Gen. Tried To Warn Bush On Tillman Death

Memo Written 1 Month Before Friendly Fire Disclosure Tried To Prevent Public Comments On Death

(AP)  Just seven days after Pat Tillman's death, a top general warned there were strong indications that it was friendly fire and President Bush might embarrass himself if he said the NFL star-turned-soldier died in an ambush, according to a memo obtained by The Associated Press.

It was not until a month afterward that the Pentagon told the public and grieving family members the truth — that Tillman was mistakenly killed in Afghanistan by his comrades.

The memo reinforces suspicions that the Pentagon was more concerned with sparing officials from embarrassment than with leveling with Tillman's family.

In a memo sent to a four-star general a week after Tillman's April 22, 2004, death, then-Maj. Gen. Stanley McChrystal warned that it was "highly possible" the Army Ranger was killed by friendly fire. McChrystal made it clear his warning should be conveyed to the president.

"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," McChrystal wrote on April 29, 2004, to Gen. John Abizaid, head of Central Command.

White House spokesman Blain Rethmeier said Friday that a review of records turned up no indication that the president had received McChrystal's warning. Bush made no reference to the way Tillman died in a speech delivered two days after the memo was written. But Rethmeier emphasized that the president often pays tribute to fallen soldiers without mentioning the exact circumstances of their deaths.

The family was not told until May 29, 2004, what really happened. In the intervening weeks, the military continued to say Tillman died under enemy fire, and even awarded him the Silver Star, which is given for heroic battlefield action.

The Tillman family has charged that the military and the Bush administration deliberately deceived his relatives and the nation to avoid turning public opinion against the war.

Tillman's mother, Mary, had no immediate comment Friday on the newly disclosed memo.

The memo was provided to the AP by a government official who requested anonymity because the document was not released as part of the Pentagon's official report into the way the Army brass withheld the truth. McChrystal was the highest-ranking officer accused of wrongdoing in the report, issued earlier this week.

In the memo, McChrystal expressed concern that Bush and acting Army Secretary Les Brownlee might give speeches in which they misstated the facts about Tillman's death.

A former spokesman for Abizaid did not immediately return phone and e-mail messages.

As for Brownlee, he told investigators he did not recall learning Tillman was killed by his fellow Rangers until several weeks after the fact. He did not discuss the matter with the White House, he told investigators.

A spokesman for McChrystal said he had no comment.

McChrystal was, and still is, commander of the Joint Special Operations Command, head of "black ops" forces. He has since been promoted to lieutenant general. Abizaid was in charge of American forces in the Middle East and Central Asia.

In his memo, McChrystal said he had heard Bush and Brownlee "might include comments about Cpl. Tillman's heroism and his approved Silver Star medal in speeches currently being prepared, not knowing the specifics surrounding his death."

McChrystal said he expected an investigation under way "will find that it is highly possible Cpl. Tillman was killed by friendly fire."

At the same time, McChrystal said: "The potential that he might have been killed by friendly fire in no way detracts from his witnessed heroism or the recommended personal decoration for valor in the face of the enemy."

On Monday, the Pentagon released the findings of an investigation into the circumstances of Tillman's death, and into whether the military covered them up.

The investigators recommended that nine Army officers, including McChrystal, be held accountable for errors in reporting the friendly fire death to their superiors and to Tillman's family. McChrystal was found "accountable for the inaccurate and misleading assertions" contained in papers recommending Tillman get the Silver Star.

Some of the officers involved said they wanted to wait until the investigations were complete before informing the Tillman family.

The latest document obtained by the AP suggests that officials at least as high as Abizaid knew the truth weeks before the family.

Tillman was killed after his Army Ranger comrades were ambushed in eastern Afghanistan. Rangers in a convoy trailing Tillman's group had just emerged from a canyon where they had been fired upon. They saw Tillman and mistaken fired on him.

The White House has been careful not to wade into the circumstances of Tillman's death. The day after Tillman died, a spokesman said Tillman "was an inspiration on and off the football field," but made no reference to the specifics of the episode.

In a speech given two days after McChrystal's memo, Bush made no mention of how Tillman died.

"The loss of Army Cpl. Pat Tillman last week in Afghanistan brought home the sorrow that comes with every loss, and reminds us of the character of the men and women who serve on our behalf," Bush said at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.

Power, corruption and lies - that's all this administration has to offer the American people.

[taylpatr]

Isn't it amazing how the lies just keep on surfacing around and about this dirty little war?What I want to know is,how soon is it going to be until W. and his gang of neocons are investigated and prosecuted for the lying bullies that they are?Ten years ago they were on Clinton like white on rice and all he lied about was a b*** job.

[joanpz]

69% of voters FIND GW BUSH ADMINISTRATION A FAILURE - unfortunately the other 31% don't bother to READ NEWS - they tell you that the "dems" MAKE IT UP - like 69% of voters are DEMOCRATS - nope, BI-PARTISAN, DEMS & REPUBS!
"Cut me some 'slack'!

