blueturk
06-09-2005, 08:20 PM
Responding to harsh criticism by the parents of Pat Tillman, the Army issued new denials of any cover-up of the circumstances of the former NFL player's death. To which I can only say BULLSHIT.
US Army again denies cover-up in Tillman's 2004 death
Thu Jun 9, 2005 05:59 PM ET
By Will Dunham
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Rejecting criticism by Army Ranger Pat Tillman's parents, the U.S. Army on Thursday denied covering up facts in the former professional football player's 2004 friendly fire death in Afghanistan, but admitted to "procedural misjudgments and mistakes."
His father, Pat Tillman Sr., have assailed as "shams" and a cover-up the Army's investigations into his son's death on April 22, 2004. His mother, Mary Tillman, said it was "disgusting" the Army lied about it. They expressed their views in comments and a letter to The Washington Post last month.
"The Army did not 'cover up' any facts," according to a statement released by the Army's public affairs office, arguing that Tillman died "in a very confusing battle."
"While procedural misjudgments and mistakes contributed to an air of suspicion, no one intended to deceive the Tillman family or the public as to the cause of his death," the Army added.
The Army determined almost immediately after Tillman's death that he had been killed inadvertently by fellow Rangers in a wild spree of gunfire in a remote canyon near the Pakistani border, according to the latest Army investigation, described by officials last month. It found that the Army kept the fact secret from his family and the public for weeks and even destroyed evidence, the officials said.
Tillman played for four years in the National Football League but walked away from a $3.6 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals to sign up as an elite Army Ranger in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on America.
Tillman's brother also served as a Ranger.
Until for the first time linking his death to friendly fire on May 29, 2004, the Saturday of the U.S. Memorial Day holiday weekend, the Army's public account of Tillman's death had been that he had been slain by enemy fire during an ambush.
"It is true that neither the family nor the public were notified immediately of the suspicion of friendly fire and the follow-on investigation," the Army added.
"This was due to the fact the operationally deployed unit did not immediately notify the Department of the Army out of a desire to complete the investigation and gather all available facts, so as not to provide an inaccurate or incomplete picture of what happened," the Army said.
This decision "was an application of judgment, not a willful violation of regulation," the Army said.
"Nevertheless, it was procedurally wrong. However, the Department of the Army stands by the investigating officer and his report," the statement said.
This referred to the findings announced on May 29, 2004. The Army's public statement on that day said Tillman "died as a probable result of friendly fire while his unit was engaged in combat with enemy forces."
Paul Boyce, an Army spokesman at the Pentagon, said Thursday's statement was intended to address the comments made by Tillman's parents to The Washington Post. "And we believe that there will be other stories in the near future," Boyce said.
The Army said there have been three investigations into Tillman's death, the first two by Tillman's Ranger Regiment in Afghanistan and the third, launched late last year, by Brig. Gen. Gary Jones of the Army Special Operations Command.
Boyce said the Army was preparing to make public the voluminous Jones report, but its release was "weeks away." But the Post obtained it, and Army officials previously discussed the findings.
The report, for example, found that the day after his death, U.S. personnel burned Tillman's bloody body armor and uniform, which Jones called destruction of evidence.
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=domesticNews&storyID=8749255
US Army again denies cover-up in Tillman's 2004 death
Thu Jun 9, 2005 05:59 PM ET
By Will Dunham
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Rejecting criticism by Army Ranger Pat Tillman's parents, the U.S. Army on Thursday denied covering up facts in the former professional football player's 2004 friendly fire death in Afghanistan, but admitted to "procedural misjudgments and mistakes."
His father, Pat Tillman Sr., have assailed as "shams" and a cover-up the Army's investigations into his son's death on April 22, 2004. His mother, Mary Tillman, said it was "disgusting" the Army lied about it. They expressed their views in comments and a letter to The Washington Post last month.
"The Army did not 'cover up' any facts," according to a statement released by the Army's public affairs office, arguing that Tillman died "in a very confusing battle."
"While procedural misjudgments and mistakes contributed to an air of suspicion, no one intended to deceive the Tillman family or the public as to the cause of his death," the Army added.
The Army determined almost immediately after Tillman's death that he had been killed inadvertently by fellow Rangers in a wild spree of gunfire in a remote canyon near the Pakistani border, according to the latest Army investigation, described by officials last month. It found that the Army kept the fact secret from his family and the public for weeks and even destroyed evidence, the officials said.
Tillman played for four years in the National Football League but walked away from a $3.6 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals to sign up as an elite Army Ranger in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on America.
Tillman's brother also served as a Ranger.
Until for the first time linking his death to friendly fire on May 29, 2004, the Saturday of the U.S. Memorial Day holiday weekend, the Army's public account of Tillman's death had been that he had been slain by enemy fire during an ambush.
"It is true that neither the family nor the public were notified immediately of the suspicion of friendly fire and the follow-on investigation," the Army added.
"This was due to the fact the operationally deployed unit did not immediately notify the Department of the Army out of a desire to complete the investigation and gather all available facts, so as not to provide an inaccurate or incomplete picture of what happened," the Army said.
This decision "was an application of judgment, not a willful violation of regulation," the Army said.
"Nevertheless, it was procedurally wrong. However, the Department of the Army stands by the investigating officer and his report," the statement said.
This referred to the findings announced on May 29, 2004. The Army's public statement on that day said Tillman "died as a probable result of friendly fire while his unit was engaged in combat with enemy forces."
Paul Boyce, an Army spokesman at the Pentagon, said Thursday's statement was intended to address the comments made by Tillman's parents to The Washington Post. "And we believe that there will be other stories in the near future," Boyce said.
The Army said there have been three investigations into Tillman's death, the first two by Tillman's Ranger Regiment in Afghanistan and the third, launched late last year, by Brig. Gen. Gary Jones of the Army Special Operations Command.
Boyce said the Army was preparing to make public the voluminous Jones report, but its release was "weeks away." But the Post obtained it, and Army officials previously discussed the findings.
The report, for example, found that the day after his death, U.S. personnel burned Tillman's bloody body armor and uniform, which Jones called destruction of evidence.
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=domesticNews&storyID=8749255