April 2, 2007

Tillman family blasts the latest Army investigation as ‘shamefully unacceptable’

Family says evidence of purposeful misconduct ‘at least suggests conspiracy’

By Ali Abdollahi
Staff Writer

The family of slain Army Ranger Pat Tillman called the Defense Department briefing they received March 26 regarding the latest investigation into Tillman’s death and the reporting of the details surrounding the incident “shamefully unacceptable” and part of a “systematic cover-up.”

The Tillman family had a heated private meeting with lead investigators at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown San Jose, while the Defense Department released the findings of the investigation to the public. Representatives of the family included Tillman’s parents, his widow and his younger brother.

Tillman, who grew up in New Almaden, was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan in April 2004 while serving as a corporal in the Army Rangers. Initial Army and Defense Department reports said Tillman died in a gun battle with enemy forces.

Findings from the investigation released Monday revealed that military officials knew immediately that Tillman was killed by fellow Army Rangers. The Army admitted this week that nine high-ranking officers made errors in reporting Tillman’s death, but also said that there was no criminal wrongdoing during the firefight or the reporting of the incident.

Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, commander of joint special operations, told top Army officials that it was “highly possible” Tillman was killed by friendly fire. According to the report, McChrystal sent the message in the days leading up to Tillman’s memorial service at San Jose’s Municipal Rose Garden in order to “warn the acting secretary of the Army and the president of the United States about comments they might make in speeches to preclude embarrassment if the public found out friendly fire was involved.” McChrystal claimed that he incorrectly believed the family had already been told of the possibility that Tillman was killed by friendly fire.

The Army also found “compelling evidence” that Lt. Gen. Phillip Kensinger learned of the likelihood of friendly fire involvement and provided misleading testimony to Army investigators, and that Gen. Bryan “Doug” Brown, commander of US Special Operations Command in Afghanistan, knew of the likelihood of fratricide early on in the Tillman investigation.

Prior to the family learning of the friendly-fire incident more than a month later, Tillman was awarded the Silver Star for his valor against “hostile fire.”

A star football player at Leland High School, Tillman went on to play at Arizona State University before reaching the National Football League. He gained widespread notoriety when he turned down a multi-million dollar contract with the Arizona Cardinals to the join the Army Rangers with his brother following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

‘Not “missteps”’
The Tillman family gave its most outspoken comments in their statement Monday, refusing to accept that untruths in the initial investigation were due merely to mistakes and explicitly accusing the Army and Defense department of “criminal negligence, professional misconduct, battlefield incompetence, concealment and destruction of evidence, deliberate deception, and conspiracy to deceive.”

The family also criticized the Army’s unwillingness to provide them access to the original investigation. “We know from subsequent sworn statements that more than one of the original statements was altered after (an initial investigation) ‘disappeared,’” the Tillman family statement said. “This is not a misstep. It is evidence tampering.”

‘Suggests conspiracy’
The latest statement from the Tillman family also blasts former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and the Bush Administration. In reference to e-mails discovered through the investigation that mentioned a “Silver Star Game Plan” relating to the Tillman investigation, the statement said, “This certainly at least suggests conspiracy.”

The family also stated that it did not believe reports claiming Rumsfeld did not know Tillman’s death was caused by friendly fire, based on Rumsfeld’s reputation as an “unforgiving micromanager.”

The mistrust of the Defense Department and the administration by the Tillman family is based on the “relentless pattern of the administration of deception, evasion, and spin in the conduct of the entire dual-occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan,” according to the statement. “Thousands of Americans and Afghans, hundreds of U.S. allies, and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis lives have been lost and shattered.”

Calls for congressional hearing
Rep. Mike Honda joined the Tillman family on Tuesday in calling for Congress to get involved, asking Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., and chairman of the Armed Service Committee, to hold hearings in the case.

The Tillman family statement said, “Perhaps subpoenas are necessary to elicit candor and accuracy from the military.”

On ESPN Radio on Tuesday, Tillman’s mother Mary Tillman said she wanted the soldier responsible for killing Pat to be punished. Said Mary Tillman, “In the initial investigation, the soldier that shot Pat three times in the head was asked, ‘Did you identify your target?’ He said, ‘No. I just wanted to be in a firefight.’ That’s definitely a violation.”

“I think (Pat) was used,” Mary Tillman said, “You have to remember this was right after (the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal), which was the worse month of the war so far.”

The family statement said the alleged cover-up is “part of a cynical design to conceal the real events from the family—but most especially from the public—while exploiting the death of our beloved Pat as a recruitment poster.”