Tillman investigations yield some startling findings

[Last Stand]

One of the four shooters, Staff Sgt. Trevor Alders, had recently had PRK laser eye surgery. Although he could see two sets of hands "straight up," his vision was "hazy," he said. In the absence of "friendly identifying signals," he assumed Tillman and an allied Afghan -- who also was killed -- were enemy.
snip
• A key commander in the events that led to Tillman's death both was reprimanded for his role and meted out punishments to those who fired, raising questions of conflict of interest.

• A field hospital report says someone tried to jump-start Tillman's heart with CPR hours after his head had been partly blown off and his corpse wrapped in a poncho; key evidence including Tillman's body armor and uniform was burned.
snip
The Pentagon's failure to reveal for more than a month that Tillman was killed by friendly fire raised suspicions of a cover-up. One investigator told Tillman's family that officials haven't ruled out that Tillman was shot by an American sniper or deliberately murdered by his own men -- though he also gave no indication the evidence pointed that way.

more
http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/9789986

[Dhalgren]

1. Anybody got any theories about this? What actually happened and why?

[Aviation Pro]

3. I do...

...but in the interests of driving myself batshit crazy I'll keep 'em to myself.

[Last Stand]

6. I'll try. Tillman was a hardcore Dem and was coming stateside

to do interview(s) with MSM--can't remember the specific outlet--and was ready to lambaste the Bush Admin. for its mishandling of war efforts. He was embraced as a hero by BushCo and his words would have been damning. I'm not suggesting foul play here, but...

[Iwasthere]

2. So why the hell would some try CPR after hours passed

I pressume they used shock treatment to the corpse the way it was stated, but why after hours had passed???

[negativenihil]

4. C-Y-A mode maybe? n/t

[TornadoTN]

7. That is very puzzling to me as well

This story just keeps getting deeper and deeper, with the bizarre information still piling up. This part of the report just doesn't register to me, there is no concievable reason that they would have tried to jump start his heart if he had in fact been dead for that long. It goes against every protocol that I can't think of when it comes to dealing with the deceased.

[Mabus]

8. Shock and/or cadaveric spasms

The first that comes to mind is shock. People do strange things when they are in shock. The second thing that came to mind was Tillman's body was having cadaveric spasms, i.e. movement of the body after death. Perhaps a combination of shock and cadaveric spasms lead someone to believe that Pat was still alive.

[Mabus]

5. More interesting stuff from the article

The article says that the Rangers were low on food and sent into an area known for ambushes. I don't believe would have been the situation had we not gone into Iraq. We should have kept the focus on Afghanistan and helped supply and support the troops there.

"This isn't just about our son," (Mary Tillman, Pat's mother) said. "It's about holding the military accountable. Finding out what happened to Pat is ultimately going to be important in finding out what happened to other soldiers."

***

After killing Tillman, at least one of the same Rangers turned his guns on a village where witnesses say civilian women and children had gathered. The shooters raked it with fire, the American witnesses said; they wounded two additional fellow Rangers, including their own platoon leader.

***

"They were not inquiring, identifying, engaging (targets). They weren't doing their job as a soldier," (Kevin Tillman) told an investigator. "You have an obligation as a soldier to, you know, do certain things, and just shooting isn't one of your responsibilities.

***

Investigators are looking at who fired at Tillman; they are also looking at the officers who pressured the platoon to move through a region with a history of ambushes; the soldiers who burned Tillman's uniform and body armor; and at everyone in the chain of command who kept the circumstances of Tillman's death from the family for more than a month.

[Dhalgren]

9. Did they burn his uniform in an effort to say that he was not in uniform?

If he was dressed as a native, they could say that they honestly mistook him for an enemy? Why else would they burn his uniform prior to an investigation that they knew (or should have known) was coming? Aren't all "friendly fire" incidents investigated? Jesus, this is beyond bizzare...

[Mabus]

10. or to destroy forensic evidence

It is bizarre. It doesn't make any sense at all.