General Censured In Tillman Investigation
By Nicole Belle Monday Jul 30, 2007 8:01pm
YahooNews: (h/t NonnyMouse)
The Army on Tuesday censured a retired three-star general for a "perfect storm of mistakes, misjudgments and a failure of leadership" after the 2004 friendly-fire death in Afghanistan of Army Ranger Pat Tillman.
Army Secretary Pete Geren asked an Army review panel to decide whether Lt. Gen. Philip Kensinger should also have his rank reduced.
Geren told a Pentagon news conference that, while Kensinger was "guilty of deception" in misleading investigators, there was no intentional Pentagon cover-up of circumstances surrounding the former pro football player's death - at first categorized by the military as being from enemy fire.
"He failed to provide proper leadership to the soldiers under his administrative control. ... He let his soldiers down," Geren said. "General Kensinger was the captain of that ship, and his ship ran aground."
At least six other officers received lesser reprimands.
Geren said he considered recommending a court-martial for Kensinger but ruled it out.
What an insult to the Tillmans. What an insult to the intelligence of all of us. NO evidence of a cover-up? Please.
Jane at FDL recounts another failure of memory/failure to appear in the Tillman case, although it appears he's had a change of heart. VoteVets has an open letter to Bush and a petition you can sign.
Login or Register to post comments.
Censure? What about taking away a star - or two.
Only a slap on the wrist for a cover-up of a cover-up. Business as usual.
Tillman was fragged or a victim of fratricide. Whatever you call it. He deserves each and every American to stand up for him. He was a true Patriot. Defending the Nation and Questioning the Government. Damn.
The Bush/Cheney gang lied us into the war that lead to Tillman's death. Why stop with the General?
I-phones are so cool, McDonalds is yummy too.
Wait, is there some wrong-doing going on in the govt? Lies and intentional deception you say?
I can't seem to focus on it, if that is the case, what with all my shiny new toys and belly full of food.
So they are going to demote Lt. Gen. Philip Kensinger to the rank of patsy or scapegoat?
I doubt the buck stopped with him on the decision to whitewash this incident.
Consumer @ 5:
Fill their stomachs and empty their brains.
We're numb and used to this f*ckin injustice. Like Maher said, "This country has f*ckup fatigue."
No evidence of a cover-up? Excuse me?!? Burning Pat Tillman's clothes and his diary isn't a cover-up? Or does it depend on what the bush administration definition of "cover-up" is?
Gawd almighty. This is just insanity.
Why am I not excited by them hanging out a retired general as the fall guy? Whose orders was he taking?
What a load of complete BULLSHIT! We're really supposed to believe this crap.................. this one general just made some mistakes!! Give me a fcuking BREAK!
Another day, another scapegoat. This one is retired.
How conveinient!
it's OK. Bush will grant him a pardon after determining that the penalty was too sever. Then he'll sign some federal death warrants and have a good laugh.
-GSD
Look at the weasely, cowardly language in the Army's statement. This guy didn't "make mistakes." He committed crimes. "Mistakes" implies good intentions. A cover-up is intentional wrongdoing. Also, the hackneyed "perfect storm" implies powers beyond the General's control. Our poor, beleaguered general is a victim, you see.
Censure a general? You don't "censure" a general, you bust his ass down and fine him!
Censure? This is bullshit.
I believe the term is "being thrown under the bus", only in this case he is not only being thrown under it, it is going to back up over him to make sure he is dead.
Perhaps General Kensinger would like to tell the American people who ordered him to cover up the Pat Tillman incident. Or perhaps he is willing to be a good and loyal scapegoat. Perhaps Bush will pardon him.
I put that on my blog along with the fact that rummy cannot come to the meeting tomorow due to ´´conflict´´.
you know as well i do ,know that rummy was the true mastermind behind the tillman case. And as that bastard still can go in and out of the pentagon in some broom closet to sort out his shit, there is a family still missing thier son and i fully believe it is and was a frigging cover up !!!
The real guilty prick will never see jail time.
Sue the Army AND this asshole. This is just a case of more military corrupt lifer crap.
Lifers are TO GOOD for Court Martial. They can lie to America because well, they are better than mere puke civilians
I put that on my blog and i believe full well and good that tillmans death was and is a cover up .
None other then the likes of a one donny rummy!!! That old bastard is still allowed inside the pentagon , while a broom closet, so he can sort thru his shit to write a book? unreal.
RUMMY was and is the mastermind behind what really happend to tillman and my support and prayers go out to tillmans family.
