The actions of the general demanding thousands of new US troops for the war in Afghanistan have been called into question by a new book on an alleged Pentagon cover-up of the death of Pat Tillman, an American footballer turned soldier.
The actions of the general demanding thousands of new US troops for the war in Afghanistan have been called into question by a new book on an alleged Pentagon cover-up of the death of Pat Tillman, an American footballer turned soldier The actions of the general demanding thousands of new US troops for the war in Afghanistan have been called into question by a new book on an alleged Pentagon cover-up of the death of Pat Tillman, an American footballer turned soldier Photo: PA
The challenge to Gen Stanley McChrystal's reputation comes as President Barack Obama prepares to make his biggest decision since winning the presidency a year ago on Tuesday. The president has spent more than two months agonising over how many reinforcements to send to the war.
Throughout that process the highly decorated Gen McChrystal has been praised as the ideal man to lead allied forces in Afghanistan, a job he took over in the summer.
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But in Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman, the author Jon Krakauer has presented allegations about the general's role in recommending Cpl Tillman for a posthumous silver star medal, which would not normally be awarded for a "friendly fire" incident.
He claimed that Gen McChrystal approved paperwork awarding the medal Cpl Tillman despite the fact that the former Arizona Cardinals star had died from friendly fire and not enemy fire, as the Pentagon claimed for a month after his death.
"After Tillman died, the most important thing to know is that within 24 hours everybody on the ground, everyone intimately involved, knew it was friendly fire," Krakauer told NBC. "There's never any doubt it was friendly fire. Also, immediately they started this paperwork to give Tillman a silver star."
Testifying before a Senate hearing earlier this year, Gen McChrystal admitted "I would do this differently if I had the chance again", and said he had not read the paperwork on the silver star citation thoroughly.
Krakauer, who spent five months in Afghanistan researching the book, described that claim as "preposterous" and "unbelievable".
The allegation of a cover-up was made after a concerted campaign by Cpl Tillman's family. His father, Pat Tillman Snr, earlier this year said of Gen McChrystal, "I do believe that guy participated in a falsified homicide investigation."
Gen McChrystal was one of eight officers recommended for discipline by a subsequent Pentagon investigation but the army declined to take action against him.