Pat Tillman's family firmly rejected the Defense Department's findings into the former NFL star's friendly-fire death in Afghanistan, calling for congressional investigations into what they see as broad malfeasance and a coverup.
"Perhaps subpoenas are necessary to elicit candor and accuracy from the military," his family said in a statement Monday night, after hearing the results of the latest probes.
There is something more to this story. When Pat Tillman died, the Bush Administration, which refuses to comment on the deaths of individual U.S. soldiers, leapt out with a statement:
“Pat Tillman was an inspiration on and off the football field, as with all who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the war on terror. His family is in the thoughts and prayers of President and Mrs. Bush,” Taylor Gross, a spokesman for the White House, said in a statement.
Just yesterday, at the White House press briefing, Dana Perino reiterated the White House line:
The President feels that Pat Tillman was an inspiration to all of us. And I looked back, and in 2004, one of the things that the President said was that "Pat Tillman set aside a career in athletics and many things the world counts important -- wealth and security and acclaim of crowds. He chose instead the rigors of Ranger training and the fellowship of soldiers, and the hard duty in Afghanistan and Iraq."
And, of course, we hold Pat Tillman's family in our thoughts and prayers. And as there's more information to release from the White House, we'll let you know. But as you said, the Department of Defense is having a briefing at 4:00 p.m.
I don't think the Bush White House has issued a statement about any other individual who has died in the war. They won't even allow photos of the flag-draped caskets. One has to wonder how far up the chain of command the cover up extends. Given the way the Bush team plays politics with war, it's probably pretty far.