Why is soilders death suddeny a excutive privy?????????????
BULLSHIT ALARM!
We now return to our regularly scheduled Re-Programing.
Jail-Bound Nicole Richie Confirms She's "Almost Four Months" Pregnant
wow,, even when my laptop here had to reboot my first comment was posted? cool beans C&L!!
I thank you !!!
And another shoe drops.
July 31 2007: 5:03 PM EDT
NEW YORK (Reuters) -- American Home Mortgage Investment Corp. said on Tuesday it can no longer fund home loans and may liquidate assets, putting its survival in doubt and sending its shares plummeting 90 percent.
Kensinger takes the FALL.
That's Pentagon politics.
The "perfect storm" business is complete bullshit. How convenient for the Army that when their poster boy for all-american sacrifice gets shot in the head from less than 10 yards away, there is a "perfect storm" of "mistakes" that allow misinformation to be spread all over.
But I guess that about clears it up, if the Army and the pentagon have gone through this and decided there's nothing to see here, I'm sure there's nothing there. *rolling eyes* Seriously, why do they do so many "internal" investigations when everybody knows its a whitewash.
Oh, I have a question... Why is Fred Fielding claiming "executive priveledge" on white house documents related to these events?
Friar Tuck @ 19:
If rummy was the master mind THEN THIS ASSHOLE IS PROTECTING RUMMY! He made a Political decision at the EXPENSE of dead soldiers. He is a traitor to the Constitution, and, to our people.
A "perfect storm of mistakes.
I hate it when they try and make it sound like some sort of natural disaster that just "happened". This was a completely man-made tragedy.
Geren said “General Kensinger was the captain of that ship, and his ship ran aground.”
By resorting to an naval analogy, Army Secretary Geren is either signaling to service members that he does not take the Tillman murder seriously and the coverup continues or that he is a blathering idiot.
Maybe both.
Sal,, i agree with you!
Imagine that one?
Buncha idiots here:
No evidence of a cover-up? Excuse me?!? Burning Pat Tillman’s clothes and his diary isn’t a cover-up?
Would you try to keep clothes for days on end covered in brain matter and blood? Most soldier's clothes were burned by the unit back then.
Censure a general? You don’t “censure” a general, you bust his ass down and fine him!
You can't "bust" a general down. You can send a retired one before a grade reduction board -- which is being done here.
Back to my black helicopter!
even if they take away a star(totally unlikely) he will still be very rich in retirement(THANK YOU Uncle Sam)...Its this perception that this admin is DOING SOMETHING about this case, but the REALITY is-- they AINT DOIN' SHIT
"A perfect storm of events" my @ss. How long will it take for us to get mad enough to do something about all this crap? This sh!t must all end in our lifetime. It really has to.
J&J to cut up to 4,820 jobs on drug woes
"We think today's news is a positive, and the scope and immediacy of the cost cuts should boost confidence in the company's ability to achieve double-digit (earnings per share) growth over the next several years," Cowan and Company analyst Sara Michelmore wrote in a research note.
God Bless The United Corpse Of America
Its real tough to be a general. Screw up and you might get "censured".
Get censured and you can't use the base golf course for a week.
you all sound surprised........ this is no different than cops
if a cop is proved to do something wrong while in uniform the judge will justify it and let him off
this is no different.......... vets arent important..... family of vets arent important....... keping the whitehouse secrets are the most important thing today
we are starting to deserve what we are getting
no one in politics today has the courage to do anything about it either
sad
why does this General remind me of Ollie North.....he takes the hit so the preznit and the vice preznut won't have too..the lying liars they are.Courtmartial is a must and a congressional investigation must follow..
L.A. Confidential @ 32:
People losing there homes? Yeah I guess that is Great News for a Capitalist. I think they call it, "opportunity".
Iam just surprised that the tillman family didint get stuck with the cost of lost GI gear.
His bullet proof vest and his fags(Fatigues) um but what about his dog tags? both sets?
and how many rounds did tillmans m-16 get off firing before he was shot ?
and what became of that weapon and clip? and his notebook? and his laptop? and his???????????
OH thats right asking those questions can land you in hot water and make the poster boy of war not look so good.
Remember,, he had a family too. Iam sure they are asking the same §$%&/() ?? too.!
Another fall guy lackey.
Salmineo @ 36:
Yes. Gentlemen, advise your clients interested in Pork Bellies to buy at .50c
When are these military bastards going to get it through their thick arrogant heads that they must OBEY THE LAW?
Its war time right? So way arn't we dragging them out and having them shot?
