ugly details of tillman coverup

[jetdawgg]

Info locked down, Tillman's uniform burned after death
April 20, 2007

CBS SportsLine.com wire reports



SAN FRANCISCO -- Within hours of Pat Tillman's death, the Army went into information-lockdown mode, cutting off phone and Internet connections at a base in Afghanistan, posting guards on a wounded platoon mate, and ordering a sergeant to burn Tillman's uniform.

New investigative documents reviewed by the Associated Press describe how the military sealed off information about Tillman's death from all but a small ring of soldiers. Officers quietly passed their suspicion of friendly fire up the chain to the highest ranks of the military, but the truth did not reach Tillman's family for five weeks.

The clampdown, and the misinformation issued by the military, lie at the heart of a burgeoning congressional investigation.

"We want to find out how this happened," said Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., chairman of the House oversight committee, which has scheduled a hearing for Tuesday. "Was it the result of incompetence, miscommunication or a deliberate strategy?"

It is also a central issue as the Army weighs punishments against nine officers, including four generals, faulted in the latest Pentagon report on the case of the NFL star-turned-soldier. Military offocials said those recommendations could come in the next several weeks.

It is well known by now that the circumstances of Tillman's April 22, 2004, death were kept from his family and the American public; the Army maintained he was cut down by enemy bullets in an ambush, even though many soldiers knew he was mistakenly killed by his own comrades. The nearly 1,100 pages of documents released last month at the conclusion of the Army Criminal Investigation Command's probe reveal the mechanics of how the Army contained the information.

For example, the day after Tillman died, Spc. Jade Lane lay in a hospital bed in Afghanistan, recovering from gunshot wounds inflicted by the same fellow Rangers who had shot at Tillman. Amid his shock and grief, Lane noticed guards were posted on him.

"I thought it was strange," Lane recalled. Later, he said, he learned the reason for their presence: The news media were sniffing around, and Lane's superiors "did not want anyone talking to us," he said.

Inside Forward Operating Base Salerno, near Khowst, Afghanistan, a soldier heard the dreaded call come across the radio: "KIAs." There were two killed in action, one allied Afghan fighter and one Army Ranger, identified only by his code name.

The soldier checked a roster and discovered the fallen American was Tillman. He rounded up four others and broke the news but withheld Tillman's name.

Had this soldier wanted to share the news outside the tactical operations center, it would have been difficult. "The phones and Internet had been cut off, to prevent anyone from talking about the incident," he told investigators.

Nearby on the same base, a staff sergeant was in his tent when a captain walked in and told him to burn Tillman's bloody clothing.

"He wanted me alone to burn what was in the bag to prevent security violations, leaks and rumors," the staff sergeant testified. The superior "put a lock on communications" in the tent, he testified. Other Army officers said this was probably a directive to the staff sergeant to keep the conversation to himself.

Then he left the staff sergeant to his work: placing Tillman's uniform, socks, gloves and body armor into a 55-gallon drum and burning them.

Several Army officers who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan said pulling the plug on base phones and e-mail was routine after a soldier died. The practice was meant to ensure the family was notified through official channels, said Army Maj. Todd Breasseale, chief spokesman for ground forces in Iraq until last August.

But the truth was quickly becoming evident to a small group of soldiers with direct access to the evidence.

Two other sergeants who examined Tillman's vest noticed the bullet holes appeared to be from 5.56-caliber bullets -- signature American ammunition. An awful realization dawned on the sergeants, whose names, like those of others who testified in the investigation, were deleted from the recently released testimony.

"At this time was when I had realized Tillman may have been killed by friendly fire," one of them said.

The other sergeant, who was higher-ranking, told him to "keep quiet and let the investigators do their job," the subordinate sergeant testified. He was not to go "informing unit members that Spc. Tillman was killed by friendly fire."

This was the same reason top-ranking officers cited in trying to explain why they waited to tell the Tillman family: They wanted to have the definitive investigation results. Army regulations, however, dictate that the next of kin be informed of additional information about a service member's death as it becomes available.

Then-Col. James C. Nixon, Tillman's regimental commander, ordered an investigation but directed that the information gathered be shared with as few people as possible until the results were finalized, acting Defense Department Inspector General Thomas Gimble found in a separate probe also completed last month.

Nixon, now a brigadier general and director of operations at the Center for Special Operations at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida, said that he was not aware of all regulations governing such a case, and that his missteps were unintentional.

