CLUELESS>Rumsfeld Says No Evidence of Cover-up
Aug 1, 2007
WASHINGTON(CNN)--Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Wednesday there was no evidence of a cover-up of the circumstances of Army Ranger Cpl. Pat Tillman's death.
Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld appears Wednesday before a hearing on Pat Tillman's death.
"I know that I would not engage in a cover-up. I know that no one in the White House suggested such a thing to me," Rumsfeld testified before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which is examining what senior Defense Department officials knew about Tillman's April 2004 death by friendly fire and when they knew it.
Rumsfeld said he was sure Tillman's family felt "great sorrow at their son's death" and "the handling of the circumstances could only have added to the pain of losing a loved one. I offer ... my deep regrets."
The former Secretary of Defense testified that he didn't recall precisely when he learned of Tillman's death. "It could have been internally or it could have been through the press," he said.
"The only action I can recall taking was to draft a letter to the family," he added.
Rumsfeld said he did not recall discussing the case with the White House until it had become public knowledge that Tillman was killed by friendly fire.
He said he did not instruct his staff to try to influence news coverage of Tillman's death.
Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Maryland, asked Rumsfeld how he could not have known that Tillman was accidently killed by American troops.
"You're talking about an institution of something like 3 million people -- active duty, reserve, guard, civilians, contractors," Rumsfeld said. "There are so many things going on in that department in any given year. ... It's like a city of 3 million people. It's not possible for someone to know all the things that are going on."
Rumsfeld was joined by Gen. Richard Myers, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Gen. John Abizaid, former chief of U.S. Central Command; and Gen. Bryan Douglas Brown, former commander of U.S. Special Operations Command. All of the generals are now retired.< |
