person at the Courthouse. If an in person appearance would pose a hardship, you must file a motion for permission to appear remotely by video, using ACMS filing type Motion to Appear Remotely for Oral Argument. Such a motion must be filed within 7 days of this notice, absent exigent circumstances.

Please note that if you do file a motion to appear remotely, the court strongly prefers video over telephone appearance. Therefore, if you wish to appear remotely by telephone you will need to justify that request in your motion and receive explicit permission to do so.

Be sure to review the GUIDELINES for important information about your hearing.

If you are the specific attorney or self-represented party who will be arguing, use the ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF HEARING NOTICE filing type in ACMS no later than 28 days before the hearing date. No form or other attachment is required. If you will not be arguing, do not file an acknowledgment of hearing notice. [24-7642] [Entered: 12/21/2025 12:19 PM]