Was Pat Tillman Murdered for Poitical Reasons

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In summary, the conversation revolves around the suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of former NFL player and Army Ranger Pat Tillman on the battlefield in Afghanistan. It is revealed that Tillman was shot three times in the forehead at close range, and that there was a cover-up by the military, possibly to hide the fact that he was killed by friendly fire. There is speculation about the motive for his murder, including his opposition to the Iraq invasion and his status as an atheist. However, some argue that it is unlikely for the military to go to such lengths to cover up a friendly fire incident, and that it was more likely a case of career preservation.
  • #1
Skyhunter
This is very disturbing to me.

He was shot 3 times in the forehead at close range, they burned his uniform and diary, the general who filed the false report has refused a subpoena and is now his whereabouts are unknown. The story that a soldier related to Larry King about how he died is now known to be a false. The doctor who performed the autopsy called for an investigation as was denied more than once.

There was a definite coverup that was exposed. And now it appears that there was a second one, that is now being uncovered. We now know that Tillman was planning to come out publicly in opposition to the Iraq invasion. Coincidentally, Bush is withholding evidence claiming executive privelidge.

Now I know I am paranoid, but is there something going on here that we should be concerned about?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A37679-2004Dec5?language=printer

I will get more citations later, just thought you guys might be interested and I would like to hear your thoughts and whatever citations you can provide.
 
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  • #2
Tilman was an athiest and a patriot. The Bush administration smeared his name when he could not defend himself. Absolute shame. -Good man.

We should have monuments for him.
 
  • #3
My speculative opinion is that he pissed off another soldier and was murdered by him. Tillman may not have been liked by some of his peers. I wonder how this will pan out.

But I very much doubt there was a conspiracy by the Bush admin.
 
  • #4
Skyhunter said:
We now know that Tillman was planning to come out publicly in opposition to the Iraq invasion.
I haven't heard that - do you have any documentation of that?

Regarding the initial question, it is quite possible that he was murdered - for political reasons, I don't know anything about what they may be, but for personal reasons, maybe. It is also possible that he was hit by accident with a single 3-round burst from an M-16 by a well-trained soldier.

The political reasons seem unlikely to me because lots of soldiers including many much much higher up than him have spoken out. It would not make any sense to murder him for that reason. It would serve no purpose. Yes, I agree that you are paranoid.
 
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  • #5
russ_watters said:
Regarding the initial question, it is quite possible that he was murdered - for political reasons, I don't know, but for personal reasons, maybe. It is also possible that he was hit by accident with a single 3-round burst from an M-16 by a well-trained soldier.

I haven't been following this story to a great extent, but I remember seeing something about him saying [while under fire] - “Stop shooting! I’m Pat fuc*ing Tillman, goddamnit!”
Surely this must mean that whoever was shooting at him would have a chance to recover if it indeed was an accident.
 
  • #6
This is troubling.


SAN FRANCISCO -- Army medical examiners were suspicious about the close proximity of the three bullet holes in Pat Tillman's forehead and tried without success to get authorities to investigate whether the former NFL player's death amounted to a crime, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.

"The medical evidence did not match up with the, with the scenario as described," a doctor who examined Tillman's body after he was killed on the battlefield in Afghanistan in 2004 told investigators.

Tillman evidently had an enemy within his own company.

The doctors _ whose names were blacked out _ said that the bullet holes were so close together that it appeared the Army Ranger was cut down by an M-16 fired from a mere 10 yards or so away.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/26/AR2007072602025.html
 
  • #7
ranger said:
I haven't been following this story to a great extent, but I remember seeing something about him saying [while under fire] - “Stop shooting! I’m Pat fuc*ing Tillman, goddamnit!”
Surely this must mean that whoever was shooting at him would have a chance to recover if it indeed was an accident.

The account that describes Tillman's words also claimed that he was killed by a 50 caliber machine gun from a distance.
 
  • #8
The facts as now known are 1) he was killed by friendly fire and 2) the official version of the circumstances as supplied by the troops in his company are in contradiction to the medical examiner's findings.

The fact they have apparently lied is suggestive of a crime having been committed and if so the standard reaction of the military to whitewash such friendly fire incidents has aided them in their coverup.

If it was a murder then anything regarding motive is pure speculation but imo it is fanciful to suspect any conspiracy at a senior level.
 
  • #9
Not that it should be entirely ruled out as a murder, but I suspect there was a cover up simply because no one wanted to be implicated in a friendly fire incident (the kind of thing that destroys a career you know) - especially a friendly fire incident involving a sports celebrity.
 
