Report: Tillman's Final Minutes a Horror

[Christy]

What I'm saying is that the Army should have done the stand-up thing and immediately disclosed what had happened. Even if the Army didn't intend to bury the information, that was the effect.

How do you know they immediately knew? I think they did do the stand up thing and came out with it very soon after it occurred. It could've very well stayed a mystery and none would be the wiser. :shrug:

 

[Tonio]

Are you sure the Army tried to cover it up? I do not recall the actual events BUT the miltary is often tight lipped about these things until the investigation is completed. More than likely it was media speculation and their reporting of assumptions and not actual releases from the Army that makes this look like they are covering things up.

I'm not a military expert by any stretch of the imagination. What you suggest sounds credible. Do you think I'm wrong for wanting to hold the military to a higher standard than the rest of the federal government?

 

[vraiblonde]

What Christy and Pete said.

"Friendly fire" was tossed out there within a day or two of Tillman's death by the military - said that's what it looked like but they were investigating.

 

[vraiblonde]

Do you think I'm wrong for wanting to hold the military to a higher standard than the rest of the federal government?

No, I think you're wrong for jumping to the conclusion that the military did a cover-up when there was none, as far as I can tell.

I'll tell you one thing I DO hope they cover up - the name of the guy that actually shot him. Can you imagine?

 

[Pete]

I'm not a military expert by any stretch of the imagination. What you suggest sounds credible. Do you think I'm wrong for wanting to hold the military to a higher standard than the rest of the federal government?

No, do you think it is wrong for the military to be tight lipped and not release info until a thorough investigation is completed.

Do you think it is wrong for the media to pressure the military for info, then later turn around and scream cover-up when the info they pressed for turned out to be flawed?

Do you think it is wrong to suppress certain info to maintain a heroic aura when it doesn't hurt anyone?

 

[Tonio]

No, I think you're wrong for jumping to the conclusion that the military did a cover-up when there was none, as far as I can tell.

I was going by the Yahoo article, because I didn't remember how long it was before the full story came out. A month (the time in the article) sounded like a long time to me, but again, I'm not a combat expert.

 

[Tonio]

No, do you think it is wrong for the military to be tight lipped and not release info until a thorough investigation is completed.

Do you think it is wrong for the media to pressure the military for info, then later turn around and scream cover-up when the info they pressed for turned out to be flawed?

Do you think it is wrong to suppress certain info to maintain a heroic aura when it doesn't hurt anyone?

1. No. I understand completely not wanting to go public with information that may turn out to be wrong.

2. Damn right. This isn't the same as, say, that harebrained land deal on Indian Bridge Road, where the secrecy was designed to avoid public scrutiny.

3. To be honest, it feels inappopriate. Tillman's heroism speaks for itself, and in my view he isn't less of a hero for how he died. Again, this may sound naive, but it just feels inappropriate for the Army to try to withhold nonclassified information in the interest of public relations. It's not high enough of a standard, as compared with Question 1.

 

[vraiblonde]

it just feels inappropriate for the Army to try to withhold nonclassified information in the interest of public relations.

I wish the Army would withhold ALL information and kick every single reporter out of Iraq and Afghanistan. There are a lot of things that happen during a war that aren't very pretty but ARE necessary, and the last thing we need is Barbra and Alec armchair quarterback sitting there critiquing things they know nothing about and causing civil unrest with their ignorance.

 

[Penn]

I wish the Army would withhold ALL information and kick every single reporter out of Iraq and Afghanistan. There are a lot of things that happen during a war that aren't very pretty but ARE necessary, and the last thing we need is Barbra and Alec armchair quarterback sitting there critiquing things they know nothing about and causing civil unrest with their ignorance.

Let me chime in there with you on this one. The one that really frosted me was the incident about the young Marine who, when walking into a room of supposedly incapacitated insurgents, shot one of them dead when he spotted movement out of the corner of his eye.

He was doing his job! Saving others around him in that room.

How the tape that reporter shot ever got out to the news media, is beyond me.

That right there is good enough reason to expel imbedded reporters from the combat zone, because they don't know what the hell they're looking at, and much worse, are all too eager to get it on TV.