Hey, Abadaba:

Paid military intelligence psyops? Are you kidding me? I said what I said because the painful questions about Pat Tillman’s death are largely being asked of professional governmental liars. Their answers are therefore suspect. Anyone who tries to use the words “military” and “intelligence” to describe something tangible obviously doesn’t know much about either one. That war sucked from day one, and Pat Tillman isn’t it’s only victim. Too many good troops have died and been wounded, and the blood is on George W. Bush’s hands. It was his lies, and those of his cronies, that motivated so many to join. You want to blame somebody, blame the lying bastards who brought this about. Nobody pays me to say anything, you jerk, and nobody can pay me enough to shut up when I feel the urge to condemn the guilty parties.

No amount of army bullshit can alter the fact that Tillman was shot from the front, deliberately, from ten paces away.  wearing an American military uniform that was visible from much further.  There was no battle, that is just military bullshit.

The story of this man and his brother and how their family has suffered is tragic.

The political and policy implications of this heartfelt testimonial can’t be explained away by apologists for Bush or American policy post 9/11… yet nothing changes. What, if anything can explain mainstream media’s (and most American’s) indifference to this powerful narrative.. and others like it?

It’s easy to blame some big conspiracy.. I put the blame on all of us.. me, you.. every American.

That’s the truth as I see it.

I doubt very much that we’ll ever hear the truth about what really happened to Pat Tillman. That he was a good man and did what he thought was right goes without saying. It’s what happened to him after he signed those papers that we have to consider.

Practically everything that came after being sworn in was a distortion of reality. If it felt wrong to him, it’s because it was. If he felt as though he was being badly used, it’s because that was what happened. He was too good a man to have kept silent about what he was made to do over there, and that was known. He was a good, honest, American fighting man being badly used in a counterfeit war, and it galled him. His brother is correct in everything he wrote. We should honor this man because he went there openly and honestly, and fought accordingly, even when he knew it was wrong.

Pat Tillman was a good troop; he followed his orders, and he died in battle. That is as much as we will ever be permitted to know. Believe nothing else that is said, as it will only be said to serve some cause other than the memory of Pat Tillman.

“the wound entrances appeared as though he had been shot with an M16 rifle from less than 10 yards (9 m) away.”

Anyone who has served in the Army can easily point out the fallacy of this “fragging” conspiracy theory.  Let me just discuss one point:  Both the M16 and the SAW(Squad Automatic Weapon)fire a 5.56 round.

Pat Tillman was hit by three rounds to the head (others impacted on his chest body armor) by a SAW gunner from a distance of about 35 meters.  Not a difficult feat considering that the cyclic rate of the SAW is about 800 rounds a minute. 

Stan Goff (a Truthdig contributor) retired from the Army after being in the Rangers, Delta, and Special Forces.  He researched the Tillman case for the Tillman family and came to this conclusion.

I’d suggest these conspiracy theorists actually read Mary Tillman’s book “Boots on the Ground by Dusk” or Jon Krakauer’s “Where Men Win Glory” or Stan Goff’s “Fog of Fame” series at counterpunch.com.

However, there was a conspiracy by the Army and Bush adminstration to cover up Tillman’s fratricide.  And, the Democratic Congress and Obama presidency have continued the cover-up by protecting General McChrystal from punishment for his central role in the cover-up of Tillman’s fratricide and fraudulent Silver Star (heck, they promoted him twice!)

And the New York Times reporter Thom Shanker and the CNAS’s Andrew Exum have played their part as well.

If you would like to learn more, there are three documents discussing these issues posted at feralfighter.blogspot.com

the astonishing thing is that specialized truths can be known, like Bartwoberts reporting the bullet holes in Tillman’s head fired from less than ten feet away, and can be reported by the mainstream media, and still not interfere with the mainstrream cover story repeated over and over by authority.

the US power system and their truthers can still repeat the mainstream power delusions as if the evidence didn’t exist.  For example, the FBI, as testified by their witness in the trial, provided the explosives to the Terrorists to blow up the main Trade Center buildng in 1993, nearly a decade before the 9/11-antrax homicide in 2001.  But no truth connection is made between these two events, which tend to indicate American power complicity.

It appears that Americans don’t really want to know that the American power system is guilty of violence against their own people.  this is why well known Prog truthers like Noam Chomsky and Alexander Cockburn can get away with repeating the absurd US cover story on the assassinations.  Not only does the power structurre delude the population, but the population want to be deluded.  They want to believe what authority says is true, and are afraid to tell the simple truth that conflicts with it.

Pat Tillman was killed by Cheney’s assassination team.

