Iraq vet: 'Absolutely disgusting' for administration not to come clean on Pat Tillman's death

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MSNBC's Hardball reported Wednesday on former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's denial of any coverup in the death of Pat Tillman by friendly fire in Afghanistan. Jon Soltz of the anti-war VoteVets.org and Eric Egland of Vets for Freedom were asked whether they thought there had been a "conspiracy at the top or just a tactical screwup on the ground."

Egland started off by saying, "It's more than just a screw-up on the ground. There was clearly some malfeasance in terms of sharing incorrect information ... but once that information went forward, you can't blame the Defense Department for sharing that because they thought it was truthful. ... Trying to pin it on Secretary Rumsfeld doesn't make any sense."

"I think it's absolutely disgusting," said Soltz. "If this administration can't come clean and tell Mary Tillman and the Tillman family what happened to their son, they've hurt the morale of our troops. ... When the new report comes out that the coroner felt that he was killed from within ten meters, it's a big problem."

"The people in the Pentagon ... did the right thing," Egland insisted. "We can't just do a political kneejerk reaction and say, 'Blame Rumsfeld.'"

"It's totally not acceptable," retorted Soltz. "Where are the facts here? The president needs to not invoke executive privilege and be honest with the American public."

"Let's put this in a larger context," Soltz continued. "April 2004 was the Tet of Iraq ... when the Shia militias rose up. ... It's when George Bush retreated from Fallujah. ... It's at the height of the Abu Ghraib scandal. And the politicians and the president, they needed a hero, and they chose Pat Tillman. And it's unfortunate, because they misled our country. ... It's terribly unfortunate to use the death of an American soldier for your own partisan political gain."

"That's hyper-spinning," objected Egland. "It's crazy to say that."

"I would expect somebody like you to care more about a soldier who fought for this country than the president of the United States who's a partisan politician," replied Soltz.

The following video is from MSNBC's Hardball, broadcast on August 1. #

Transcript:

BARNICLE: Welcome back to HARDBALL.

Don Rumsfeld was in the hot seat on Capitol Hill today over the death of Army Ranger Pat Tillman. And at the heart of the questioning was whether the former defense secretary tried to cover up the circumstances surrounding Corporal Tillman‘s death.

Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD RUMSFELD, FORMER U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: I have not been involved in any cover-up whatsoever. And I don‘t believe there‘s an individual at this table—who I know well and observed at close quarters in very difficult situations—who had any role in a cover-up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNICLE: Is Rumsfeld telling the truth, or was he involved in a Pentagon cover-up of Tillman‘s death?

Two war veterans join us tonight. Jon Soltz served in Iraq in 2003 and is co-founder and chairman of VoteVets.org. And Eric Egland served in both Iraq and Afghanistan and is a member of Vets For Freedom.

Gentlemen, I don‘t know whether you heard Colonel Jack Jacobs on the segment just before this. But it‘s his opinion that there was no real cover-up at the top, that this was a—more a tactical screw-up on the ground that resulted in Corporal Tillman getting killed by friendly fire.

What is your view, conspiracy at the top or just a tactical screw-up on the ground, Eric?

ERIC EGLAND, VETS FOR FREEDOM: Mike, I agree with that.

I mean, it‘s more than just a screw-up on the ground. There was clearly some malfeasance in terms of sharing incorrect information. I have a close friend who was a Ranger in Afghanistan at the time. And I remember him telling me, hey, this is ugly, in terms of the information that was shared from the guys on the front.

But, once that information went forward, you can‘t blame the Defense Department for sharing that, because they thought it was truthful. So, that is why it is appropriate to fry some of those guys that were out forward. But trying to pin it on Secretary Rumsfeld doesn‘t make any sense.

BARNICLE: Jon, what is your view?

JON SOLTZ, CO-FOUNDER, VOTEVETS.ORG: I think the whole thing is absolutely disgusting.

You know, we know, as young officers in the Army, if one of our soldiers is killed, that we owe the family an answer. And, if this administration can‘t come clean and tell Mary Tillman and the Tillman family what happened to their son, they have hurt the morale of our troops. It hurts our recruiting, destroys the integrity of our institution.

When a three-star, a four-star general shows up at a funeral, General Kensinger, and he gives the Silver Star to the family, and he knows that the soldier was killed by friendly fire, it is misleading, not only to us, but to our entire country.

