Oversight Committee Announces Second Hearing on Tillman

As noted on Friday, Chairman Henry Waxman and Ranking Republican Tom Davis of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee wrote letters to White House Counsel Fred Fielding, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, and RNC Chairman Mike Duncan requesting further documents regarding the handling of information surrouding the death of Army Ranger Specialist Patrick Tillman.

Today the Committee announced a hearing scheduled for August 1, 2007:

Oversight Committee Announces Hearing on The Tillman Fratricide: What the Leadership of the Defense Department Knew

WASHINGTON, DC -- On Wednesday, August 1, 2007, at 10:00 a.m. in 2154 Rayburn House Office Building, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform will hold a hearing entitled "The Tillman Fratricide: What the Leadership of the Defense Department Knew." The hearing will examine what senior Defense Department officials knew about U.S. Army Corporal Patrick Tillman's death by fratricide.

On Friday, July 13, Chairman Waxman and Ranking Minority Member Tom Davis sent letters to the White House and the Department of Defense objecting to the withholding of documents related to the death of Corporal Tillman, who was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan in 2004. Chairman Waxman also wrote the Republican National Committee to request communications about Corporal Tillman's death by White House officials using e-mail accounts controlled by the RNC.

WHO: The following witnesses are invited to testify:

· The Honorable Donald Rumsfeld

Former Secretary of Defense

· Gen. Richard B. Myers (Retired)

Former Chair, Joint Chiefs of Staff

· Gen. John P. Abizaid (Retired)

Former Commander, U.S. Central Command

· Gen. Bryan Douglas Brown (Retired)

Former Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command

· Lt. Gen. Philip R. Kensinger, Jr. (Retired)

Former Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command

· Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal

Commander, Joint Special Operations Command

WHEN: 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 1

WHERE: 2154 Rayburn House Office Building

During the first hearing, held on April 24, 2007, Rep. Elijah Cummings (MD-04) delved into questions surrounding a "Personal For" (P4) memo, which was written by Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal and sent to Gen. John P. Abizaid and Lt. Gen. Philip R. Kensinger, Jr. amongst others:

Rep. Elijah Cummings: "This P4 memo was sent by General McChrystal, who was your brother's regiment commander in Afghanistan to three high-ranking generals including General Kensinger, the head of special operations, and General Abizaid, the head of Central Command. The P4 memo warns, and I quote, "It is highly possible that Corporal Tillman was killed by friendly fire." End of quote. And it seems to be responding to inquiries from the White House..."