Topic: Cover-up Based on Friendly Fire
ShadowEagle's photo
Wed 04/25/07 06:32 PM
Ranger Alleges Cover-Up in Tillman Case
By Scott Lindlaw and Eric Werner
The Associated Press

Tuesday 24 April 2007

Washington - An Army Ranger who was with Pat Tillman when he died by
friendly fire said Tuesday he was told by a higher-up to conceal that
information from Tillman's family.

"I was ordered not to tell them," U.S. Army Specialist Bryan O'Neal
told the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

He said he was given the order by then-Lt. Col. Jeff Bailey, the
battalion commander who oversaw Tillman's platoon.

Pat Tillman's brother Kevin was in a convoy behind his brother when
the incident happened, but didn't see it. O'Neal said Bailey told him
specifically not to tell Kevin Tillman that the death was friendly fire
rather than heroic engagement with the enemy.

"He basically just said, 'Do not let Kevin know, he's probably in a
bad place knowing that his brother's dead,'" O'Neal said. He added that
Bailey made clear he would "get in trouble" if he told.

Kevin Tillman was not in the hearing room when O'Neal spoke.

In earlier testimony, Kevin Tillman accused the military of
"intentional falsehoods" and "deliberate and careful misrepresentations"
in portraying Pat Tillman's death in Afghanistan as the result of heroic
engagement with the enemy instead of friendly fire.

"We believe this narrative was intended to deceive the family but
more importantly the American public," Kevin Tillman told a House
Government Reform and Oversight Committee hearing. "Pat's death was
clearly the result of fratricide," he said, contending that the
military's misstatements amounted to "fraud."

"Revealing that Pat's death was a fratricide would have been yet
another political disaster in a month of political disasters ... so the
truth needed to be suppressed," Tillman said.

The committee's chairman, Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., accused the
government of inventing "sensational details and stories" about Pat
Tillman's death and the 2003 rescue of Jessica Lynch, perhaps the most
famous victims of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

"The government violated its most basic responsibility," said
Waxman.

Lynch, then an Army private, was badly injured when her convoy was
ambushed in Iraq. She was subsequently rescued by American troops from
an Iraqi hospital but the tale of her ambush was changed into a story of
heroism on her part.

Still hampered by her injuries, Lynch walked slowly to the witness
table and took a seat alongside Tillman's family members.

"The bottom line is the American people are capable of determining
their own ideals of heroes and they don't need to be told elaborate
tales," Lynch said.

Kevin Tillman said his family has sought for years to get at the
truth, and have now concluded that they were "being actively thwarted by
powers that are more interested in protecting a narrative than getting
at the truth and seeing justice is served."

Lawmakers questioned how high up the chain of command the
information about Tillman's friendly fire death went, and whether anyone
in the White House knew before Tillman's family.

"How high up did this go?" asked Waxman.

Pat Tillman's mother, Mary Tillman, said she believed former Defense
Secretary Donald Rumsfeld must have known. "The fact that he would have
died by friendly fire and no one told Rumsfeld is ludicrous," she said.

Tillman was killed on April 22, 2004, after his Army Ranger comrades
were ambushed in eastern Afghanistan. Rangers in a convoy trailing
Tillman's group had just emerged from a canyon where they had been fired
upon. They saw Tillman and mistakenly fired on him.

Though dozens of soldiers knew quickly that Tillman had been killed
by his fellow troops, the Army said initially that he was killed by
enemy gunfire when he led his team to help another group of ambushed
soldiers. The family was not told what really happened until May 29,
2004, a delay the Army blamed on procedural mistakes.

In questioning what the White House knew, Rep. Elijah Cummings,
D-Md., cited a memo written by a top general seven days after Tillman's
death warning it was "highly possible" the Army Ranger was killed by
friendly fire and making clear his warning should be conveyed to the
president. President Bush made no reference to the way Tillman died in a
speech delivered two days after the memo was written.

A White House spokesman has said there's no indication Bush received
the warning in the memo written April 29, 2004 by then-Maj. Gen. Stanley
McChrystal to Gen. John Abizaid, head of Central Command.

"It's a little disingenuous to think the administration didn't
know," Kevin Tillman told the committee. "That's kind of what we hoped
you guys would get involved with and take a look," he said.

Mary Tillman told the committee that family members were "absolutely
appalled" upon realizing the extent to which they were misled.

"We've all been betrayed ... We never thought they would use him the
way they did," she said.

The Tillman family has made similar accusations against the
administration and the military before, but has generally shied away
from news media attention. The family had never previously appeared
together and summarized their criticism and questions in such a public,
comprehensive way.

"We shouldn't be allowed to have smoke screens thrown in our face,"
Mary Tillman said. "You're diminishing their true heroism to write these
glorious tales. It's really a disservice to the nation."

