Tillmans level unfriendly fire at Pentagon
The family of U.S. Army Ranger Pat Tillman has angrily rejected the Pentagon's latest explanation of his 2004 death in Afghanistan from friendly fire as a "travesty," accusing the military of "a conspiracy to deceive" and of exploiting Tillman to bolster recruiting efforts.
"Once again, we are being used as props in a Pentagon public relations exercise," the Tillman family said in a statement released Tuesday, one day after military officials met with them to discuss the most recent review of the case.
Tillman's mother, Mary Tillman, told National Public Radio in an interview that officials on Monday accused the family of being "abusive" toward the military -- which she did not deny.
"We got to the point where we were extremely rude to them, but they
She said she told the military: "You know, lying is a form of abuse, and we've been lied to for three years."
The Tillmans demanded a congressional investigation into what they say is sweeping malfeasance and a coverup. Democratic Rep. Michael M. Honda, who represents the Tillmans' San Jose district, asked the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday to hold hearings.
The case has pitted the Tillmans against the military since Pentagon officials waited five weeks to disclose that Tillman had been killed by his own men. The military let the Tillmans bury their son believing that he had been killed by insurgents during an ambush, and awarded him a Silver Star based on a phony narrative.
The Pentagon has admitted that the notification procedure was plagued by "critical errors." Nine high-ranking officers, including four generals, face possible charges for mishandling either the notification or a series of investigations of the affair.
But the Army declined Monday to press charges in Tillman's death, portraying the incident as a tragic mistake caused by the fog of war.
The Tillmans scoffed at what they said was Pentagon officials' characterization of the mistakes as "missteps."
"These actions are malfeasance," their statement said. They said some of the military's explanations had "the powerful odor of intentional minimization to a level just below criminal."
The family said its rejection of the Pentagon version of events stemmed from "the relentless pattern of the Bush administration of deception, evasion and spin" in the war on terrorism.
