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Sat 4 Mar, 2006 04:17 pm
Friendly fire blamed in death of former NFL player in Afghanistan
From Barbara Starr
CNN Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Pentagon has directed the Army to open a criminal investigation into the death of former NFL star Pat Tillman, CNN learned on Saturday.
An inspector general ordered the Army Criminal Investigative Division to determine if Tillman's death resulted from negligent homicide, sources said.
Initial reports after his death said Tillman, 27, was shot and killed by Taliban forces during an ambush on April 22, 2004. An investigation later revealed that fellow soldiers shot Tillman, thinking he was part of an enemy force firing at them.
Tillman's family demanded to know why his uniform and body armor were burned a day after he was killed and why they were not immediately told he might have been killed by fellow soldiers.
A 2005 report from Brig. Gen. Gary Jones contained sworn statements from soldiers involved in the incident who said they burned the items because they had taken pictures of the scene, walked around and knew how Tillman had been killed.
Initially, Tillman's blood-covered uniform and armor were said to have been destroyed because they were considered a biohazard.
Jones' report said the soldiers reasoned "they knew in their heart of hearts what had happened, and we were not going to lie about it. So we weren't thinking about proof or anything."
Two years before his death, Tillman walked away from a $3.6 million contract with the NFL's Arizona Cardinals to serve in the military. He was posthumously awarded a Silver Star.
Tillman was a member of A Company, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment based at Fort Lewis, Washington. His brother, Kevin, trained with him and served in the same unit.
Hmmmmm......it would want to be pretty damned egregious to warrant a criminal charge, I would have thought. I assume these things happen far more frequently than we like to think.
Perhaps the cover up might warrant official censure?
Except I fear, as with the torture stuff, that some kid at the bottom of the feeding chain would wear the crap.
The Brass probably had a hit on the kid from start one! They needed a real hero they could run up the flag at football games and fly the jets over while they played patriotic songs!
Enter Pat Tillman ... Blam, Blam, blam!!
<patriotic songs play> - we support the troops with more money, enlistments surge among teenagers, Bush lies to his parents and the public ... and most importantly ... the cash registers ring!!!!
Anon
Anon, Tillman was the Army's cover boy at first. That changed in Iraq where he told friends "this war is so f*cking illegal". He had begun badmouthing Bushie and was encouraging soldiers to vote for Kerry. He even had scheduled an interview with Noam Chomsky of all people. He had written a journal that has disappeared.
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