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Political Commentary
 
Who killed Pat Tillman? Who covered it up?
I feel for the Tillman family. The military has lied through its collective teeth about the nature of Pat's death in Afghanistan from day 1 (April 22, 2004). The following revelation has set off the latest firestorm in the case: "Army medical examiners were suspicious about the close proximity of the three bullet holes in Pat Tillman's forehead and tried without success to get authorities to investigate whether the former NFL player's death amounted to a crime." Link; See list of new public info in case. Here are the certain facts. Pat Tillman was killed by Rangers in his own unit who had been hastily split up in hostile territory just before sunset (i.e., in fading light). The Army medical examiners found three closely grouped bullet holes in Pat's head. "The doctors - whose names were blacked out - said that the bullet holes were so close together that it appeared the Army Ranger was cut down by an M-16 fired from a mere 10 yards or so away." 10 yards?? From that range, there would be no doubt that the shooter not only knew that he was killing a friendly but, also, the identity of his victim.
If Pat Tillman was intentionally killed, then the question becomes was it (a) a political assassination ordered from higher up in our government against a famous individual who had spoken out against the war in Iraq or (b) Pat's own troops killed him intentionally due to personal dislike (the practice was called "fragging" in the Vietnam era). Cyberspace crackles with debate over this question; however, sober reflection (prompted by an article penned by Stan Goff in Counterpunch) leads to a more mundane but equally troubling conclusion. Goff article Part 1 / Goff article Part 2 / Goff article Part 3.
I previously read Stan's 2000 book, Hideous Dream. He is a retired Special Forces master sergeant having also served in Delta Force and taught at West Point (highly unusual for a noncommissioned officer). The man's politics are far left and his writings ooze emotion. Stan got hooked up with Tillman family acting as something of an advisor to Pat's mother. Thus, he received inside access to documents and interviews not available to the general public. Add to that his long service in the Rangers (the unit Pat Tillman served in) and one has to take notice of the conclusions he has drawn from the situation. I wish Stan could have clinically set forth his findings in a dry, objective report instead of the three part effusion he actually wrote. But that's not Mr. Goff's style. What follows is mostly Goff's view of what happened. I read his report as saying that Pat Tillman was killed by fire from an M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) from a distanced of approximately 40 yards. Damn close but not 10 yards. Specialist Alders admits firing a SAW that day in the direction of Cpl. Tillman. It appears Spc. Alders killed Cpl. Tillman.
Why 40 yards instead of the 10 yards in the doctor's report?
Goff talks about looking over maps and aerial photographs but the best evidence comes from the one guy still alive who was hunkered down next to Pat in the rocks taking fire on that day in Afghanistan: Spc. Bryan O'Neal of the US Rangers. He said the shooters were "close, close enough for me to recognize them, but they sure weren't 10 yards away. They were further than that. I've thought about this plenty of times. They wouldn't have been more than 50 yards away." Link. O'Neal says more than 10 yards but less than 50. Thus, 40 yards jibes with O'Neal's description. But even more telling was O'Neal's testimony that he could "recognize the shooters", meaning he not only could tell they were friendlies but, also, determine the identity of the shooters. Amazing. O'Neal could determine the individual identity of the shooters but they (the shooters) could not distinguish their targets as friendlies. Kind of hard to believe.
The three closely grouped bullets holes in Pat's head constituted a burst from a SAW on full automatic. All accounts indicate that fire discipline had broken down that day and the Rangers advancing toward Pat's position were firing indiscriminately into their fellow Rangers who had earlier split from the platoon. Some of Rangers receiving fire had taken refuge in a village a short distance away. Pat had popped a smoke grenade in an attempt to indicate to the attacking Rangers that he was a friendly. In a lull in the firing, he stood up waiving his arms over his head to further indicate he was a friendly and showed no hostile intent. In fading light, Spc. Alders thereupon opened fire on Cpl. Tillman with his SAW on full automatic from a distance of approximately 40 yards. While Pat was waiving his arms over his head, a burst of fire struck Cpl. Tillman in the head killing him instantly. How is this act by Spc. Alders not a crime? Negligent homicide at the least. Obviously, it galls the Tillman family to no end that no court martial has occurred. But a courtmartial would mean sworn testimony ... and no one at the Pentagon wants that.
