Spinsanity

From today's WaPo: Army Spun Tale Around Ill-Fated Mission. Recall the tale of selfless heroism of an NFL Linebacker who gave up the american dream of becoming an NFL star to defend his country:

"He ordered his team to dismount and then maneuvered the Rangers up a hill near the enemy's location," the release said. "As they crested the hill, Tillman directed his team into firing positions and personally provided suppressive fire. . . . Tillman's voice was heard issuing commands to take the fight to the enemy forces."

Makes your chest swell with pride, doesn't it. Almost brings a tear. You almost can hear the 1812 Overture or Battle Hymn of the Republic playing in the background.

Well, as it turns out, the story is even more tragic than we were first lead to believe. Corporal Pat Tillman was the victim not of the Taliban and/or al Qaeda fighters, but of friendly fire from members of his own platoon.

But the Army's published account not only withheld all evidence of fratricide, but also exaggerated Tillman's role and stripped his actions of their context. Tillman was not one of the senior commanders on the scene -- he directed only himself, one other Ranger and an Afghan militiaman, under supervision from others. And witness statements in the Army's files at the time of the news release describe Tillman's voice ringing out on the battlefield mainly in a desperate effort, joined by other Rangers on his ridge, to warn comrades to stop shooting at their own men.

I recommend reading the whole (long) article.

The reader's digest version.

Pentagon lies about Tillman incident in an effort to turn public attention away from Abu Ghraib. Pentagon brass protect their own kind while reserving punishment for the grunts.

Sad, really, but not surprising.