Jessica Lynch and the Tillman family

[EAT MY ASSHOLE]

Anyone know anything about this? Apparently, both were on Capitol Hill yesterday testifying against their respective cover-ups.

FORD? A little help here? How could you have NOT posted this? This, to my mind, is fairly significant in continuing to debunk the greatest story ever sold...

http://www.capitolhillblue.com/cont/node/2334

[Guitar Shark]

Easy to explain. In FORD's world, the greatest story ever sold is the "story" about how the WTC towers came down.

[blueturk]

Of course, Dubya didn't know a thing....

White House says Bush didn't know Tillman killed by friendly fire
Zachary Coile, Chronicle Washington Bureau

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

(04-25) 11:45 PDT Washington -- The White House said today President Bush was never told that former NFL star Pat Tillman was killed by his fellow Army Rangers at a time Army officials knew the truth, but told his family and the public that Tillman was shot by the enemy.

Lawmakers and Tillman's family raised questions at a House hearing Tuesday about whether former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and White House officials knew the death was by friendly fire, but allowed the Army to spin a false story about the way the San Jose native died.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said today that the details of Tillman's death never made it to the president.

"There's no indication that the president got any word that there was questions surrounding his death, other than what has been reported in the paper," Perino said.

Speculation about what Bush knew has been fueled by the release of a memo sent April 29, 2004, a week after Tillman's death in Afghanistan, in which Gen. John Abizaid, then chief of the U.S. Central Command, was urged by a top general to tell "POTUS" -- the president of the United States -- that friendly fire was suspected.

"I felt that it was essential that you received this information as soon as we detected it in order to preclude any unknowing statements by our country's leaders which might cause public embarrassment if the circumstances of Cpl. Tillman's death become public," Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the military's special operations chief, wrote to Abizaid and other generals.

Lawmakers also released an e-mail that said White House speechwriter John Currin had called Army officials six days after Tillman's April 22, 2004, death asking for more details about his Army service for a speech Bush was scheduled to give days later at the White House Correspondents Association dinner. Rumsfeld's speechwriter had also called the Army for information about Tillman, the e-mail said.

Kevin Tillman, the brother of the former Arizona Cardinals safety who served in the same Rangers unit, testified Tuesday that the memos suggest Rumsfeld and the White House were aware of the cover-up.

"It's a little disingenuous to think the administration didn't know," he said.

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Los Angeles, said he plans to continue his investigation and may call Pentagon and White House officials to testify.

"We still don't know how far up this went," Waxman said. "We don't know what the secretary of defense knew. We don't know what the White House knew. These are questions the committee seeks answers for."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/04/25/BAG89PF6FC13.DTL

[Nickdfresh]

Of course not. He doesn't read papers or books, so he can shut himself off into the inner sanctum of Dumbfuckistan...

[ODShowtime]

Lynch was pretty much recanting the entire story that was originally told about her capture. In front of Congress.

I mean they rescued her from a HOSPITAL for christ's sake.

[BigBadBrian]

Originally posted by ODShowtime
Lynch was pretty much recanting the entire story that was originally told about her capture. In front of Congress.

I mean they rescued her from a HOSPITAL for christ's sake.

Your point being?

[FORD]

Originally posted by BigBadBrian
Your point being?

Point being that the BCE spun some story about her being some kind of "girl Rambo" in an attempt to spin up cheerleading for their stupid war. When in reality, she was an accident victim who was transported to an Iraqi hospital and didn't have anything bad to say about the doctors who treated her there.

I encourage everyone to watch this week's "Bill Moyers Journal" on PBS. It exposes the total con job that the BCE used to sell the Iraq war, and the fact that pretty much the entire corporate media were willing accomplices. Not a surprise to myself of course, but the case is presented so well that even a Busheep like Brian won't be able to pretend it isn't true anymore.

[Guitar Shark]

Originally posted by FORD
I encourage everyone to watch this week's "Bill Moyers Journal" on PBS. It exposes the total con job that the BCE used to sell the Iraq war, and the fact that pretty much the entire corporate media were willing accomplices.

If Moyers acknowledges the existence of a "BCE," I'll eat my hat.

[BigBadBrian]

Originally posted by FORD
Point being that the BCE spun some story about her being some kind of "girl Rambo" in an attempt to spin up cheerleading for their stupid war.

The "supposed-BCE" did no such thing. If you'd actually take a little time to read into the matter, you'll find that the guilty party for the spin on Lynch is the main stream media. Oh, that's right, they're all under the control of the magic wand of the "supposed-BCE," correct?

When in reality, she was an accident victim who was transported to an Iraqi hospital and didn't have anything bad to say about the doctors who treated her there.