Bet the next crop of generals Obey the Law!
Friar Tuck @ 37:
Knowing this government they'll probably bill the family for the bullets that killed Pat.
Could someone who knows explain why a court martial was ruled out? Did the reasoning go beyond the GOBN?
How can you believe someone that keeps changing their story.........you can't.
He was only following orders.
OT: Where is the list Larry Flynt indicated he had identifying 30 DC persons who
visited one cat house? Anyone seen any recent information concering the "list"
Flynt told Lazy King he had about 2 weeks ago???
Guilty of deception but not coverup, huh?
de-cep-tion nounThe act of deceiving.
de-ceive verb To mislead by a false appearance or statement
cov-er-up noun Any action, stratagem, or other means of concealing or preventing investigation or exposure.
Or are they using the double-plus good newspeak dictionary for definitions?
Look at the shame these lifer assholes have brought against OUR country, OUR military! Look at the loss of faith OUR people are showing in OUR government and OUR military services!
In ALL the military academys HONOR is stressed above all. What LIES!
They just want you dumbshits to DIE PROTECTING THEIR FRIGGEN DOUBLE DIPPING, ASS KISSING, SUCK UP, GOVERNMENT DOLE, TAX FUNDED, SOFT ASS, CAREERS!
Clean out the disloyal, pompus jerks right NOW!
K Couric " the pentagon came down hard " on a General today, are you kidding me couric, you pathetic infotainer, first you falsely claim losing one star and 900 bucks is " Hard" and then you parrot the other lies " mistakes were made " by the pentagon , when everything done in the Tillman case was premeditated, the lies , the cover up and not to mention the fACT, Rumsfeld was in charge ,over everybody at the pentagon .
I've concluded that people who oppose the impeachment of Bush and Cheney are gutless fools. Gutless fools who have acquired a taste for eating s**t sandwiches.
Kahoneez @ 48:
Katy Couric is still on the air? I'm stunned. I stopped watching her when they shoved a camera up her ass. Just too revolting for me.
Wasn't this the same dick who called pat worm dirt?
Salmineo @ 47:
Tue Jul 31, 11:42 AM ET
In the first question of the morning, Pelosi was asked if she supported a proposal by Washington Rep. Jay Inslee to impeach beleaguered Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.
The Speaker looked down and rubbed her temples wearily. "I would like us to stay focused on our agenda this week," she said. Today the entails finalizing ethics and lobbying reform. Tomorrow it will mean expanding children's health care and boosting Medicare benefits. By the end of the week the House will likely pass an energy bill and legislation will be brought to the floor that reins in the Bush Administration's warrantless wiretapping program.
S-C-A-P-E-G-O-A-T for Rummy and the simian in chief.
Nice grouping - for a POS M-16 from over 50 yards away.
He was Fragged, goddamn it. Any grunt or jarhead knows this.
Will someone please ask that respects by both Democrat & Republican be paid to the memory of Pat Tillman?
My God, let this man rest in peace.
Everyone needs to back the fuck up and go the fuck home. This story is way beyond last call.
This country is gone.
Generals acting like CEOs and CEOs halucinating as generals.
Yes "business" is everything. All things must fall under the weight of profit at all cost. Money erases shame. Wealth is the might of right. Honor and Justice is for the gulible and the stupid. Sacrifice for self is the new religion. Sacrifice for others means jack shit nothing.
You know....the Chinese are going to crush us into the Bright Shinning trash heap of history. Before they hang me, I hope they let me watch the executions of the capitalist pigs.
I hold the media more and more responsible for the cesspool of corruption, negligence, and criminal abdication of legally mandated responsibilities we find ourselves in, today. To say this story is 'under-reported' is like saying the 2000 presidential election encountered 'technical difficulties'. I continue to encounter people who are unaware that Pat Tillman did not die 'a heroes death, in a fierce firefight against the enemy'.
To someone so uninformed, no matter how reasonable and intelligent they may be, even the Administration's current version of the facts surrounding Pat Tillman's death and explaination for having mislead the public and the Tillman Family, when presented by a peer, is understandably met with skepticism if not outright disbelief. On more than one occasion, when trying to relate the facts of the case, I have been told: "If that were true, I'd have heard about it before now."
Motorhead Vette '67 @ 54:
Fuck You.
Motorhead Vette '67 @ 54:
I'll tell ya what, when Pat's mom is satisfied, I'll be satisfied.
So now that these bastards are again being called on the carpet, they are pushing this General out to be the scape goat.
