McChrystal's assignment in Afghanistan is a nice reward for bad behavior.

The news about the firing of Lieutenant General David McKiernan from the top spot in Afghanistan is troubling in that it demonstrates an escalation in the war. Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced the decision in terse comments at the Pentagon, saying that "fresh eyes were needed" and that "a new approach was probably in our best interest." The new assignment for McCrystal is fine if you want more torture and cover-ups in a leader.

Matthew Rothchild from The Progressive states it clearly

By choosing Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, Obama shows how indifferent he is to the serious allegations that have swirled around McChrystal, a darling of the Bush-Cheney regime.

It was McChrystal, after all, who approved a medal for Pat Tillman, the former NFL star, saying he fell under “devastating enemy fire.” But just a day later, McChrystal warned the White House that it might have been friendly fire, not enemy fire.

And, according to Seymour Hersh, McChrystal was the guy who was running Cheney’s assassination squads. From 2003-2008, McChrystal headed the Joint Special Operations Command, which Hersh called “an executive assassination wing” that reported directly to Cheney’s office.

What’s more, Esquire has reported that McChrystal authorized torture at a secret camp, where two detainees died under interrogation, and expressly prohibited the Red Cross from entering the camp, which would be a double violation of the Geneva Conventions.

McChrystal’s promotion mocks Obama’s rhetoric about making a clean break with the torture regime of Bush and Cheney.

The New York Times is effusive in their reporting of General McChrystal's career. “He’s lanky, smart, tough, a sneaky stealth soldier,” said Maj. Gen. William Nash, a retired officer. “He’s got all the Special Ops attributes, plus an intellect.”

But where are his ethics? Ethics define a leader and he gets a zero for that.

The San Jose Mercury News explains, in April 2004, McChrystal approved paperwork awarding Tillman a Silver Star after he was killed by enemy fire — even though he suspected the Ranger had died by fratricide, according to Pentagon testimony later obtained by the AP.

The testimony showed that McChrystal sent a memo to top generals imploring "our nation's leaders," specifically the president, to avoid cribbing the "devastating enemy fire" explanation from the award citation for their speeches.

It's no surprise Pat Tillman's family would have an immdeiate reaction to the news.

"I do believe that guy participated in a falsified homicide investigation," Pat Tillman Sr. said.

Separately, Mary Tillman called it "imperative" that McChrystal's record be carefully considered before he is confirmed.

Pentagon spokesman, Geoff Morrell said, "We feel terrible for what the Tillman family went through, but this matter has been investigated thoroughly by the Pentagon, by the Congress, by outside experts, and all of them have come to the same conclusion: that there was no wrongdoing by Gen. McChrystal,"

Mr Morrell seems to have conveniently forgotten that the Army overruled a Pentagon recommendation that McChrystal be held accountable for his "misleading" actions in 2007. Whoever "we" is, who feel terrible for what the Tillman family went through don't know the meaning of "feeling terrible" "Feeling terrible" does not come close to what the Tillman family continues to go through. If this has been so thoroughly investigated, why do we still not know the truth? Why was no one held accountable? Pat Tillman is dead and this assignment is another insult to his service.

McChrystal's assignment as the new top dog in Afghanistan? Nice reward for bad behavior.

Still Seeking the Truth

Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld came out of retirement to testify at the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to discuss the investigation into the killing of Army Ranger Pat Tillman. He should have stayed home.

He sat in that room and lied. He lied knowing that Pat's mom, Mary, his dad, brother and widow were sitting behind him. There are no words to adequately describe the contempt I have for these so called men who come to Congress with little regard for a family's search for the truth. These men who had taken the job of leading this generation of men & women who entrusted them to respect their service to their country. These men do not deserve to call themselves leaders because they failed their men and women when they failed to tell the truth about this war before it started and they failed to tell the truth to the Tillman families and many other families who were denied the truth. History will judge them to be so much less than the leaders they purport themselves to be. History will also judge them to be small men with small minds and smaller hearts.

This hearing was another example of these people using their personal dictionary to define words as they see fit. Rusmfeld says there was no coverup.

What is a coverup if not ordering a young soldier to not tell the Tillman family the truth when he attended the memorial service in Pat's home town, 11 days after he was killed.

What is a coverup if not Lt General Kensington sitting at that same memorial service- he knew the whole truth on that day and he failed to tell the family and the nation the truth?

What is a coverup if not Army commanders recommending Pat Tillman for the Silver Star for gallantry in action, while withholding evidence of friendly fire from his family for five weeks?

And when the president plays the executive privilege card because he doesn't want to say what he knew and when he knew it, it is a coverup, I don't care what he wants to call it.

What is a coverup if not Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal sending a high-priority "Personal For" on April 29, 2004, to Gen. John Abizaid and two other generals, warning that Tillman's April 22, 2004, death was likely friendly fire. The cable urged them to contact "POTUS" (the president of the United States) "in order to preclude any unknowing statements by our country's leaders which might cause embarrassment if the circumstances of Cpl. Tillman's death becomes public."

Gen. Richard Myers, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, acknowledged discussing with his public affairs director how "we portray this situation" to the news media. And still when asked why he did nothing, he responded "I don't think there's any regulation that would require me to do anything," Myers said. "This is the responsibility of the United States Army, not the office of the chairman, so I regret that the Army did not do their duty here and follow their own policy." In other words, "not my problem" If chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff believes that, then why would any other military leader believe they should step forward for anything that is not being done right? Let's not stand up for those soldiers and their families who look for leadership to do the right thing, because no, it's not my responsibility. It's pathetic, really.

