Did General Stanley McChrystal Cook The Books On Pat Tillman?
As General Stanley McChrystal’s advice about how many, if any, more Americans will be sent into harms way is being considered, author Jon Krakauer is promoting his book, Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman. The Army created a myth around Tillman’s death, says Krakauer, as everyone involved knew within 24 hours it was the result of friendly fire. And Krakauer told David Gregory that the idea of McChrystal not knowing this is “preposterous”.
Krakauer: McChrystal was told within 24 hours it was friendly fire. Also, immediately they started this paperwork to give Tillman a Silver Star
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He, he just said now he didn’t read this hugely important document about the most famous soldier in the military. He didn’t read it carefully enough to notice that it talked about enemy fire instead of friendly fire? That’s preposterous. That, that’s not believable.
“…the idea of McChrystal not knowing this is “preposterous”.”
“We know what they have, and we know where it is.” Colin Powell.
“It’s a slam-dunk.” George Tenet.
November 2nd, 2009 at 6:04 pm
What dillema. Either this is just another smear against a general because the angry left doesn’t like what he’s saying, or the Obama white house continues to fail the vetting process yet again.
This time I’m pulling for the president.
November 2nd, 2009 at 6:15 pm
I’m glad Mr. Tillman had a family that would fight for the truth so as not to have let him die in vain.
November 2nd, 2009 at 6:38 pm
Wasnt this reported long time ago?
crh3e Reply:
November 2nd, 2009 at 9:16 pm
yes dear but J.Krakauer’s book on Mr. Tillman just came out……you should check out Into the Wild by him too. Into the Wild was the book Sean Penn made the movie from last year. J. Krakauer is a good author IMO.
November 2nd, 2009 at 9:11 pm
The attacks on McChrystal over the Tillman tragedy waited until Gen. McChrystal unintentionally made Obama look bad over the Afghanistan situation.
By the way, when is Mr. Obama going to make a decision about troop levels? If Obama was a General fighting in Afghanistan all his troops would be dead from his indesivness.
While Obama hem-haws around on troop levels our brave soldiers are dying. Obama’s inability to make a decision on Afghanistan is causing more soldiers to be brought home in caskets.
OldLefty Reply:
November 3rd, 2009 at 9:31 am
The questions about McChrystal over the Tillman tragedy have BEEN there….it just takes time to write a book.
I guess Obama should have treated him like the Bush administration did with generals THEY disagreed with, or Truman and MacArthur,
I hope Obama does not act as recklessly as the last guys.
TDro319 Reply:
November 3rd, 2009 at 2:04 pm
“By the way, when is Mr. Obama going to make a decision about troop levels?”
Why the hurry all of a sudden? Why don’t you give Obama 7 years to decide? You had no problem with Bush and Cheney dragging their feet on troop level decisions when they were in office. I think you should give Obama the same courtesy.
burqa Reply:
November 3rd, 2009 at 8:04 pm
Old Lefty is right, it has been known for quite some time McChrystal was involved in the Tillman business.
It was mentioned in articles written when McChrystal was chosen to replace McKiernan.
McChrystal deserves a fair hearing and reserved judgement on what took place.
In terms of the question asked above about President Obama taking a decision on troop levels, he already has. Early this year he ordered an increase of 17,000, which was then increased to 21 or 22,000 combat troops. He also odered another 15,000 or so support troops. This is on top of about 46,000 which were already there.
Troop levels are not strategy.
Right now President Obama is considering where the focus of the effort should be, whether it should be counterinsurgency or counterterrorism.
Counterinsurgency is basically nation-building in Afghanistan whereas counterterrorism is going after the Taliban and al Qaeda in Pakistan more.
It is a question of emphsis.
November 3rd, 2009 at 9:26 am
Gee I dunno, I retired from the Miltary in 92, but as I recall, we took our orders from the prez, and enforced Americas policies, not made them. Rule by military is kinda scary and very “banana republic” And as Far as the Afghan situation, I think Obama needs to sit down with some Russian Afghan vets and have a serious talk. That war contributed greatly to the former USSR’s downfall as a terrible drain on it’s resources. The former USSR was in a much better strategic/logistic position as they could “drive” to the battlefield. They had a very good grasp of the territory and it’s geographic challenges, and contrary to what cold war propaganda we were fed, their soldiers were pretty good and their tools of war were also effective. We need to really think hard about this one, stop pointing fingers, get in a huddle and try to come up with a solution, because in the end (as usual) our best and brightest will pay the price for our mistakes.
November 3rd, 2009 at 9:49 am
Numerous pros and cons on this one, but appears that yet another wants to make a profit by writing a book.
November 3rd, 2009 at 4:35 pm
“Krakauer: McChrystal was told within 24 hours it was friendly fire. Also, immediately they started this paperwork to give Tillman a Silver Star”
The author makes it sound as if it was McChrystal’s idea to give someone a medal for battlefield valor on pretenses McChrystal knew were false.
This is extremely serious business.
Since the truth came out, I have wondered when someone would confront the Army about this, because the medal shold not have been awarded.
Of course this is the Army, which is big on handing out medals by the bucket. Somewhere along the line, during the Iraq war, I think, they began awarding Bronze Stars with combat V devices along with the Purple Heart to those blowed up by IEDs.
Medals for valor are sacred things, and to award one in order to cover up such a colossal eff-up is pretty low…
November 3rd, 2009 at 7:55 pm