McChrystal Lied About Tillman's Death: Krakauer

New book draws attention to general's role in cover-up
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 2, 2009 7:39 AM CST

A new book is dredging up some uncomfortable history for Stanley McChrystal at an inconvenient time. Just as the general's credibility is on the line in Afghanistan, Jon Krakauer’s paints McChrystal as the central figure in the cover-up of Pat Tillman’s friendly fire death. McChrystal says he made an honest mistake in writing Tillman’s Silver Star recommendation, but in a preview of his book yesterday on Meet the Press, Krakauer called that “preposterous.”

“McChrystal was told within 24 hours it was friendly fire,” Krakauer said. Shown a video of McChrystal’s testimony, in which he said he “didn’t review the citation well enough,” Krakauer added, “He just said now he didn't read this hugely important document about the most famous soldier in the military. That’s preposterous. That’s not believable.” (More Stanley McChrystal stories.)

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