Sorry folks, no assassination. No Rumsfelt orchestrated hit. Our government is, no doubt, evil enough to do such a thing but the facts can't possibly be stretched far enough to support this conclusion. Only little people were on the scene that day (Ranger lieutenant, NCOs, and common grunts). No Delta Force. No CIA operatives. Whatever plan had been put into place that day for the troop movement had gone awry. One of the team's Hummers broke down setting the plan back 6 hours. In a fit of ticket-punching zeal, Maj. Hodne order the platoon to split into two sections closing in on sunset (1/2 stay with the broken down hummer and 1/2 meet the original objective of the mission ... which was meaningless at that point). The obvious decision here would have been to scrub the mission and have the platoon return to base as one unit.
The decision to split the platoon, which led to Pat's death, was a spur of the moment, seat of the pants order caused by a developing situation--i.e., the breakdown of the Hummer. Even if the assets to pull off a hit on Pat Tillman had been imbedding into the Ranger unit that day (which never occurred), there was no chance to properly plan the supposed hit. The events wound out on their own accord quickly after the platoon split. Shortly after the split, three local Taliban shot an RPG into the valley then ran. That was the match that ignited the exposition. Although causing no damage or casualties, the round created tremendous noise reverberating in the valley. The Rangers closest to the explosion (the ones with the broken down Hummer) opened fire in all directions. Total Hollywood. The other group of Rangers sent a detachment to investigate the weapons fire. Were their fellow Rangers under attack? Pat led the detachment sent closest to the Ranger fire. There he was killed.
Pat Tillman, the Pentagon myth
What thereafter issued from the Pentagon was complete myth: Pat Tillman as war hero, Silver Star--"For gallantry in action against an armed enemy ... .". It was Jessica Lynch deja vu. Stan Goff put it best: "There is the cover-up (of the fratricide). * * * The motives of the spin-meisters were to pin a recruiting poster to Pat's coffin. The motive of the cover-up [at the lower levels of command] was to preserve the mystique of the US Army Rangers -- the elite of the infantry -- as flawless, disciplined, steely-eyed commandos." The motive for the cover-up at higher levels was to generate heartwarming news from Iraq / Afghanistan at a time when reality was ugly--Abu Ghraib, Fallujah, et cetera. Kevin Tillman makes the connection between the bad press from Abu Ghraib and the Pentagon's fantasy story on Pat's heroic death. See Youtube clip below of Kevin's opening statement before Congress. Once the Pentagon told the initial lie (Pat Tillman as war hero), it necessitated a flood of followup lies to coverup the original lie. Not just lies, but destruction of evidence surrounding the death of Pat Tillman (see Youtube testimony of Kevin Tillman below). Call it the Watergate effect.
The tenacity of Pat's mother led to uncovering the truth but has justice been done? Goff points out that a negligent homicide occurred (indiscriminate firing while not taking enemy fire and without first acquiring a known hostile target). This is a criminal offense under the military code of justice and a court martial should be convened. And what about the Silver Star lie pegged on Pat Tillman's coffin? Somebody was the originator of that lie, who? And how high up did the authorization for this lie go? With a national celebrity of Pat's stature involved and his authoritarian control of the Pentagon, Rumsfeld must have personally authorize the Tillman lie. He has denied this under oath before Congress meaning Rumy committed a crime by lying before Congress. A coverup and lying about the coverup were the crux of Watergate. A special prosecutor should be appointed with subpoena power over the Tillman affair. I nominate Patrick Fitzgerald for the job. Fitz, start with the scalp of the asshole who wrote Pat's fictitious silver star citation and work your way up to Rumy.
Why bother you may ask? Because our military so routinely bends the truth that it has lost sight of reality. An habitual liar eventually loses the ability to speak truth. Our military needs to be smacked upside the head. Blood needs to be spilled in the corridors of the Pentagon. This might be a small sin in the grand scheme of our military's list of transgressions but, hey, you have to start somewhere. Bring on Fitzgerald.
JJR
8-12-2007
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