RE: The Pat Tillman story from this morning, Outside The Beltway says:
The rationale for publicizing this is unclear, given that all it does is tarnish his memory. That the Army

Iraq is not a quagmire? Oh yea, mission accomplished...

How many have died since Bush's pathetic little photo op?

Bush could not even meet the requirement for a required physical during wartime. I am still amazed there is no outrage by supporters of the military over his flight suit stunt, using real fighting men for political gain...

Since we can't depend on official sources to give us accurate information about circumstances vital to policymaking, it is wonderful to see independent analysis of this sort.

Of course, the Tilman case gets more scruitny because he was a celebrity. I would like to see more reporting about war's effects from the standpoint of normal, everyday people--like, say Iraqi or Afghan civilians.

The scandal of the recent poppy spraying in eastern Afghanistan, for example, should be given more scruitny.

And as far as real honest to goodness heroes go - isn't the guy who stopped the torture of prisoners at Abu Gharaib enough of one? I understand even now he still has to hide from those who want to do him harm. He earns our respect and admiration every day.

The first paragraph is telling enough as to why they are publicizing it. The media view themselves as iconoclasts. any time they can bust the myth of a "hero," they are duty-sworn to do so. The telling of the story as if it were a botched job and Tillman's death another example of the Bush administration's duplicity.

It's also a chance for Coll to brush off his credentials as a reporter akin to those in vietnam who tore down the reputations of American soldiers in the fighting.

The rationale is obvious. it serves to further the "quagmire" myth that has developed among members of the media.

A lot of people in this country are sick of the lies being told by the brass while our boys die. Remember... Truth, Justice and the American Way.

Also, I'm wondering if the military merely omitted details or invented a new and fictional narrative a la Jessica Lynch. Pethaps I will know more after I read the rest of the Post series.

Anyone who has been in combat knows that friendly fire incidents are common in the confusion that reigns on any battlefield. I've personally been on both ends of friendly fire incidents, and in the context of what was happening at the moment, I think most were unavoidable. Of course, I guess it would be unreasonable to expect most reporters to attempt to understand any of this.