"Our family will never be satisfied. We'll never have Pat back," she
said. "Something really awful happened. It's your job to find out what
happened to him. That's really important."

Last month the military concluded in a pair of reports that nine
high-ranking Army officers, including four generals, made critical
errors in reporting Tillman's death but that there was no criminal
wrongdoing in his shooting.

Tillman's death received worldwide attention because he had walked
away from a huge contract with the NFL's Arizona Cardinals to enlist in
the Army after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

no photo
Wed 04/25/07 06:33 PM
Yes. And as far as any rational evidence goes, this coverup was done on
the field. So it's a local event, and not a governmental failure. You
don't blame the CEO when an employee, about 30 places lower on the
corporate ladder, does something wrong.

no photo
Wed 04/25/07 06:50 PM
this was all over the news...what is your point shadow?

armydoc4u's photo
Wed 04/25/07 06:54 PM
was the tillman death handled correctly, no.

wonder what was going on with their thinking. let me suggest a reason
why, from a soldier point of view;

knowing the story of pat and the money he gave up for the heroic ideaism
of service, a death in vane would not do justice to the memory of the
man.

in our messed up society we expect our hero's to die a hero's death. of
course covering up the friendly fire incident only tried to protect the
other soldier(s) involved in the incident, it doesnt protect the higher
ups because they werent there and would not feel the wrath on their
career as a lower enlisted man who was there and pulled the trigger.

so was it wrong, yes. were the intentions to make the mans death seem
befitting, i believe so. do i cut them some slack, yeah i think so. can
you blame the administration for this, no you cant honestly blame the
president, he wasnt there. has this practice been in the military for as
long as men have been dying, yes i dare say it has been around. who
really wants to recieve a letter in the mail or a knock on the door by
two guys wearing uniforms say "your son/daughter died, by the hands of
our own troops and not the enemy." no dont think i want my family being
told some like that, let them think i went out with a bang charging out
to meet te enemy or save a wounded soul, even if im shot or blown up by
the hands of some incompetent us troop. but hey thats the insight to a
soldier point of view . . . . .



doc

no photo
Wed 04/25/07 08:59 PM
This world aint's Perfect Shadow and yes, the death of Tillman is a
tragedy especially since he was killed in Friendly-Fire. This, is
absolutely normal as much as i wish things wouldn't it does. You got to
understand from a military strategic view point. The state of a nations
and our fellow officers and troops don't need our morale being disrupted
right now. I rather the truth have come out after the war.

Since Lynch came out and before the Tribunal and stated that the
Military government lied about her being a heroe and tillman died in a
fierce battle is a lie. Now you start to put wrong and conflicting
thought within the hearts of a nation and within our own troops.

Thanks to Her i really wonder if we will be able to function as a team
as a Unit.

Thanks to you Shadow you posting these forums you too are putting the
morale and trust of our great nation and military leadership into Hell.

Being a Soldier i am Ashame to Think another Soldier would disgrace his
people , His Family. Regardless of you being Active or not. Once you
been in the Military you are in it for life. You are a disgrace to our
family, Our Team and our Unit.

Regardless, of what is right or what is wrong We are Soldiers and we are
the Defenders of this Great and Honorable Nation of Ours.

Operation Freedom of Iraq Maj.Utsnokokoro

Barbiesbigsister's photo
Thu 04/26/07 02:57 AM
More propaganda shadow or just your distorted viewpoint? Pat Tillman was
killed by friendly fire and this isnt exactly NEW news now is it? He was
also a very talented player with the NFL. Instead of disrespecting this
man AND HIS FAMILY why not give it a rest hey?

davinci1952's photo
Thu 04/26/07 05:15 AM
there should be repercussions for those officers
who played into this lie....we're talking about real
people here..not symbols or characters for the
next television ad...
points out a problem with the military these days..
they are more politician than leader in the field...
feel sad for the american military...grumble

oldsage's photo
Thu 04/26/07 05:17 AM
This country needs it's PEOPLE, the SILENT MAJORITY, to speak up. My
son will soon be in the middle east. He is proud to go, will miss his
wife & 2 children (under 3), his 3 yr olds frst real xmas & all the
other stuff a young father enjoys. I am proud of his career in the
military.

So as some of you folks disagree with our govt; which is your right, I
don't always agree either; remimber we CAN express our opinions because
of all the people that support this govt.; with their lives; right or
wrong.

Doc, MY best wishes are with you guys always.

Barbiesbigsister's photo
Thu 04/26/07 05:19 AM
Thats right oldsage! doc some of us DO believe what your doing is a very
good thing. God bless YOU sweetie!!!flowerforyou