Granted, many of the circumstances surrounding the death do appear to be somewhat “suspicious”, but we should NOT forget that this new evidence actually CONFIRMS the narrative that, at the time of Tillmans death, his entire unit was pinned down by a volume of fire sufficient to make another squad mate hug the ground and pray to god. Furthermore, in the middle of this fire Pat Tillman was brave enough to periodically abandon his cover in order to try and signal the unit that was mistakenly firing on them – behavior which INCREASES the chances of his being hit by that incoming fire.

Even given this new medical report and the suspicious behavior (burning his clothes), the fact is that when Tillman got shot he was under a heavy fire and engaging in behavior that put him at a greater risk of being shot (than if he had just hugged the ground and waited). The most likely cause of his death is STILL that he was accidently killed by a friendly unit who mistook him and his men for hostiles. Any murder narrative will not only have to explain why he was shot, but how and why the shooter did so while he himself was pinned down by heavy incoming fire (yeah, it could have been an opportunistic way to cover up the murder, but that would have required some serious cool-under-fire to think that out while, simultaneously, hugging the ground and trying not to get shot himself – one assumes that most people would be so consumed with the larger issue of being targeted themselves that it wouldn’t occur to them to take advantage of the completely unplanned situation to off a squad-mate).

Bizarre. Somehow I doubt they do that normally.

Who ordered it? Why?

The trail beckons someone with emptywheel’s tenacity.

alabama @ 7

He never graduated from Texas, and neither did his boss (but Clinton graduated from Arkansas)….

Bush was passed through Yale, wasn’t let in at the Univ. of Texas law school, but got an MBA from Harvard (Lord have mercy what were they thinking). Later, Bush ruined several businesses and became Governor of Texas by having KKKarl lie about Ann Richards.

Clinton graduated from Georgetown IIRC became a Rhodes Scholar, went to Oxford and then Yale law school (skipping the advanced degree program in Vietnam). Later, Clinton taught Law at the Univ. of Arkansas before becoming Attorney General and then Governor of the state.

No Texas politician has ever graduated from that place, Mark H–just look at LBJ, John Connolly, Richard Armey… It’s rather like Chinese footbinding–they’ve been locked in that cage from the day they were born, and have never learned to live with the world at large (Rove is one of their number, as is, rather oddly, the hyper-sophisticated James Baker).

When a real person wins an election in Texas–Anne Richards, for example–he or she is eventually snuffed out by the Texans themselves. This will never change. Nor will Americans, when they feel a need to go native, ever fail to elect Texans to high office: this is an unhealty habit for sure, and will sooner or later bring the nation to its knees, never to rise again.

Well, hmmm. Tightness of shot cluster. But there could’ve been another 3 or more rounds to the left of the head (which flew out into space), and then to the right….hmmm. Taylor Marsh sounds like a good idea. Thanks to all.

Ghostman

Unlikely that three M-16 rounds would coincidentally end up together if fired from a distance. Even under your (or Taylor Marsh’s) scenario the bursts to the right and left would be from a short range.

Ghostman, from what I’ve read it’s the tightness of the shot cluster to his forhead that is telling.

3 shots within inches of each other is what made the medical examiners suspicious….not gunshot residue, etc.

Usually several facts complement one another.

That fact almost leads to the conclusion of near range fire, especially with an M-16. Snipers use other, far more accurate weapons and could do so with an immobile target from much greater ranges. But the projectiles were apparently M-16 rounds.

In addition, any projectile has a degree of “tumble” that occurs when it leaves the barrel. The greater the distance the more tumble. Tumble causes the projectile to distort and flatten, and it slows. When it hits the target it results in a large entrance wound, unless it happens to strike while an “edge” of the tumble enters the target.

Sniper rifles have longer barrels, specialized rifling and other features to reduce this tumble which causes the projectile to deform and “stray” off course.

Can a medical doctor, upon looking at a bullet wound, determine that the bullet came from a weapon 30 feet away? 60 feet? 160 feet? 900 feet?

Ghostman

Yes. Within certain degrees of probability. Generally entrance wounds are smaller in diameter the nearer the shot is simply because the muzzle velocity is higher, resulting in a) less compression of the bullet upon entry, and b) less tumbling of the projectile due to air resistance/turbulence.

Higher muzzle velocities also tend to cause greater blowout at the exit wound, though this can sometimes be deceiving as the scalp can hold the stellate fracture in place, or allow it to be folded back over the wound.

In addition, very close range projectiles still carry residues from the firing and these residues (e.g. ignited powder, muzzle gases) can sometimes be found on the margins of the wound or in tissues within. Or on the clothing of the victim (hint..hint).

But there were three entry wounds…within @ 2-3 cm diameter.

That alone would raise serious questions regarding the range the weapon was fired at. Shots from an M-16 would not be expected to have such a tight placement if fired from any but close range, and in burst mode (M-16’s fire at @300/rounds per minute. Even then the compression kick would likely have raised the muzzle unless it was fixed, either from a mount or from gravity.

Despite these difficulties we have to explain the close arrangement of entry wounds, and no others to the skull.

And the target was unlikely to be standing…as falling would create greater “spread”, as would any movement on the ground. Tillman was likely lying down, face up (supine)…which is an inappropriate defensive position. He was shot though the FRONT of his forehead.

This could be established by looking at whether his helmet or uniform had any gravitational pooling of blood on the back, mixed with soil. Or if his helmet had been penetrated by any of the rounds and had superheated soil fragments embedded from kickback as the round hit the soil.

Unfortunately all of Tillman’s gear (uniform, helmet, etc.) was incinerated immediately after the incident destroying critical evidence. Interesting.

Still the pathologists could only come to the conclusions that they did, and recommend an investigation into a non-accidental death by friendly fire…a recommendation strangely overruled by the Pentagon.

radiofreewill @ 42

And Gonzo’s corrections are due by Friday, too.

I think we’ll see more detail in the press on the hospital visit, the data-mining and what a possible special prosecutor would look like.

Also, Specter is being specially briefed tomorrow on ‘the program’ and is supposed to announce whether he supports Gonzo’s version of ‘no disagreements’ or not.

(bold added)

Why isn’t Leahy or a Senator formerly briefed sitting in on this for additional continuity/scrutiny?

Arlen spells trouble, nothing else imo.

THAT’s A GREAT IDEA!

Certainly others should be there to see if the “program” they were briefed on IS, IN FACT, the one that Arlen is told about. In addition, I would think that others in the new leadership/interlligence committees should be given the same briefing. Former members of the Gang of 8 should be allowed to attend. They’ve already been cleared and can raise issues of consistency and query whether parts of the program have been “altered”.

Why the WH would oppose a “collective briefing” (besides the fact that they could be caught out setting Arlen up as a sock-puppet, and confusing him further) would pose problems.

Such a collective briefing is the most efficient. All the Gang of 8 would hear the same thing, hear each others comments (no repetition), and hear the clarifying responses.

Arlen should ALSO be in favor of such a collective briefing, and INSIST UPON IT. And the Chair of the Committee should also insist that Arlen act in an honorable and fair manner with fellow members.

Glad you liked that one, Christy; I’d like to know what’s going on with Cookies Doan these days, now that we all know she got THE math from Karl via Jennings. Where’s our fast-talking Cookies now?

Dick Cheney Controls Tim Russert

and Russert controls Andrea the boob cleavage Mitchell