I agree with General Wes Clark. This shit goes much higher then any US Military General and I do hope that Congress does not let them blow smoke up there asses on this one.
This young mans family deserves a real answer as to why their loved one is dead, like many of our young people who have went through the same fate as him, only with this administration and media we currently have, are not going to tell the truth
How much more of this shit can you 'sit-on yer ass' Americans take?
Just when you don't think there can be any more of this bullshit...WHAM!
If you can't Vote these assholes out, back up a U-Haul and move them out.
Screw the civil war in Iraq...it's time to get one going in your own backyard.
Why am I not excited by them hanging out a retired general as the fall guy?
You should be. He's fallen on his sword, Cover-up-by-Honour, to shield anyone underneath his rank from any investigation. Regardless of whether this was just a gawdalmigty fucked-up accident, or a tired, angry soldier fragging someone he didn't like, it serves no good purpose to continue to block any investigation into what actually happened. It just feeds the conspiracy machines, and makes the rest of us pissed. And gives no peace or justice to the Tillman family - or any other military family in the future who loses a son or daughter only to be told to shut up and ask no questions...
ta-ta, ladies and gentlemen, may i present courtesy of the gw production company, the next in a long line of sacrificial lambs. now who's next???
Is that Tillmans mom in the foto.........take a good long look at that foto.....it speaks volumes.
mudshark @ 63:
No it's not, Mrs Tillman is beautiful. And one amazing woman.
it tells me that she trusts them and that Gen is unsure of himself...maybe even feeling guilty of something.And the Gen behind him looks like he's thinking "don't blow it...just get this over with".
Strawberry @ 64:
Who's the woman?
Back off blambing the troops until we learn the whole truth.They could be fall guys for Blackwaters,No?Who were the two snipers coming up the caynon?wouldn't they love for everyone to throw the troops in the mud while they skated?
mudshark @ 66:
Well, given the tacky leather jacket and even worse sunglasses, and the kiss...the general's wife?
Salmineo, Vet @ 57:
My sentiments exactly.......When his mom is satisfied ...then I will let it go....but not until she's satisfied,..cudos to strawberry for her comment.
Strawberry @ 68:
I don't know...why would his wife be there? weird...very weird.
GN everybody.....peace.
mudshark @ 69:
Not me. I want to know how many more of our youg they slaughtered for Bush politics and covered up. I want blood on the floor.
I know this sounds crazy, but is it possible somebody in the Bush administration ordered Pat Tillman's murder in order to create a martyr for the cause? I know it's farfetched, but considering everything else they've done I have to wonder.
Cold blooded murder is a perfect storm of mistakes. He was censured what does that entail? is it an expression of disapproval? Big f**kiing deal.
These creeps at the top of the pentagon aren't Generals and Admirals. They are wheeler dealers waiting to retire so they can sit on the board of a Arms dealer so they can sell their death wares to the next whore waiting to retire.
They sit around trying to think up the next war or military incursion to sell more arms.
The gall of these scum. They invade Iraq to bring "Democracy" and turn around and negotiate a twenty billion dollar weapons deal with some of the most repressive right wing tyrants in the world the F**king monarchies of Saudi Arabia and the Emirates.
Meanwhile they plan to sell Israel 30 billion dollars of weaponry so Israel doesn'y feel threatened by the enormous amount of weapons sold to the royal fakers. Of course Israel can't afford 30 billion dollars worth of weapons, so the American taxpayer gets saddled with the bill making these Pentagon scum rich. What a nice con. Don't we put put people in prison for this sort of sh*t. When are people going to wake up and dismantle this cesspool of larceny and corruption?
Winston Smithization of all govt activities. We aren't allowed to know anything anymore
bullshitttttttttt
they all knew it all the way up to the chimpyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
Tillman was murdered pure and simple by order of the Pigs in the Pentagon. He was murdered because they used him as a poster boy for recruitment and Tillman turned out to be their worst nightmare a national hero who also happened to be an intelligent critically thinking human being who had a conscience and who told the truth about their sham war.
Tillman was miles above these so called Generals and light years above the scurrying backbiting chickenhawk doughboys in the Whitehouse. Compare Pat Tillman a grunt in the rangers to Karl Rove and Alberto Gonzales. Quite a juxtaposition wouldn't you say. How the hell did these nuetered frat boys ever assume control of our government.
Like Libby, the scapegoat has been carefully chosen to avoid any punishment or additional inquiry.
Retired General, nothing to lose, no career left to fight for, no reason to say "boo."
What they'd like this story to be titled: "Justice has been done. End of story."