[waynabq]

MCVet,

Keep up your great posts, retmilspouse is a typical Bush supporter, a koolaid drinking delusional Monkey worshipping fool who lives in LaLa Land. Pat Tillman and the thousands of other people who've been killed by Bush's lies and their grieving families aren't human beings, they're just statistics. Bush could tell these fools Baghdad is a fabulous vacation spot and his idiot supporters would believe it.

[waynabq]

I take back what I said about America deserves George Bush. Only the clueless idiots who still support him do. Too bad they all can't be teleported to downtown Baghdad all at once to fight their bogus war on "Terror". Instead they send send our youngest and most naive citizens in harms way, to occupy a country that had no WMDs and no involvement in the 911 attacks, to do their dirty work while they rant and rave about patriotism and god in the safety of their homes. Bush and his supporters are disgusting,ignorant pigs.

[omega39-2009]

After all the lies were exposed in the Jessica Lynch debacle, you would think the press and the government would have realized that the truth always reveals itself, sometimes it just take a while.

[formrusmcsgt]

"The memo reinforces suspicions that the Pentagon was more concerned with sparing officials from embarrassment than with leveling with Tillman's family."


Considering that Bush embarasses himself and all of us every time he opens his mouth, they shouldn't have been concerned.....

[barbaraf4]

swwils:

"I feel bad for the Tillman family and wish them all find peace of this tragedy.This seems to happen more than we Americans know about.I am positive if this would have happened to a soldier that did not have the credintials of Cpl Tillman we would still be in the dark on what actually happened over there."

I am not clear about what "credintials" Cpl Tillman had. He was a football player for crying out loud! It's not like he had discovered the cure for cancer - he just played ball for a living. Granted Bush got a lot of mileage out of his decision to enlist and go to Iraq, but the bottom line is that he could just have easily put a gun to his head in his own driveway at home for the difference it has made in this war.

And therein lies the problem - to Bush, it doesn't matter how many die or are maimed. To Bush, it doesn't matter whether it was friendly fire or enemy fire. IT JUST DOESN'T MATTER BECAUSE THE ONE PERSON WHO CAN STOP THE INSANITY IS HIMSELF INSANE.

When he toured Walter Reed, I wonder if it crossed his mind that he created this problem. That everyone there, with missing limbs, etc. would not be there except for Bush.

[tuckerndfw]

When does it end?

Posted by inventagod at 09:38 AM : Mar 31, 2007

It will be at least one generation, possibly two or three.

We are still reliving the Vietnam fiasco forty years later. So it will be for the sordid mess we call the "Bush administration."

Forty years (or more) from now, people will still be blaming "liberals" for the mess George Bush made.

[inventagod]

Fake war.
Fake heros.
Fake care for our injured troops.
Fake hurricane FEMA.
Fake justice dept.

When does it end?

[mcvet]

MCVet,
Wow you are just mad at the world, huh? Did someone take your marbles away on the play ground? Get a life, you couldn't cut it in the military and have a miserable existence for a life, so you have to find fault in everyone that you see as a threat. Tillman knew what he signed up for good, bad or indifferent. The families of these brave soldiers (ie Cindy Sheehan included) need to let their valiant volunteers die in peace.
Posted by retmilspouse at 09:55 PM : Mar 30, 2007

That's always the answer for you Nazi's isn't it? Can't defend or address the issue, attack the messenger. I have fought with and watched American's die in Combat. I have heard the screams and the sound of Combat. Things happen in Combat that never would happen anywhere else, that we can all understand, but to LIE about how that veteran died? Why do that when the Truth will always in the end come out and HURT all those who matter most. This Slime Dog you clowns call a President is beneth disgust.. he's not worthy to command the US Military and all the attacks on me personally will NEVER change that. Sieg Heil.

[mcvet]

MCVet,
Wow you are just mad at the world, huh? Did someone take your marbles away on the play ground? Get a life, you couldn't cut it in the military and have a miserable existence for a life, so you have to find fault in everyone that you see as a threat. Tillman knew what he signed up for good, bad or indifferent. The families of these brave soldiers (ie Cindy Sheehan included) need to let their valiant volunteers die in peace.
Posted by retmilspouse at 09:55 PM : Mar 30, 2007

That's always the answer for you Nazi's isn't it? Can't defend or address the issue, attack the messenger. I have fought with and watched American's die in Combat. I have heard the screams and the sound of Combat. Things happen in Combat that never would happen anywhere else, that we can all understand, but to LIE about how that veteran died? Why do that when the Truth will always in the end come out and HURT all those who matter most. This Slime Dog you clowns call a President is beneth disgust.. he's not worthy to command the US Military and all the attacks on me personally will NEVER change that. Sieg Heil.

