U.S. army cleared of coverup in Tillman's friendly fire death

[stevedeshazer]

Last Updated: Monday, March 26, 2007 | 7:37 PM ET
CBC News http://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/story/2007/03/26/tillman-report.html

The U.S. army made critical errors while in handling the friendly fire death of an American soldier in Afghanistan, but there was no criminal wrongdoing, the military concluded Monday.

The military was investigating the death of army Ranger Pat Tillman, 27, an NFL star who walked away from a $3.6-million US football contract in 2001 to enlist. Tillman was killed April 22, 2004, in a gun battle with enemy fighters near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

The military initially told the public and Tillman's family that Tillman had been killed in an ambush, but did not say the fatal wound was caused by members of his own unit.

Several weeks later, the army admitted Tillman was accidentally killed by fellow U.S. soldiers in rough terrain when the lighting was poor.

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Hey, no big deal, right?

[Eric J in MN]

1. How about sending a man who just had Lasik eye surgery...

...out with a rifle before his eyes healed?

That seems like criminal negligence to me, and one of the men who shot Pat Tillman was in that condition.

[Postman]

2. "Poor lighting" - Maybe they should have brought in some heavy duty spotlights...

Excuses, excuses.

No cover-up here, move along, nothing to see.....

[stevedeshazer]

3. Now it's officially okay to LIE to a family about the circumstances of a soldier's death

Nothing less than that.

No problem.

[texpatriot2004]

4. Shameful! nm

[MADem]

5. The military IS broken. This incident PROVES it.

I couldn't believe this story when it came out. I was just...floored. I've seen a few sketchy events in the military, it's not as though there can NEVER be a bad apple in uniform, but this was just ......... sickening.

[ComerPerro]

6. nothing like when the military investigates itself