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Army Opens New Probe of Tillman's Afghan Death
2 hours, 18 minutes ago
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By Will Dunham
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Army has opened a new investigation into the circumstances of the April death in Afghanistan of Cpl. Pat Tillman, a former professional football player killed in a "probable" friendly fire incident, officials said on Monday.
The investigation was ordered on Nov. 3 by then-acting Army Secretary Les Brownlee and was prompted by questions raised by Tillman's family about his death in a remote canyon in southeastern Afghanistan, Army officials said. One official said the investigation could trigger criminal charges if any U.S. personnel are deemed culpable in his death.
Tillman played for four years in the National Football League but walked away from a $3.6 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals to sign up as an elite Army Ranger.
His mother has accused the military of burning her son's uniform to try to hide the circumstances of his April 22 death, and his father has said the initial investigation was a lie.
The new investigation is looking into the circumstances of his death, decisions made by commanders away from the scene that may have contributed, and actions taken by the military after he died, officials said.
Army Rangers opened fire on comrades after a series of missteps and miscommunications, the initial investigation found, but it did not lead to criminal charges.
One person from Tillman's platoon faced formal administrative charges, while four others, including an officer, were discharged from the Rangers but not kicked out of the Army, said Sgt. Kyle Cosner, a spokesman for Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Two other officers were given reprimands, Cosner said.
Initial official statements indicated he had been killed by enemy fire when his convoy was ambushed by insurgents.
"Leading his Rangers without regard for his own safety, Tillman was shot and killed while focusing his efforts on the elimination of the enemy forces and the protection of his team members," Army Special Operations Command said in a statement on April 30 that did not mention the possibility of friendly fire even though investigators already had received sworn statements to that effect.
FRIENDLY FIRE
U.S. Central Command issued a statement on May 29 after the completion of the initial investigation, saying Tillman "died as a probable result of friendly fire while his unit was engaged in combat with enemy forces."
The terms friendly fire and fratricide are used by the military to describe an accidental or mistaken attack on one's own forces or allies.
The Army declined to identify the officer carrying out the investigation, but one official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it is a general familiar with Ranger operations and tactics. "He will look at it from top to bottom," the official said.
The new investigation was announced after The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times published stories that questioned official versions of Tillman's death.
The Post cited internal Army documents stating Tillman's death followed a series of botched communications, a misguided order to divide his platoon over the objection of its leader, and undisciplined firing by fellow Rangers.
The Los Angeles Times quoted Afghan police, militia commanders and local residents as saying there was no evidence insurgents opened fire in the incident, and that Rangers overreacted to an explosion by a land mine or roadside bomb and fired wildly at Tillman and other Rangers.
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