  • #10
russ_watters said:
I haven't heard that - do you have any documentation of that?

Regarding the initial question, it is quite possible that he was murdered - for political reasons, I don't know anything about what they may be, but for personal reasons, maybe. It is also possible that he was hit by accident with a single 3-round burst from an M-16 by a well-trained soldier.

The political reasons seem unlikely to me because lots of soldiers including many much much higher up than him have spoken out. It would not make any sense to murder him for that reason. It would serve no purpose. Yes, I agree that you are paranoid.

Sorry I took so long to get back but I have been very busy and not on-line much.

Here is what I read, I know you don't like the SF-GATE but it is my local paper. (I don't care for it much either, truth be told it to right-wing for my taste.:rolleyes:)

Interviews also show a side of Pat Tillman not widely known — a fiercely independent thinker who enlisted, fought and died in service to his country yet was critical of President Bush and opposed the war in Iraq, where he served a tour of duty. He was an avid reader whose interests ranged from history books on World War II and Winston Churchill to works of leftist Noam Chomsky, a favorite author.
“The administration clearly was using this case for its own political reasons,” said the father, Patrick Tillman. “This cover-up started within minutes of Pat’s death, and it started at high levels. This is not something that (lower-ranking) people in the field do,” he said.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/09/25/MNGD7ETMNM1.DTL

Sure wish I knew what was in the diary they burned.
 
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  • #11
Um, none of that addresses the assertion I asked for documentation of...
 
  • #12
russ_watters said:
Um, none of that addresses the assertion I asked for documentation of...

If you are looking for documentation that Tillman had plans to speak out against the war in Iraq when he returned home, here is an interesting bit.

However, the Chronicle article, which focused on the military's alleged efforts to conceal facts about Tillman's death, quoted Tillman's mother, Mary Tillman, directly:

Mary Tillman said a friend of Pat's even arranged a private meeting with Chomsky, the anti-war author, to take place after his return from Afghanistan -- a meeting prevented by his death. She said that although he supported the Afghan war, believing it justified by the Sept. 11 attacks, "Pat was very critical of the whole Iraq war."

http://mediamatters.org/items/200509290001

If you want documentation that there was a conspiracy to kill Tillman, that documentation, if it ever existed, has been through the Pentagon paper shredder.
 
  • #13
I can see murder by someone that didn't like him, I can see an accident. A conspiracy to kill him for what? Some soldier not privy to anything would need to be killed...why?
 
  • #14
Evo said:
I can see murder by someone that didn't like him, I can see an accident. A conspiracy to kill him for what? Some soldier not privy to anything would need to be killed...why?

I agree. Tillman may have been somewhat of a celebrity but he didn't have political pull. If people are going to be murdered for there political standing, then I would think that political leaders would be a more effective target. This is just conspiracy bologne.
 
  • #15
drankin said:
I agree. Tillman may have been somewhat of a celebrity but he didn't have political pull. If people are going to be murdered for there political standing, then I would think that political leaders would be a more effective target. This is just conspiracy bologne.
I'd never even heard of him.

Since this has turned into a conspiracy theory, thread closed.
 

1. Was Pat Tillman's death a result of friendly fire or a targeted murder?

Pat Tillman's death was initially reported as a result of enemy fire, but it was later revealed that he was actually killed by friendly fire. The Army conducted an investigation and concluded that there was no evidence of a targeted murder. However, some believe that there was a cover-up to protect higher-ranking officials involved in the incident.

2. Were there any political motives behind Pat Tillman's death?

There is no concrete evidence to suggest that Pat Tillman's death was politically motivated. However, some theories suggest that he was intentionally killed because he was a vocal critic of the Iraq War and was planning to speak out against it upon his return.

3. Did the government try to use Pat Tillman's death for propaganda purposes?

The government did initially use Pat Tillman's death as a propaganda tool, claiming he died heroically in combat. However, once it was revealed that he was killed by friendly fire, they retracted their statements and apologized for the misinformation.

4. Were there any attempts to cover up the truth about Pat Tillman's death?

There were allegations of a cover-up surrounding Pat Tillman's death, as some believe that the Army and government officials tried to conceal the true cause of his death. However, multiple investigations were conducted and no evidence of a deliberate cover-up was found.

5. Has anyone been held accountable for Pat Tillman's death?

No one has been held accountable for Pat Tillman's death. The Army conducted multiple investigations and determined that it was a tragic accident, and no criminal charges were filed. However, some argue that there should have been more accountability and transparency surrounding the incident.

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