Today’s Sunday Mail carries a story , perhaps syndicated, perhaps from an overseas freelancer. It is called Code of Honour and it relates the story of Specialist Patrick Tilman who died on 22nd April, in Afghanistan.
The article is hagiographic, relating Tilman’s efforts to become a NFL footballer with the Arizona Cardinals, and then how he left a $5.2 million contract behind to fight as a US Army ranger for just $25,000 per year. He was undersized, and not naturally intellectually gifted, yet he excelled at both football and study. But he wanted to give something back to his country, so he joined the army.
Tilman’s death, according to the Sunday Mail, was caused by Taliban and Afghanistan treachery. He was ambushed in a hail of bullets in his truck and dies as a result of a landmine explosion, or maybe in a fierce fire-fight.
All of that is interesting, and no doubt the details of his footballing and academic career are correct, but the version of his death is flatly contradicted by this New York Times report.
No mention of Afghan complicity and treachery, but apparently he was killed by friendly fire while leading his troops to support other troops that were under fire. He wasn’t under fire at the time, and doesn’t appear to have been targetted in an ambush, although others may have been. This so undermines the Sunday Mail’s account that it can’t possibly be true.
Fox News, another part of the News Limited empire was easily the most supportive of the War in Iraq of all the news outlets. I can’t agree with author Bruce Paige’s assertion in his recent book, The Murdoch Archipelago, that Murdoch essentially offers an outsourced propaganda programme to governments, but when you see guff like the Sunday Mail article published in one of the least significant corners of the empire, you can see where Paige is coming from.
May 30, 2004 | Graham
Why would you run a story like this?
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I saw this piece too Graham. I agree with your comments (ouch, that hurt!). I feel it is bad to celebrate anyone’s death and it is also bad to try and exploit it as the SM did today.
Friendly fire or “heroic” end on the battle field? – it is still a tragic waste. And old men are still sending young men (and women) to their deaths.
regards
Gary
Comment by Gary MacLennan — May 31, 2004 @ 1:06 am
I saw two other things that stood out in sundays courier mail. One was the fact that Iraq soliders are going to be prosecuted for war crimes for killing americans. hmmmm… The other was the 2nd article in 2 weeks dishin’ it to Michael Moore. This time it was from the brain dead bolt, but its obvious that the murdoch papers have started their propoganda to bring down a film that nobody had even seen yet. It must have the neo-cons worried.
Comment by alphacoward — May 31, 2004 @ 10:46 am
What could be more American than being killed by “friendly fire”. By the way, what on earth was Private Tillman doing leading “his” troops? Don’t they have any commissioned or non-commissioned officers inthe US Army? And as for the Silver Star, along with the Bronze Star they awarded that woman in the concvoy that got lost and rear ended her comrades it demeans the true concept of heroism.
Comment by Gerard McEwen — June 2, 2004 @ 12:28 pm
What could be more American than being killed by “friendly fire”. By the way, what on earth was Private Tillman doing leading “his” troops? Don’t they have any commissioned or non-commissioned officers inthe US Army? And as for the Silver Star, along with the Bronze Star they awarded that woman in the concvoy that got lost and rear ended her comrades it demeans the true concept of heroism.
Comment by Gerard McEwen — June 2, 2004 @ 12:29 pm