Rumsfeld said The Tillmans were owed the truth, delivered in a forthright and timely manner. And certainly the truth was owed to the memory of the man whose valor, dedication and sacrifice to his country remains an example for all." Of course they are owed the truth, but if Rumsfeld thinks the family believed him at the hearing or any other time or anything that is being offered the family as truth, Mary Tillman responded by saying "it is a complete donkey show. "I believe that this (the cover-up and misinformation about Tillman having been killed by friendly fire) came from (former Defense Secretary Donald) Rumsfeld," Mary said. "And they're just protecting him. . . . The public doesn't understand what is going on. No matter what has been put out in the news, it hasn't made a dent in what actually took place. Nobody quite understands how nefarious this is. I can tell you that there wouldn't be this big show of punishment if there wasn't something to this."

People tell us Gold Star families to get over it, get on with our lives; your loved one is never coming back. They ask us why the truth matters and that we are disrespecting our loved one's death by not accepting what the military has told us. We are the voices of our loved ones who can no longer speak. The Tillman family deserves our gratitude for their persistence and courage in holding those responsible who do not have the same moral courage. The military seems to think we can't handle the truth, but as Mary Tillman rightfully said "all you have is the truth."

Priorities

On Monday, the military will release the results of the 5th investigation into the death of Army Ranger Pat Tillman. They will also reveal the results of a related investigation Army Criminal Investigation Command.

Also on Monday, the results of the autopsy of Anna Nicole Smith will be released.

If I was a betting woman, and I am; I would bet that the lead story on the Monday evening news will be Anna Nicole Smith.

wanna bet?

Missteps & Oversights

On Monday, the Army will release the results of the 5th investigation into the circumstances of death of Cpl Pat Tillman. Although it took the Army 5 weeks to reveal that they knew Pat's death was caused by "friendly fire"; we now know the Army knew the truth from the beginning.

Until now, the Army has punished seven people for the Tillman killing, but no one was court-martialed. Four soldiers received relatively minor punishments under military law, ranging from written reprimands to expulsion from the Rangers. One had his pay reduced and was effectively forced out of the Army.

A Pentagon investigation will recommend that nine officers, including up to four generals, be held accountable for missteps in the aftermath of the friendly fire death of Army Ranger Pat Tillman in Afghanistan, senior defense officials said Friday. Missteps? How about incompetence? How about collusion?

The Defense Department inspector general will cite a range of errors and inappropriate conduct as the military probed the former football star's death on the battlefront in 2004. Pat's dead and they call the conduct "inappropriate"?

It appears the inspector general will not conclude there was an orchestrated cover-up in the investigation. There probably wasn't a Pat Tillman plan in case he was killed; we'll do this. But an orchestrated cover-up? Of course there was. I'm pretty sure there was plenty of "We're screwed" and WTF? and "No one must know" kinds of conversations. Pat's brother. Kevin, was nearby when Pat was killed and he wasn't told the truth either, so we know the cover up started immediately. The soldiers involved burned and destroyed Pat's uniform; they said it was a biohazard. Since when did evidence become a biohazard unless you are hiding something. Might it have been because an analysis of the body armor would reveal who shot Pat Tillman?

The Tillman family was notified last week that the report would be released to the public on March 26, but the family could review it ahead of time IF they promised not to say anything until Monday. With the way the Tillman family has been treated, I would have had the fax machine on speed dial ready to send the report to my favorite media contacts. Respect during these investigations seems to go only one way and the families deserve better. The officials who leaked the story today requested anonymity because the Army has not publicly released the information. That anonymous source didn't give any thoughts to the family.

Having walked in the "Delayed truth" shoes, I can tell you that I was lucky that the Army pretty much showed up on doorstep 15 months after my son, Lt Ken Ballard, was killed in Iraq, and told me the truth about how my son died. They called it an "oversight", I called it incompetence. I had no inkling that what they told me when he was killed was not true; I had accepted the truth. Because the media didn't know ahead of time, there was no feeding frenzy to talk to me until after the news had been released. Once the news of the Army's oversight was released, everything changed. Reporters invited themselves to the next meeting with the Army; I refused them. Reporters called me and stopped by incessantly.

My friend, Nadia McCaffrey, mother of Sgt Patrick McCaffrey, was told the truth 2 years after Patrick was killed that he was not killed in an ambush as the family had been told; he was murdered by Iraqi soldiers that the Americans were training. Nadia knew that the Army was going to give her very bad news when they called to schedule a meeting at her house; she had spoken to some of soldiers in Patrick's unit. Another anonymous source leaked the news 2 days prior to the meeting and her life was hell dealing with the media for those next 2 days before her meeting.

Most people have a voyeuristic curiosity about the details of the inquiry and the death; the who, when, who knew, what time details. Most people are outraged that it took so long for the truth to be revealed. Some people are outraged that the families want to know the truth and those people can just shut their mouths and sit down. None of us could predict how we would react, what we would do if we got that knock on the door; you wake up the next morning and try to figure out what your new life means. As the headlines announce the new findings, people must know and they must remember that we mother's are hearing details of the last minutes of our son's life. Some of us have seen autopsy photographs with every, single bullet wound; I was told my son's last words. We have to find the balance of processing the technical and analytical details, and at the same time, wonder about the fear and terror our son's faced in those last minutes of their precious lives.

So 3 years after Pat's death, the Army will gather the family and tell them the results of their inquiry again. It's taken too many months with too many players involved to believe that the whole truth will ever come out. A family just wants to know the truth at the soonest possible time and 3 years isn't the soonest time.