When the new report comes out that the coroner felt that he was killed from within 10 meters, it‘s a big problem. And I encourage everyone to go to VoteVets.org, sign our petition, over 5,000 people. Tell the president, you don‘t need to invoke executive privilege here. You need to be the commander in chief. You need to help the military out here. You need to tell the family and our troops what happened to—to Pat Tillman.

BARNICLE: Eric, you know, I mean, the Silver Star citation, I mean, a bullet is a bullet. And Corporal Tillman, clearly, was acting honorably and courageously.

And, yet, the idea that this information was relayed back to Washington within—within a few days, perhaps—weeks, certainly—and that we‘re still talking about this, and that there are still questions lingering out there about this, this does not smack well for the Pentagon, for former Secretary Rumsfeld, for anybody involved in this.

EGLAND: Well, certainly.

I mean, it‘s—it happened terribly, but—but that is the thing. Once the information comes from the field, the—the people in the Pentagon, you know, did what—what they would do based on assuming that information was truthful.

It turns out it was not. So, I mean, and I think they did the right thing. Once it came out, you know, several weeks later, hey, this was friendly fire, this was not what it was claimed to be, they did what they should do, which is launch an investigation. And now these generals are being—are being hung out to—to pay the price, which they should be.

(CROSSTALK)

EGLAND: But we can‘t just do a political knee-jerk reaction and say blame Rumsfeld every time something goes wrong within the entire multimillion-person Department of Defense.

SOLTZ: It‘s totally—it‘s totally not acceptable.

Secretary Rumsfeld is the secretary of defense. The president of the United States is the commander in chief. If the investigation was done properly the first time, we would never have thought Pat Tillman was killed by enemy fire.

If the investigation was done well the second time, we wouldn‘t have thought Pat Tillman was killed from 150 meters away. And now we are finding out this week that Pat Tillman was killed, according to the coroner who looked at the body, from 10 meters away.

So, where are the facts here? The president needs to not invoke executive privilege and be honest with the American public. Let‘s put this in a larger context. April of 2004 was the Tet of Iraq. It‘s when the Shia militias rose up in Iraq and the Mahdi army, and we had to extend the 1st Armored Division for 12 months to 15 months.

It‘s when George Bush retreated from Fallujah, when the Marines got burned at the stake, and wouldn‘t go back into Fallujah for six months because of his reelection bid. And it‘s at the height of the Abu Ghraib scandal.

And the politicians and the president, they needed a hero, and they chose Pat Tillman. And it is unfortunate, because they misled our country at a time where they tried to justify political support for the soldier. It is terribly unfortunate to use the death of an American soldier for your own partisan political gain.

How do you expect a recruiter to walk into the homes of the mothers and fathers and ask for their son or daughter to fight and do what all Americans should do, which is serve our country, when the parent can look back at our recruiters, and they can say, why should my son or daughter fight for a president who is going to use their death for political support? It‘s absolutely sick.

BARNICLE: Eric, it doesn‘t...

EGLAND: I mean, that is—that is—that is hyper-spinning of...

SOLTZ: Absolutely not.

EGLAND: I mean, you‘re using the report on this for your own political gain.

SOLTZ: That‘s—absolutely not. That‘s absolutely false.

EGLAND: I mean, it is crazy to say that.

(CROSSTALK)

SOLTZ: Why are you putting the death—why are you putting the death of a soldier...

EGLAND: I mean, every time something happens...

(CROSSTALK)

SOLTZ: Why do you care more about politics than the death of an American soldier?

EGLAND: Wait. You just made a comment. Now it‘s my turn. Now it‘s my turn, Jon.

SOLTZ: That‘s sick. It‘s really sick.

(CROSSTALK)

EGLAND: Jon, you just made your statement. And I think you are spinning the report for your own political advantage.

SOLTZ: It‘s absolutely sick.

EGLAND: And I think that is wrong.

SOLTZ: Does Mary Tillman know all the facts?

EGLAND: Every time something goes wrong...

SOLTZ: Does Mary Tillman know all the facts of the death of her son?

Absolutely not. And there‘s one reason.

EGLAND: That is what we are investigating.

SOLTZ: Because the White House...

(CROSSTALK)

EGLAND: And that‘s why it‘s appropriate to do.

Well, if you‘re going to ask me a question, Jon, you need to let me answer.

SOLTZ: The White House has invoked executive privilege. It‘s absolutely sick.

EGLAND: Jon, you need to make your statement and go.

(CROSSTALK)

SOLTZ: I would expect somebody like you to care more about...

(CROSSTALK)

SOLTZ: I would expect somebody like you to care more about a soldier who fought for this country than the president of the United States, who is a partisan politician.

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