A report described in The Washington Post on May 4, 2005, (prepared upon the request of Tillman’s family) by Brig. Gen. Gary M. Jones revealed that in the days immediately following Tillman’s death, U.S. Army investigators were aware that Tillman was killed by friendly fire, shot three times to the head.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Tillman#Controversy_surrounding_Tillman.27s_death

On July 26, 2007, Chris Matthews reported on Hardball that Tillman’s death may have been a case of fragging - specifically that the bullet holes were tight and neat, suggesting a shot at close range. Matthews based his speculation on a report from the doctors who investigated Tillman’s body. The following day the Associated Press reported that a doctor who examined Tillman’s body after his death wrote, “The medical evidence did not match up with the, with the scenario as described,”[24] also noting that the wound entrances appeared as though he had been shot with an M16 rifle from less than 10 yards (9 m) away. A possible motive, however, has never been identified. According to one of his fellow soldiers, Tillman “was popular among his fellow soldiers and had no enemies”.

I have to take a contrary view of Pat Tillman’s decision to join the military which was a notoriously bad and tragic decision for his own family. My decision at the time was he was making a foolish decision despite the numerous enticements for him not to do so, a lucrative contract offer for playing pro football. Pat had free will, like the rest of us, and sometimes we are presented will clues, intuition, that a decision is just wrong. I know, having made just plain stupid decisions despite my having been provided with clues, intuition again, not to do so. His was a tragedy from the start and continued by the Pentagon abuse unnecessarily for purely political purposes. It has been a travesty from the start just like the selection of Bush in 2000, the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan just to mention a few of the faux pas of the Bush gang which provides clues, intuition, of what is happening in the USA, United States of Amnesia, with the prospect of a military dictatorship very real. The clues; the Patriot Act, Military Commissions Act, Northern Cencom for the USA[the stationing of Pentagon troops to put down domestic rebellion], the Supreme court selecting Presidents, this is just to mention a few of the obvious clues, intuition.

A very moving and Right On letter…. I wonder if Uncle Barack has read it???  If he did I believe he would come to his senses and send only 39,999 more troops to Afghanistan instead of 40,000…  I love the fact that he’s still pretending to scratch his melon over just what to do…. What a sad f____ing dog and pony show this all is…...

I am still shaken from reading this stunning, brilliant, ice-cool letter.  Kevin
Tillman, I salute you, and your grandchildren will salute you one day, as well.  I am
sorry for your loss, and ours.

There is reason to believe that Tillman might have been killed intentionally to stop him from publically turning against the war. which he apparantly was planning to do.  Tillman’s family are still think the military is covering up, despiet four different versions of Tillman’s death.

Just before McChrystal’s June 2nd Senate confirmation hearing, Andrew Exum wrote:

“The bottom line is, nothing is ever going to heal the wounds inflicted on the Tillman Family … And while I have nothing but respect for the Tillman Family…, their personal grief should not be a veto on the nomination of the man the president, the Secretary of Defense, and General Petraeus all feel gives the United States and its allies the best chance of victory in Afghanistan …”

In my previous comment, I mentioned Andrew Exum’s Washington Post review of Jon Krakauer’s book about “Where Men Win Glory – The Odyssey of Pat Tillman.”  But in his book review, Andrew Exum neglected to mention General McChrystal’s role in the Tillman case or disclose his close personal and professional ties with him.
 
Last weekend on Meet the Press, Krakauer accused General McChrystal of lying about his role in the cover-up of the Tillman fratricide.  In response, Andrew Exum posted an entry in his CNAS “Abu Maquwama” blog blasting Krakauer, “On Martial Virtue … and Selling Jon Krakauer’s Crappy New Book”:

http://www.cnas.org/blogs/abumuqawama/2009/11/martial-virtue-and-selling-jon-krakauers-crappynew-book.html

Andrew Exum wrote:  “Stan McChrystal stands out as one of the guys who made mistakes but ultimately did the right thing … probably the least culpable guy in Tillman’s chain of command … Stan McChrystal is one of the finest men I have ever known, and I hope I have sons who serve under men like him.”  Well, as one blogger commented, “Phew, talk about a man crush.”
 
Before reading Exum’s blog entry, I had assumed that Andrew Exum and CNAS were part of the bipartisan “conspiracy” protecting General McChrystal, and Exum had written his book review to whitewash General McChrystal’s central role in orchestrating the cover-up of Pat Tillman’s fratricide. 

However, after reading his blog entry, I believe Andrew Exum is probably either awfully good at feigning self-righteous outrage or he is woefully ignorant of the most basic facts of the Tillman case.  Still, he’s obviously got personal and professional conflicts of interests here.