Among the top brass at the Pentagon, Lt. Gen. Philip Kensinger, a now-retired three-star general in charge of special operations, represented the Army at Tillman's memorial service almost two weeks after the soldier's death. "He decided to withhold notification from family members until all facts concerning the incident could be verified," Gimble found.

Kensinger denied that he knew on the day of the memorial service that friendly fire was suspected. But investigators dismissed his claim as not credible and Kensinger could be punished under military law for making false official statements.

Congressional investigators will try to determine how high up the chain of command the information lockdown went. The Army delivered several thousand pages of new documents on Thursday, military officials said.

Gen. John Abizaid, then chief of Central Command, in charge of all American forces in the Middle East and Central Asia, testified that he did not learn of the likelihood of friendly fire until sometime between May 6 and May 13 -- two or three weeks after Tillman died - because he was traveling in the Middle East.

And a lieutenant colonel testified that he delayed briefing Central Command lawyers until more than a month after Tillman had died, in part because he feared leaks and did not want to be blamed as the source.

But Abizaid visited Afghanistan within a week of Tillman's death and spoke to Tillman's platoon leader, then-Lt. David Uthlaut. Uthlaut has testified he did not suspect friendly fire until later.

Abizaid's trip to Afghanistan was not examined by Gimble's investigators, according to spokesman Gary Comerford.

Abizaid had no immediate comment.

The new testimony and other documents do not identify who, if anyone, orchestrated the clampdown. Nor do they address whether there was a concerted effort to conceal the truth about the best-known casualty in the war on terrorism.

Gimble said last month he found no evidence of such a cover-up. But when asked by a reporter whether he probed why the Army had not told the family in a timely fashion, Gimble said no.

One soldier carried a particularly heavy burden of secrecy.

Ranger Spc. Russell Baer had witnessed Rangers shooting at Rangers. Afterward, he was directed to travel from Afghanistan to the United States with his friend Kevin Tillman. But he was ordered not to tell Pat Tillman's brother and fellow Ranger that friendly fire was the likely cause of the former football player's death.

He kept the secret, fearing he did not know the whole story. But in a personal protest, Baer later went AWOL and was demoted as punishment.

"I lost respect for the people in charge of me," Baer testified in an earlier Tillman investigation. He had gleaned "part of the puzzle" of Tillman's death, but lamented that "I couldn't tell them about it."

Five investigations and three years later, that information gap is what's driving the congressional probe, which is also looking into misinformation surrounding the capture and rescue of Pvt. Jessica Lynch in Iraq.

AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/10139370

[killerinstinct]

too bad the American people dont call congresional hearings into every death...

[jetdawgg]

too bad the American people dont call congresional hearings into every death...

This one is just plain ugly. Something does not look right at all. I hope the best for his family

[Sgt Leprechaun]

Actually, I go with the old line,

"Never attribute to malice, what can adequeately be explained by stupidity".

The dems are merely using this entire thing as a way to bash the military in a roundabout way. What, exactly, does airing any of this, at this time, have to do with winning the war? The army already admitted that they screwed the pooch here. How many more investigations are required to hear the same old thing over and over again??

Lastly, the army isn't exactly known for being the sharpest tacks in the box half the time (I speak of higher levels of leadership in general here). But, again, go back to the quote.

[jetdawgg]

The former 'do nothing" congress led by the republicans had little oversight. Now that we have voted a congress with teeth, oversight is becoming the norm.

Who can trust the data from the previous investigations? Certainly not the Tillmans.

[Sgt Leprechaun]

What, exactly, would you like 'the data' to prove? We already know it was a 'blue on blue' incident. We already know that the army attempted a ham handed cover up. That didn't succeed.

Exactly what more do we need? Video of Tillman taking rounds?

And, again, whose agenda does this serve?

A congress with teeth. Riiiiiighhht. Sorry, I don't buy that particular batch of kool aide.

[jetdawgg]

What, exactly, would you like 'the data' to prove? We already know it was a 'blue on blue' incident. We already know that the army attempted a ham handed cover up. That didn't succeed.

Exactly what more do we need? Video of Tillman taking rounds?

And, again, whose agenda does this serve?

A congress with teeth. Riiiiiighhht. Sorry, I don't buy that particular batch of kool aide.

Ask Gonzo. Ask Petreaus. They now have to answer to congress. The blank check days are over.

Again, how can you trust the data from before? This administration has a credibility problem. The Tillman family deserves to know the truth.

Even the current war was started in part because of 'bad intel' as per the administration. Credibility is an issue.

