Evidence suggests Pat Tillman was murdered

There is little doubt that the military covered up something about Pat Tillman's death in Afghanistan. Now the Associated Press has gotten documents about the medical reports from his body that strongly suggests that Tillman was murdered.

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.

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. [Snip]

_ In his last words moments before he was killed, Tillman snapped at a panicky comrade under fire to shut up and stop "sniveling."

_ Army attorneys sent each other congratulatory e-mails for keeping criminal investigators at bay as the Army conducted an internal friendly-fire investigation that resulted in administrative, or non-criminal, punishments.

_ The three-star general who kept the truth about Tillman's death from his family and the public told investigators some 70 times that he had a bad memory and couldn't recall details of his actions.

_ No evidence at all of enemy fire was found at the scene - no one was hit by enemy fire, nor was any government equipment struck.[Snip]

The documents show that a doctor who autopsied Tillman's body was suspicious of the three gunshot wounds to the forehead. The doctor said he took the unusual step of calling the Army's Human Resources Command and was rebuffed. He then asked an official at the Army's Criminal Investigation Division if the CID would consider opening a criminal case.

"He said he talked to his higher headquarters and they had said no," the doctor testified.

The stories the military told have already varied.

"The military initially told the public and the Tillman family that he had been killed by enemy fire. Only weeks later did the Pentagon acknowledge he was gunned down by fellow Rangers."

That means that it took a while for the military to decide on a safe story and coordinate it among various parties involved in the cover-up. It also means that it had to be coordinated at a high level in the chain of command, or someone would have told a different story. It had to be someone high enough to keep the story from the doctor under wraps until recently. And the story that they put out? A friendly fire incident as part of an ambush? Where are the enemy bullet holes in the American military vehicle? Why did the military burn Tillman's uniform and battle armor? Especially, why did the military close down all communications for several weeks from Tillman's unit after Pat's death?

Three rounds from an M-16 in the forehead? The shooter had to be almost close enough to kiss Tillman. The shooter had to know who he was shooting. The "friendly fire" story is a crock.

There is no question that whatever happened to Pat Tillman was known up the chain of command in Afghanistan. What was covered up is closer now to being exposed. There is a question regarding how deeply the White House was involved in the cover-up.

This isn't going away.


[h/t to TRex at Firedoglake.]