“This Story Continues”: Amir Bar-Lev, Director of ‘The Tillman Story’
BAR-LEV: There’s a sense that this is a story that is over. That this is something we look back on about the Bush administration. In fact, this is a story that continues to this day. Nobody’s ever been called to account for their actions…This was a deliberate attempt to cover up the facts.
Paying attention to the neverending story at
http://www.michaelmoore.com
Video Transcript
pat tillman staff on a battlefield
afghanistan became an emblem for thiscountry's response both personal and
military to spend a lot of taxjohn was a pro football star who walked
away from a multimillion dollar contractto join the army rangersbecamearguably america's most famous soldierpeople two thousand four corporal
tillman died during the second towardafghanistankilled by friendly fire though the
military covered up that backopting insteadto fabricate a story about her role at
death while fighting the enemythe broad outlines a pat on the story
may be familiar but a new documentarythe tillman sword fights fascinating new
detailsabout his lifeand death joining us now is amir bar
lefty director that on the story openingthis week in new york and los angeles
and your thanks so much for coming totalk to us thanks for having mei think it's a wonderfirst of all what do people know about
the store and i think the broad outlinesof it are kinda familiar he's got a lot
for us but had been kind of receded ofwhat were you surprised by working on
that's what you think people don't knowabout stari was surprised at how far off the
market was perception the story is tobegin with i meani think there's a sense that this is a
story that is over that this issomething that you know that we look
back on about the bush administration infactthis is a story that continues to this
daynobody's ever really been called to
account for their actions and evenyesterday where there was a new chapter
in the story where very uh... themilitary issued a press statementwith further life they said uh... we are
deeply apologetic switzerland familyfrom mistakes made and this word mistake
is is itself part of this conspiracythere was never missed a mistake would
be a fight you know knocked over mywater here this is deliberately attempt
to cover up the facts for which nobodyhas ever taken credit yeah i think that
that that one of the things that thatthat becomes clear in the film is thatthe preposterous story that was told
about is that really andwas so far from what i could happen to
be kicked because of the investigatorhad to be fabricated how high up does
that goit looks like they want all the way to
the white house and uh... you know theboat but what happened was they had made
at bonaire they underestimated pastmother jenny tillmanand they handed over thirty five hundred
documents pertaining to his deathand from this little cottage up in our
the santa cruz mansi painstakingly overa year's time unredacted these documents
and what's in there i think is goingshopping for when i see it i mean id
there's no question as to whether or notthis was a mistake there's there's
documents in there that say things likethat's home in game plan at the highest
levels as females from the white housetalking about how they were going to
manage the story to deceive the americanpublicthe children's story was one of stories
from that time there was dubbed privatelynch and herbrescue that wasfor creating these kind of crazy
cartoonish way isi wonder what what kind of perspective
you gained about that time in americanhistory when there was this really
intense sort of jingoistic for but gripthe country and it's real kind ofcollective desire for mister oakes that
that's on the cancer wrapped up in whatwhat did you learn about that periodwell you know i i don't know that
carries over i mean you know i i meanyou know that i i think it it says a lot
about our culture and i think it's tooeasy to point the fifth finger only at
the bush administrationyou mentioned jessica lange should dot
tillman was involved in that operationin haitifrom from the wings he had said you know
this is this is a movie they'rebasically constructing a movie and the
the sad tragedy and that all isyou know we didn't get with isn't
shocking footage from the jessica lynchoperation in our film that people
haven't seenwe didn't get handed that footage in
some garage by some deep throat in apaper bag we got it from the mainstream
pressthe reason folks haven't seen it is
because the mainstream press chose toomit that chose to leave it on their
living room floor so they can constructste this this idea of the female rambo
from you know from the mountains of westvirginiait in the east dismissed those works
because this is a you know we want tosee our movies played out in the newsandyou know i think it's a story about the
government it's also stood by the pressis also a hollywood storyyou basically saying that in the film he
is and there is sort of it's a storyabout a story it's a story about the
myth of pat on the start of the story ofpat tillmanwhat you are not the actual
flesh-and-blood human beings on thehusbandthat was that's allwell you know we worked on the phone for
three years and was it was uh...tremendous opportunity spent time with
this very very unique family their raftsipl there pronto half palms then we just
got a rarity president and uh... youknowi think people are also going to
surprise to see that this is somewhatuplifting story even despite its tragic
but packing uppat was a guy with strong opinions who
is absolutely willing to change thoseopinions that's what's not known about
and he's been turned into this squaredrive guy with the one track mindwhen in fact you know he was a committed
gaya loyal guy a patriotic guybut he was a guy who is willing to see
things from different points of viewwilling to question his own believes he
was a guy whowho changed his beliefs once he saw what
was going on actress first appointmentand he was involved that jessica entrap
erationhere's a guy who in earlier time some
people would've called a flip-flop ura nearby alleges the director of the
cattlemen story had said wonderful filmit's opening if i'm not mistaken new
york los angeles this weekend myronthat's rightbreak thanks for having a great sex life
is really a lecturer dept
The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform holds a hearing entitled "Misleading Information from the Battlefield." The hearing focuses on the death of Army Ranger Specialist Patrick Tillman in Afghanistan and the capture and rescue of Army Private Jessica Lynch in Iraq. The Committee examines why inaccurate accounts of these two incidents were disseminated, the sources and motivations for the accounts, and whether the appropriate Administration officials have been held accountable. Rep. Dennis Kucinich questions Specialist Patrick Tillman's brother Kevin Tillman about the mysterious destruction of his brother's property.
