Monday, September 26, 2005
What Happened To Pat Tillman?
Friendly fire fatalities are a sad fact of war. But there's something odd about the military's treatment of former NFL star Pat Tillman's death.
I'm not willing to go that far yet, but the actions of the Pentagon are strange enough that it shouldn't come as a surprise that questions are being asked.
At the very least, Tillman's family deserves the unvarnished truth. And so does the nation.
Cunning Realist agrees -- and more.
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Were witnesses allowed to change their testimony on key details, as alleged by one investigator? Why did internal documents on the case, such as the initial casualty report, include false information? When did top Pentagon officials know that Tillman’s death was caused by friendly fire, and why did they delay for five weeks before informing his family?And add to that this nugget:
According to testimony, the first investigation was initiated less than 24 hours after Tillman’s death by an officer in the same Ranger battalion. His report, delivered May 4, 2004, determined that soldiers involved in the incident had committed “gross negligence” and should be appropriately disciplined. The officer became a key witness in the subsequent investigation. For reasons that are not clear, the officer’s investigation was taken over by a higher ranking commander. That officer’s findings, delivered the next month, called for less severe discipline.The inference is that the Army "needed" a tragic hero like Tillman at a time when bad news was coming (Abu Ghraib would burst into the headlines in the following week).
I'm not willing to go that far yet, but the actions of the Pentagon are strange enough that it shouldn't come as a surprise that questions are being asked.
At the very least, Tillman's family deserves the unvarnished truth. And so does the nation.
Cunning Realist agrees -- and more.