You can read my response to Exum’s blog post by either following the above link to his blog, or by viewing my document, “Where Men Win Glory – Andrew Exum, CNAS, and their Whitewash of General McChrystal’s Role in the Cover-Up of Pat Tillman’s Fratricide”:

http://feralfirefighter.blogspot.com/2009/11/men-win-glory-andrew-exum-center-for.html

Just before the June hearing, I wrote an 100-page document, “Did They Teach You to Lie Yet – Senator James Webb, General Stanley McChrystal, and the Betrayal of Pat Tillman.”  I argued that the top leadership of the Army, Waxman’s House Oversight Committee, and Senator Carl Levin’s and Senator McCain’s Senate Armed Services Committee acted to shield McChrystal from scrutiny and protect him from punishment for his actions:

http://feralfirefighter.blogspot.com/2009/11/did-they-teach-you-how-to-lie-yet_06.html

In September, I finished my 200-page binder, “Lies … Borne Out by Facts, If Not the Truth” – Senator James Webb, Thom Shanker & The New York Times, and the Whitewash of General Stanley McChrystal.”  This binder explores the role of New York Times’s Washington Pentagon reporter Thom Shanker in “clearing” McChrystal of any wrongdoing in the Tillman case despite overwhelming evidence otherwise.  In addition, I describe my interactions with Senator Webb’s office and speculate at President Obama’s role in the Tillman case:

http://feralfirefighter.blogspot.com/2009/11/lies-borne-out-by-facts-if-not-truth.html

If you’re curious to learn more about the Tillman story, most of this information has not been covered in Krakauer’s book or other media accounts.

And Mary Tillman’s book “Boots on the Ground Before Dusk” is an essential read.

And the people he went to server ended up killing him in the end - intentional no so “friendly fire”.

Unfortunely, Pat didn’t read Smedley Butler’s book before he signed on the dotted line. “War is a Racket” and the terrorists have always been in the Whitehose.

He also should have listen to his soon-to-be commanding officer before he joined. “Military Men Are Dumb, Stupid Animals to Be Used as Pawns for Foreign Policy.” Henry A. Kissinger

“War is always about betrayal, betrayal of the young by the old, of idealists by cynics and of troops by politicians.”    —Chris Hendges

Three years ago Kevin Tillman wrote his eloquent letter “After Pat’s Birthday.”

Kevin wrote, “Somehow the same incompetent, narcissistic, virtueless, vacuous, malicious criminals are still in charge of this country. ... Somehow this is tolerated.  Somehow nobody is accountable for this.”

Kevin hoped a Democratic Congress would bring accountability.  But, just as with warrantless wiretapping and torture, those responsible for the cover-up of his brother’s fratricide have not been held accountable by the Democratic Congress. 

In his book, “Where Men Win Glory,” Jon Krakauer blamed the Bush administration.  However, the cover-up has been a thoroughly bipartisan affair.  The Democratic Congress and the Obama Presidency have protected General McChrystal from punishment for his central role in orchestrating the cover-up.


Sometime after his April 2007 hearing, Congressman Waxman got the word the “fix” was in, to lay off McChrystal.  Perhaps because of McChrystal’s covert contribution to the “surge” in Iraq?  Shortly before the August 2007 Tillman hearing, McChrystal was dropped from the list of witnesses and never interviewed despite his central role in the cover-up. 

Senator James Webb conducted a secret “review” of McChrystal’s role.  On May 15th 2008, the Senate Armed Services Committee (headed by Levin and McCain) held a secret “executive session” where McChrystal testified behind closed doors about his actions “in detail.” Shortly afterwards, the Senate promoted him to Director of the Joint Staff. 

Like Pat Tillman, James Webb has been a maverick and a fascinating character. If anyone in Congress should have cared, it would have been him.  But, as an old man and politician, he’s turned into exactly what he once reviled as a young combat Marine! 

On May 12th 2009, despite McChrystal’s role, President Obama handpicked McChrystal to be his new commander of the Afghan War and for promotion to the Army’s highest rank.  Ironically, on the following day Obama gave the commencement address at Arizona State University inside Sun Devil Stadium without once mentioning Pat Tillman! [Note:  see Bob Young’s “Obama’s Big-Time Fumble” (Arizona Republic 5-17-09].

After a pro forma June 2nd hearing by the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Senate (begged by Senator Reid) confirmed McChrystal’s promotion on June 10th.

It’s not surprising that after the initial fratricide cover-up fell apart, Army officers and the Bush administration lied to protect their careers.  Reprehensible, but understandable.  But the Democratic Congress, after they took control of both Houses in 2006, could have gone after those responsible.  Or at least not promoted them!  Their hands are dirty as well with the betrayal of Pat Tillman.

The media’s been complicit as well.  The New York Time’s Thom Shanker wrote a May 26th piece “clearing” McChrystal of all wrong-doing shortly before McChrystal’s confirmation hearing.  Thom’s enjoyed favorable access to McChrystal since then (so much for the NYT’s coverage “without fear or favor’!)

And Andrew Exum’s review of Krakauer’s book for the Washington Post covered for McChrystal as well.  Yet, Andrew never mentioned his extensive personal and professional conflicts of interests: he is a “fan” of McChrystal, worked with him closely during the past summer Afghan War assessement, and he works for Nate Fick’s [“Generation Kill” LT] Center for a New American Security (CNAS)that meets with McChrystal weekly and is leading the push for the Afghan surge.
 
Five years ago, Pat Tillman’s family were handed a tarnished Silver Star.  It was a travesty of justice that McChrystal was promoted to the Army’s highest rank, and handed his fourth star.