[Sgt Leprechaun]

Again, repeating the same stuff over and over is not 'the truth'. What, exactly, IS THE NEW INVESTIGATION hoping to find? Evidence that Bush himself ordered the 'coverup'? That Rummy fired the shots?

I trust the data from before simply because it admits a screwup. And mistakes.

I assume that you would like to see blood for this. Not gonna happen. Congress will drop this eventually, when they've made enough political hay from the issue. If you are expecting great things here, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed.

Credibility with the political side has nothing to do with credibility from a bunch of army commanders who were more concerned with fitreps, careers, etc.

Assuming this is some vast coverup that extends all the way to the whitehouse is stretching the case to the bounds of credibility.

[jetdawgg]

Again, repeating the same stuff over and over is not 'the truth'. What, exactly, IS THE NEW INVESTIGATION hoping to find? Evidence that Bush himself ordered the 'coverup'? That Rummy fired the shots?

I trust the data from before simply because it admits a screwup. And mistakes.

I assume that you would like to see blood for this. Not gonna happen. Congress will drop this eventually, when they've made enough political hay from the issue. If you are expecting great things here, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed.

Credibility with the political side has nothing to do with credibility from a bunch of army commanders who were more concerned with fitreps, careers, etc.

Assuming this is some vast coverup that extends all the way to the whitehouse is stretching the case to the bounds of credibility.

SGT I agree with you in some ways it is repetitive. As I said before though, the Tillmans deserve the truth. Apparantly there is some level of disatisfaction with what has been presented to them.

It is not me that wants to see blood. I think think that the American people as a whole have seen enough for almost 5 years now.

[Sgt Leprechaun]

I think, perhaps, the Tillmans' HAVE the truth. Their son was killed in a tragic blue on blue engagement that wasn't malicious. Had the truth been told 'from the git go' it would have been the same, but the idiot careerist army officers decided to cover it up, to protect themselves and their careers. Thus, making everyone look like they had something to hide, when it's just simple mistakes.

I don't think 'the American people' want 'blood'. I think this is a political, and media, driven circus. That will only end, again, with the same outcome as before, with the same answers as before, with the possible exception of finding one or two more mid level careerist army officers to burn. Sad to say, there are far more waiting in the wings to take their place.

Those who were involved in this, their careers are pretty much over.

[jetdawgg]

SGT Lep, I agree with you here. Just a sad story that these soldiers put there own agenda ahead of Tillman and the truth.

The media 'feeding frenzy' is going to be vicious. When the NFL season starts I am sure that the truth will come out about then.

[Zulu 36]

I agree with Sgt L.

Tillman was killed by (not so) friendly fire. Maybe a new investigation will turn up something the family really doesn't want to hear - Tillman himself screwed up and put himself someplace he shouldn't have been.

I don"t know for certain, of course. It sounds like he was doing OK and got shot blue on blue. Yes, the Army should have just been up front with it from the beginning. Maybe Tillman was still doing valorious things worthy of a medal even if not capped by his own guys, I don't know that either.

He was a hot media ticket. Even though Tillman kept the media at a distance during his service, once he died, all bets were off and they were.

The media and politicians get too worked up over blue on blue incidents. They happen. There is too much "to whom it may concern" stuff flying around a battlefield these days. I'm just amazed it doesn't happen more often. The military has been working very hard to reduce blue on blue incidents and seems to have done so. I doubt if blue on blue will ever be 100% eliminated.

I'm sure it does happen more often than we know. The dead do not involve ex-NFL players and the battle circumstances were too confused to know for certain who shot who, especially if grenades, rockets, mortars, etc, were in use.

Yes, the military should do what they can to reduce blue on blue, but the rest of us must also understand that it happens anyway. No malice is intended. And if malice is intended, it isn't blue on blue, it's murder.

[10thzodiac]

A lesson learned in more ways than one, if I have to explain what I mean, it wouldn't do any good anyways. Just forget you read this.

[semperfi170]

FRIENDLY FIRE What an oxymoron!! I don't see anything friendly in being hit by bullet, mortar round, artillery shell, or a bomb!!

Congressional oversight - that is something to laugh at. The only time there is oversight is when they can further their so-called careers. What about all of them that supported this war and are now against it? Where was the oversight than or even speaking out and going to the media like they are so fond of doing now?

I am not saying Bush or the Republicans did everything right or on the up and up. But what President or Congress has?

[MOUNTAINWILLIAM]

Too bad, just like all of the hoopla surrounding the Jessica Lynch incident..........All a load of un-needed,misguided,propaganda.

Remember, if you lie once you have to lie a lot.