Military reopens probe of Tillman death - Inquiry into killing of football

[sabra]

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/08/23/TILLMAN.TMP

Military reopens probe of Tillman death
Inquiry into killing of football star to be reviewed

The Pentagon has reopened an investigation into last year's friendly fire killing of former football star Pat Tillman in combat in Afghanistan, saying it will begin a "review" of a previous Army probe that Tillman's parents and others have strongly criticized.

A Pentagon spokesman said Monday that the Defense Department's investigative arm, the inspector general, had begun the review, but he refused to comment further.

The parents, Patrick and Mary Tillman, who live in San Jose, cautiously welcomed the new investigation and said they hoped it would reveal a fuller picture of how their son had died in Afghanistan.

"The other investigations were frauds," Tillman's father, Patrick Tillman, said in a telephone interview with The Chronicle.

[jsamuel]

1. I don't understand...

are they suggesting he was killed on purpose or something?

[Cocoa]

8. no

they're suggesting incompetence.

[aresef]

2. What if it was somebody else instead of Tillman?

I doubt it would see this much coverage, or even this much investigation had he not been famous, sadly. *sigh*

[Al-CIAda]

3. Good news for the family. Maybe they won't be LIED to this time

and MAYBE since they have used him up in propaganda, they can tell the REAL story.

Sickening.

[0007]

7. With Rumsfeld in charge of the Pentagon, I have my doubts.

[Judi Lynn]

4. This is maddening, isn't it?

Not because he was a "special person," being a professional athlete, but because it's yet another example of one more completely bogus story spun to make _Bush's war look as good as humanly possible.

From the article posted:

Both parents said the Army's most recent two investigations had changed key data in an apparent attempt to shield higher-ranking officers from blame for the botched operation.

"Almost every baseline fact of importance was changed -- distance, lighting, observation," said Patrick Tillman.

Mary Tillman pointed to what she said were discrepancies in the last two investigations, including whether the troops had been firing in the dark or in good visibility, whether the troops who killed her son had dismounted from their vehicle or were firing in a high-speed rush down the valley, and why Tillman's bullet-riddled flak jacket was burned immediately after his death rather than being preserved for a later investigation.
(snip/)

This sounds SO creepy.

[sabra]

6. nothing really surprises me any more...

well almost nothing :-)

[daleo]

16. This sounds like the recent London shooting of the Brazilian:

"Almost every baseline fact of importance was changed -- distance, lighting, observation..."

Lying sounds the same all over.

[jody]

5. Has the Army revoked the Silver Star they gave Tillman for heroism? n/t

[lebkuchen]

9. This article is front page news in Stars and Stripes today

along with:

Bush: 'Peace mom' doesn't represent most military families

[Roland99]

10. Anyone think this investigation will have any useful results?

[FreeStateDemocrat]

11. Somebody must of come up w/ a better lie so they want to spin it again.

[lovuian]

12. Pentagon to review Tillman investigation

http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/?sid=ae217c41b6556181

Big News Network.com Wednesday 24th August, 2005 (UPI)

The Defense Department plans to review its investigation into football star Pat Tillman's death from friendly fire in Afghanistan.

Patrick and Mary Tillman of San Jose, Calif., have accused the Pentagon of covering up the circumstances of their son's death to shield senior officers.

"Hopefully something will come of this," Mrs. Tillman told the San Francisco Chronicle. "Many crucial things that happened did not come out in the earlier reports. People above should have been punished."

The Pentagon, in response to a question from the Chronicle, issued a brief statement saying a review is under way.

Tillman enlisted in the Army Rangers after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, rejecting the offer of a $3.6 million three-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals. He was killed on Aug. 27, 2004.

Immediately after his death, the Pentagon said that Tillman died leading an attack on Taliban fighters. President Bush hailed him as an inspiration on and off the football field and he was awarded a Silver Star and Purple Heart.

more...

Friendly fire happened alot in Vietnam too!!!

[jody]

13. Sad but Tillman is not entitled to the Silver Star or Purple Heart. n/t

[brentspeak]

15. Wouldn't he at least be entitled to a Purple Heart?

Even if it was friendly fire that killed him? His mortal wound, whatever the cause, did occur in a combat situation.

[jody]

17. Good point and you're probably right. n/t

[rodeodance]

14. i am glad to see that they wee finaly forced to do a review.