Tillman Military Scholars Richard Garcia, Melissa Stroh, Aaron and Bonnie Contreras. Highlights from the 6th annual Pat's Run held Saturday, April 17, 2010 at ASU's Sun Devil Stadium.
Feature and coverage courtesy of Fox Sports Arizona.
The Oversight Committee holds a hearing, "The Tillman Fratricide: What the Leadership of the Defense Department Knew." The hearing is part of an ongoing investigation and follows a previous hearing held in April. Witnesses will include former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Former Commander of U.S. Central Command Gen. John P. Abizaid (Retired), Former Chair of Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Richard B. Myers (Retired), Former Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command Gen. Bryan Douglas Brown (Retired). Gen. Kensinger has been served with a subpoena, but has not been able to be located over the past several days and will not appear. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton questions Secretary Rumsfeld on apparent gaps in his preparation to testify.
The mother of former NFL player Pat Tillman said the military let him down when it misreported his death. Katie Couric says the military let us all down. (CBSNews.com)
During the April 24, 2007 "battlefield misinformation" hearing held by the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Army Specialist Bryan O'Neal describes Pat Tillman's April 2004 death in Afghanistan by "friendly fire."
The construction contract for the Colorado River Bridge, was awarded to the joint venture partnership of Obayashi Corporation and PSM Construction USA, Inc., in October of 2004 for US$ 114 million. Construction began in early 2005 and is expected to be completed in 2010. When completed, the 2000 ft-long (610 m) Colorado River Bridge will span the Black Canyon (about 1500 ft/457 m south of the Hoover Dam), connecting the Arizona and Nevada Approach highways nearly 900 ft (274 m) above the Colorado River. The construction requirements and challenges are as difficult as any in the world.
The 8th Annual Pat's Run took place in Tempe, AZ on April 21, 2012 with more than 28,000 walkers and runners participating to honor the legacy of Pat Tillman. Proceeds from Pat's Run benefit the Tillman Military Scholars program. More than 30 current Tillman Military Scholars attended Pat's Run this year and helped produce this video to say thank you to participants, sponsors and volunteers.
The Oversight Committee holds a hearing, "The Tillman Fratricide: What the Leadership of the Defense Department Knew." The hearing is part of an ongoing investigation and follows a previous hearing held in April. Witnesses will include former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Former Commander of U.S. Central Command Gen. John P. Abizaid (Retired), Former Chair of Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Richard B. Myers (Retired), Former Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command Gen. Bryan Douglas Brown (Retired). Gen. Kensinger has been served with a subpoena, but has not been able to be located over the past several days and will not appear. Chairman Waxman questions witnesses on a memo he received early on indicating that it was likely a case of fratricide.
The Oversight Committee holds a hearing, "The Tillman Fratricide: What the Leadership of the Defense Department Knew." The hearing is part of an ongoing investigation and follows a previous hearing held in April. Witnesses will include former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Former Commander of U.S. Central Command Gen. John P. Abizaid (Retired), Former Chair of Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Richard B. Myers (Retired), Former Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command Gen. Bryan Douglas Brown (Retired). Gen. Kensinger has been served with a subpoena, but has not been able to be located over the past several days and will not appear. Chairman Waxman gives opening remarks.
Former Army officer Russell Baer chats with me about his good friend Pat Tillman and what Pat would have thought of "The Tillman Story." For more scoop, go to RedCarpetRoxy.com.