[mcvet]

That Vet called people who disagreed with him "bootlicking fascists", and you think I am thin skinned? I agree that I could have cut Besscannon some slack. Everyone has a stake in this whether you served or not, has had a family member who has served or are just a concerned citizen. It just gets me going when people start calling names to justify the point they are trying to make.
Posted by retmilspouse at 01:18 AM : Mar 31, 2007

Not so swastika breath. If you LOSERS would spend as much time trying to expand your mind as you do "licking boot's" of those who have cause so many lives to be wasted you'd know better. No one is calling you that because of your opinion but because you continue to defend *** like this. To have an opinion is okay... to continue to kill and distroy trying to FORCE your opinions on others is quite another indeed. Sieg Heil

[mcvet]

This country deserves George W. Bush.
Posted by waynabq at 01:14 AM : Mar 31, 2007
+ report abuse

No ONLY certain one's, the Southern Revisonist and the Religious Reich deserve everything that's coming their way, the rest of us? We're just American's who believed these low lifes when they said they got it after the last attemp to grab power.

[mcvet]

Pentagon should have left the story of Tillman's death as: from an ambush. This would have rallied the troops to wipe out the Taliban before they have a chance to regroup (as they are doing now). The Afghan govt can take hold of its affairs sooner. And our troops can start coming home from Afghanistan.
Posted by jfebiala at 04:29 AM : Mar 31, 2007

Anyone who thinks that an American should not be told the truth about what happened to their loved one in Combat is ONE sick Nazi. You fit that bill perfectly!! The REASON the Taliban are regrouping and the REASON we have not captured Bin Laden is the SAME slime that refused to tell these people how their son died. His name is George Bush and for century's to come children will speak the name and find a bad taste in their mouth. No one has EVER shown the ugly side of Southern Fascism quite like Bush and his Administration. In fact they are quite simular to those who attacked us... very simular indeed. Sieg Heil

[yorkark]

Bush was looking for hero he didn't care how Tillman or any of the rest of them died. These men and women are just pons in his war games.He only visits them in the hospital when there is a camera ready it is all about Bush. See me see me I am great.

War crimes when will Bush have to pay for his.

[hungry1968]

We are still in the dark as to what happened over there. Here's my opinion:
The war was going badly and the American public was turning against this administration. Enrollment in the armed forces was down and so was public opinion of the handling of the wars. What better way to trump up popular support than to have a genuine American hero. They didn't have one handy, so they created one. He was sacrificed to prop up the cause, and for a while it worked, but the truth is slowly leaking out. Eventually we'll find out about all of the war crimes committed by this administration. It's just a shame that no punishment will ever be handed out.

[swwils]

I feel bad for the Tillman family and wish them all find peace of this tragedy.This seems to happen more than we Americans know about.I am positive if this would have happened to a soldier that did not have the credintials of Cpl Tillman we would still be in the dark on what actually happened over there.

[neoconrcrazy]

www.ifamericansknew.org :


Statistics Last Updated: March 26, 2007

Israeli and Palestinian Children Killed

118 Israeli children have been killed by Palestinians and 926 Palestinian children have been killed by Israelis since September 29, 2000.

Israelis and Palestinians Killed Since September 29, 2000
1,021 Israelis and at least 4,070 Palestinians have been killed since September 29, 2000.

Israelis and Palestinians Injured Since September 29, 2000
7,633 Israelis and 31,296 Palestinians have been injured since September 29, 2000.

Daily U.S. Assistance to Israel and the Palestinians
The U.S. gives $15,139,178 per day to the Israeli government and military and $232,290 per day to Palestinian NGO%u2019s.

UN Resolutions Targeting Israel and the Palestinians
Israel has been targeted by at least 65 UN resolutions and the Palestinians have been targeted by none.

Political Prisoners
1 Israeli is being held prisoner by Palestinians, while 9,599 Palestinians are currently imprisoned by Israel.

Demolitions of Palestinian Homes
0 Israeli homes have been demolished by Palestinians and 4,170 Palestinian homes have been demolished by Israel since September 29, 2000.


New Settlements Built (March 2001 - July 2003)
60+ new Jewish-only settlements have been built on confiscated Palestinian land between March 2001 and July 11, 2003. There have been 0 cases of Palestinians confiscating Israeli land and building settlements.

[karlimhof]

Death is spun for political reasons-

What sickness have we allowed ourselves to be infected with?

The country is run by political appointees Rove, Wolfowitz, Gonzales, "think tank" warriors, all with their own twisted agendas they spin on us relentlessly.

I say throw the bast ards all out - name them by name, name their crimes, never again allow these war-mongering, false flag flying un-Americans, to enter a government building again.

Our government has become one giant slaughter- house - blood, grime, sinews strewn everywhere.

A gruesome sight - and shameful one too.