She has said good things about them (she was also anally raped, according to physical examination later on) but that means nothing in the context of the rescue. You make it sound that although she was at a hospital, the rescue was a cakewalk. How were rescuers to know what the situation was? Once again, you're denigrating the efforts of our people.

[blueturk]

And what spin are you going to put on the Tillman fiasco, BBB?

[Nickdfresh]

Related.

[EAT MY ASSHOLE]

Originally posted by blueturk
And what spin are you going to put on the Tillman fiasco, BBB?

That Pat Tillman was an Irani mole and got what was coming to him, I'd be willing to wager...

[BigBadBrian]

Originally posted by blueturk
And what spin are you going to put on the Tillman fiasco, BBB?

None.

Someone in the Army chain of command fucked up.

It's that simply.

BTW- I put no spin on the Lynch post, just facts.

[EAT MY ASSHOLE]

Originally posted by BigBadBrian
It's that simply.

Well said.

I'm beginning to see where your affinity towards W. comes from.

[blueturk]

Originally posted by BigBadBrian
None.

Someone in the Army chain of command fucked up.

It's that simply.

BTW- I put no spin on the Lynch post, just facts.

Someone in the Army chain of command fucked up alright. They didn't delete e-mails concerning the circumstances of Tillman's death. Are things so fucked up in the Bush Era that Dubya doesn't get e-mails of such importance? Or did Bush (or Cheney, or both) tell the Pentagon to shut the hell up? I think the latter.

Bush not told Tillman death facts, aide says
Family, lawmakers wonder if president knew more early on
Zachary Coile, Chronicle Washington Bureau
Thursday, April 26, 2007

(04-26) 04:00 PDT Washington -- The White House said President Bush was never told that former NFL star Pat Tillman was killed by his fellow Army Rangers at a time Army officials knew the truth but misled his family and the public by saying the San Jose native had been shot by the enemy.

Lawmakers and Tillman's family raised questions at a House hearing Tuesday about whether former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and White House officials knew the death was by friendly fire, but allowed the Army to spin a false story that the Army corporal had been killed in a firefight with insurgents in Afghanistan.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said Wednesday that the details of Tillman's death never made it to the president.

"We have no indication that the president knew that there were questions surrounding the circumstances of ... Tillman's death until sometime afterward," Perino said.

She said the president learned it was friendly fire "well after the funeral," referring to Tillman's nationally televised memorial service in San Jose on May 3, 2004, although she did not offer a precise date. She said people in the White House "don't remember if he heard it from media reports or if he heard it from the Pentagon."

The Army admitted Tillman died from friendly fire on May 29, five weeks after his April 22, 2004, death.

"Obviously, he feels deeply for the Tillman family and what they're going through," Perino said. "He's glad that the Department of Defense is trying to find out what happened, and to hold people accountable."

Speculation about what Bush knew has been fueled by the release of a memo sent April 29, 2004, a week after Tillman's death, in which Gen. John Abizaid, then chief of the U.S. Central Command, was urged by a top general to tell "POTUS" -- the president of the United States -- that friendly fire was suspected.

"I felt that it was essential that you received this information as soon as we detected it in order to preclude any unknowing statements by our country's leaders which might cause public embarrassment if the circumstances of Cpl. Tillman's death become public," Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the military's special operations chief, wrote to Abizaid and other generals.

Lawmakers also released an e-mail that said White House speechwriter John Currin had called Army officials six days after Tillman's death asking for more details about his Army service for a speech Bush was scheduled to give days later at the White House Correspondents Association dinner. Rumsfeld's speechwriter had also called the Army for information about Tillman, the e-mail said.

Perino said it wasn't clear if Currin knew the facts of Tillman's death at the time, adding that he has since left the White House. The White House had no record of having received McChrystal's memo, she said.

Kevin Tillman, brother of the former Arizona Cardinals safety who served in the same Rangers unit, testified Tuesday that the memos suggest Rumsfeld and the White House were aware of the cover-up.

"It's a little disingenuous to think the administration didn't know," he said.

An inspector general's report has recommended that nine officers be disciplined for mishandling Tillman's death, but didn't suggest that a criminal cover-up occurred. Lawmakers, however, have criticized the report as not thorough enough and failing to push the questions to the highest levels of the Pentagon.

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Los Angeles, said he plans to continue his investigation and may call Pentagon and White House officials to testify.

"We still don't know how far up this went," Waxman said. "We don't know what the secretary of defense knew. We don't know what the White House knew. These are questions the committee seeks answers for."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/04/26/MNG4DPFFCT1.DTL