Text of a Tillman family statement

[cal04]

(snip)
Our family will continue to pursue the full truth about the circumstances of Pat Tillman's death and the so-called "missteps" of the Army, the Department of Defense, and this administration.

The briefing we just received was unsatisfactory.

The characterization of criminal negligence, professional misconduct, battlefield incompetence, concealment and destruction of evidence, deliberate deception, and conspiracy to deceive are not "missteps."

These actions are malfeasance.
(snip)
We will now shift out efforts into Congress, to which we appeal for investigation.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070327/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/tillman_family_text_1

[Monkeyman]

1. May This Family get Justice

[MADem]

2. I have to say I concur with their assessment.

My faith in the ability of the Services to conduct a fair, open and honest investigation has been shattered with this incident, frankly.

And having done a number of them myself, I am rather angered. By this stonewalling, bullshitting and covering up, they're causing those of us who took their work seriously to be tarred with the same "slap it together and plaster it over" accusations of crappy work. And that's AT BEST. The insinuation (and probability) that they actively minimized and covered up can't be ignored.

[gratuitous]

3. The military? Deceptive?

Why does the Tillman family hate the United States and its military? Why don't they support the troops? Why are they providing comfort to the terrorists?

What are "questions you will surely not hear asked in the mainstream media," Alex?

Correct. Select.

[Hekate]

4. What that poor family has been through, just so * could catapult the propaganda

It's even more disgusting than what they did to Jessica Lynch, because Tillman will never be able to speak for himself. BushCheney turned him into a propaganda tool, truth and ethics be damned.

May the gods bless the Tillman family and give them the strength to carry on as they try to clear his name and reveal the truth. They are as brave as their son.

Hekate

[SpiralHawk]

8. Yes, the BushCo handling of Tillman is as traitorous as their handling of Plame

I mean, blowing the cover of an entire, successful CIA anti-WMD unit so they could perpetuate their lies about Iraq and start an oil and muntions profit war....

[The_Casual_Observer]

5. Might as well bash your head into a stone wall, the army isn't going

yield an inch of ground on this.

[brentspeak]

6. If what happened to Pat Tillman happened to one of the generals' sons

No WAY would any of the generals accept a finding of "missteps". But, then again, CCR's "Fortunate Son" never stops being true.

This whole thing is an unbelievable outrage; everything about it stinks to high heaven. I'm the last person to subscribe to conspiracy theories, but it's impossible not to note that Tillman, who the Army had tried to turn into a PR poster boy for the War On Terror (a role Tillman rejected entirely), was scheduled to meet with no less than Noam Chomsky during an upcoming home leave.

on edit: I could be wrong about this cover-up being the generals' fault; it could be the doing of civilian bureaucrats or Bush stooges running the show at the Pentagon.

[Erika]

9. Olbermann said maybe the GOP used Tillman for PR purposes

Probably true.

[Dhalgren]

7. K&R...For Tilman, his family, and every soldier and civilian wronged by this country's

government while its citizens couldn't be bothered. This is the US Army we are talking about. This is the organization that is made up of the soldiers we are all supposed to support. They kill their own, cover it up, lie about it, use it for political purposes and then call anyone who dares ask a question a traitor and an appeaser. Where is the Officer Corps? Where is the JAG? Where are the "heroes" who love their country move than career? One of the things that has to be done before this country can ever be whole and free again is the complete scraping of the current military and the restarting of a new one, based upon the principles and spirit of our Constitution. If we as a nation cannot survive without a hired/corporate/mercenary military, then maybe we ought not to. I want a citizen's army, not a "professional" one...

[fooj]

10. Mike Honda said he was going to call for a Congressional Investigation.

Doesn't Murtha head that committee?

[genie_weenie]

11. May the sacrifice of the Tillman family

be the galvanizing rod which strikes forth and brings down the Regime. I think it would be a fitting testimonial to the courage of Pat.

[Kurovski]

12. K&R.(nt)