Tweet
Zachary Coile, Chronicle Washington Bureau
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
(04-25) 11:45 PDT Washington -- The White House said today President Bush was never told that former NFL star Pat Tillman was killed by his fellow Army Rangers at a time Army officials knew the truth, but told his family and the public that Tillman was shot by the enemy.
Lawmakers and Tillman's family raised questions at a House hearing Tuesday about whether former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and White House officials knew the death was by friendly fire, but allowed the Army to spin a false story about the way the San Jose native died.
White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said today that the details of Tillman's death never made it to the president.
"There's no indication that the president got any word that there was questions surrounding his death, other than what has been reported in the paper," Perino said.
Speculation about what Bush knew has been fueled by the release of a memo sent April 29, 2004, a week after Tillman's death in Afghanistan, in which Gen. John Abizaid, then chief of the U.S. Central Command, was urged by a top general to tell "POTUS" -- the president of the United States -- that friendly fire was suspected.
"I felt that it was essential that you received this information as soon as we detected it in order to preclude any unknowing statements by our country's leaders which might cause public embarrassment if the circumstances of Cpl. Tillman's death become public," Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the military's special operations chief, wrote to Abizaid and other generals.
Lawmakers also released an e-mail that said White House speechwriter John Currin had called Army officials six days after Tillman's April 22, 2004, death asking for more details about his Army service for a speech Bush was scheduled to give days later at the White House Correspondents Association dinner. Rumsfeld's speechwriter had also called the Army for information about Tillman, the e-mail said.
Kevin Tillman, the brother of the former Arizona Cardinals safety who served in the same Rangers unit, testified Tuesday that the memos suggest Rumsfeld and the White House were aware of the cover-up.
"It's a little disingenuous to think the administration didn't know," he said.
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Los Angeles, said he plans to continue his investigation and may call Pentagon and White House officials to testify.
"We still don't know how far up this went," Waxman said. "We don't know what the secretary of defense knew. We don't know what the White House knew. These are questions the committee seeks answers for."
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
(04-25) 11:45 PDT Washington -- The White House said today President Bush was never told that former NFL star Pat Tillman was killed by his fellow Army Rangers at a time Army officials knew the truth, but told his family and the public that Tillman was shot by the enemy.
Lawmakers and Tillman's family raised questions at a House hearing Tuesday about whether former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and White House officials knew the death was by friendly fire, but allowed the Army to spin a false story about the way the San Jose native died.
White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said today that the details of Tillman's death never made it to the president.
"There's no indication that the president got any word that there was questions surrounding his death, other than what has been reported in the paper," Perino said.
Speculation about what Bush knew has been fueled by the release of a memo sent April 29, 2004, a week after Tillman's death in Afghanistan, in which Gen. John Abizaid, then chief of the U.S. Central Command, was urged by a top general to tell "POTUS" -- the president of the United States -- that friendly fire was suspected.
"I felt that it was essential that you received this information as soon as we detected it in order to preclude any unknowing statements by our country's leaders which might cause public embarrassment if the circumstances of Cpl. Tillman's death become public," Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the military's special operations chief, wrote to Abizaid and other generals.
Lawmakers also released an e-mail that said White House speechwriter John Currin had called Army officials six days after Tillman's April 22, 2004, death asking for more details about his Army service for a speech Bush was scheduled to give days later at the White House Correspondents Association dinner. Rumsfeld's speechwriter had also called the Army for information about Tillman, the e-mail said.
Kevin Tillman, the brother of the former Arizona Cardinals safety who served in the same Rangers unit, testified Tuesday that the memos suggest Rumsfeld and the White House were aware of the cover-up.
"It's a little disingenuous to think the administration didn't know," he said.
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Los Angeles, said he plans to continue his investigation and may call Pentagon and White House officials to testify.
"We still don't know how far up this went," Waxman said. "We don't know what the secretary of defense knew. We don't know what the White House knew. These are questions the committee seeks answers for."