The McChrystal Prologue

Yesterday's and likely today's big news show will be filled with almost nothing except the Rolling Stone article on General McChrystal and his subsequent meetings at the Pentagon and with President Obama. The upshot is that McChyrstal is a "Runaway General" as the title of the article suggests and he and his top aides gave disparaging statements about the Obama administration and their prosecution of the war in Afghanistan.

Today, however, on the NY Times NFL blog of all places, the beginning of the McChrystal story is told as it relates to the death of NFL player Pat Tillman. McChrystal is placed front and center at the fraud that took place in covering up the friendly fire death of Tillman. It seems that McChrystal had no problems at that point doing the bidding of the Bush administration in falsifying commendation records in the death of America's most famous soldier. The story of Pat Tillman giving up the life of an NFL star to join the army to fight against terrorism was too great a story to undercut with the truth that Tillman's head was blown off by American soldiers. From the Times:

The Pat Tillman story was always an irresistible one. A man forsakes riches and fame for his country.

His death during his service? It only added to the narrative of duty and sacrifice. It apparently proved too irresistible for military officials not to want to spin it for their purposes; they initially portrayed it as something other than the friendly fire that it was.

The Times than includes numerous video clips revealing the truth revealed during the investigation and gives this warning:

Warning: These old clips may make you mad.

Here is just one of the clips:
There is also a documentary on Tillman's death and coverup--including McChrystal's role--coming in August.