What it should be titled: "Retired General Scapegoated in Tillman Coverup."
This administration has yet to answer for a single crime it has committed. And we all know how many there have been.
Anyone who has watched an episode of "Forensic Files" knows the bullets can be matched to the gun that fired them.
It sounds like an M-16 fired a burst of 3 bullets at fairly close range.
Are the guns and bullets still available to test? If not, why not?
Motorhead Vette '67 @ 54:
Now this is one un-American p.o.s.
Yep Bamboozled, they have their scapegoat. So according to them everything is right with the world now.
They needed to find someone high up in the chain of command. But not too high up so the Pentagon and the Administration can remain free of implication. Alot of thought went into this, just as much as went into executing Tillman.
Boooo!
Support our troops! guffaw. I guess the Dem leadership is still stumped about how to turn this neo-con dissembling slogan, as we haven't heard anyone shove that slogan in Rove, Bush et al's faces.
This censure is the ultimate proof of a cover-up. The stamp has been applied to this miscarriage of justice with the Great Seal of the U.S., apparently.
Did the bullets all come from the same weapon?
And while your at the censure of the General, Why not take away a weeks allowance from the officers involved in condoning Abu Graib torture.
After all, you put in leavenworth their subordinates that follwed their orders........
He didn't let everybody down...He did a BIG FAVOR for Tillman's MURDERERS. As far as every other decent human being is concerned, Lt. Gen. Philip Kensinger is now known as Heap Big Shit Weasel. Not an official title, more of a nickname.
i really wish the democrats would get some spine and just double the pay of all the military stationed in iraq.
NPR reported it as accidental friendly fire yesterday when it's clear that's still in question.
The foto above is from General Kensinger's retirement ceremony.
I've worked for General Kensinger in the past, and find it hard to believe he had this considerable lapse in judgement.
I can only assume he pulled an Ollie North and took one for team GOP.
if he did, then he deserves the scorn and enmity of every USASOC soldier, and for thememory of every soldier who died under his tenure.
His actions fouled thier sacrifices by bringing all actions into doubt.
Here's the best I've seen on the Tillman case:
http://winterpatriot.blogspot.com/2007/07/new-details-support-old-story-...
Lewis_Stoole @ 89:
yes double the pay, for what ,a bunch of mercinarys bush is useing to steal iraqs oil with? screw that noise if you want to incourage a bunch of armed theives that are helping the oil barrons kill and rob the people of iraq pay them yourselffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff
The next time you see a 'W 04' bumpersticker on a car, remember, the driver supports the men responsible for all of this.
This whole administration is rotten and the rot has moved into the Armed forces. Officers of integrity have quit in droves leaving behind opportunists and ass lickers.
Our Perfumed Princes of the Pentagon.
So, I'm not surprised or even shocked that his occurred.
What a great idea!
Dear Ex-President George W. Bush,
You did bad things when you were president. What you did killed 4000 US servicemen, hundreds of thousands of innocent children, women and men, made the US a pariah in the world community, destroyed our financial resources by squandering hundreds of billions, perhaps over a trillion dollars, while withholding health services from our citizens, and using tax dollars to promote the same crazy-christian-evangelistic-fundamentalists who were partly responsible for your delusions.
We know you couldn't help it, because of your dementia, your megalomania, your psychopathic hallucinations of conversing with figments, and your alcohol and drug-ravaged system, but you still must be held responsible.
Therefore, it is our firm conclusion that you were bad, and we have decided by a majority vote of 50 to 49 that you should regard this letter as a firm shake of our fingers at you, and a strong stamping of our feet.
The Senate,
The Representatives of the People of the US
He died of 3 shots to the forehead. That's an assassination, not merely friendly fire.
foolme1ns @ 16:
or pay him off...
Take all his stars away and shove up Rummy's ass.
Sal #57:
What you said!
Repeatedly...
Army Upset At Navy References
This is offensive to the NAVY and ARMY: Generals do not command ships; they command armies. “General Kensinger was the captain of that ship, and his ship ran aground.”
The media should be immedaitely contacted, and demand them to rewrite the comments: “General Kensinger was the General
captainof thatshipArmy, and hisship ran agroundArmy could not find people living in caves, so they shot into the air. The General was a bad man, a very bad man.”Just because the Army can't get it right, doesn't mean the NAVY should get blamed. I don't see any boats inside Afghanistan. Those are not ships, those are fighters, bombers and ground units. Where is the water? It isn't there. [/snark]
Login or Register to post comments.