General Wesley Clark on WPHT(1210AM)'s The Big Talker Morning Show

July 30, 2007 | transcript by Reg NYC

"....our country's safety depends on the integrity of the men and women in uniform and their ability to tell the truth under adverse circumstances."

Dom Giordano: ...But we have reached General Wesley Clark. General Wesley Clark - 38 years in the military of course, Commander of NATO of course, MSNBC analyst and candidate for President - it's a thrill to welcome you here to the Big Talker 1210, General Wesley Clark. General, good morning. Thanks very much for joining us.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Good morning. Great to be with you.

Dom Giordano: Well, General, give me your overall sense, would you please, of what happened here. You believe in the Tillman investigation, and I want you to kind of analyze that based on your sources in the military and your sense of being in command at those levels.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, my sense is that this was reported all the way up the chain of command to the Secretary of Defense and the White House and that people got scared because it looked like things that happened that were wrong.

Dom Giordano: Mm hm.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: It wasn't right. And people got carried away with trying to protect the institution instead of reaching the truth and letting the chips fall where they may.

Dom Giordano: General-

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: So, I think, you know, the evidence shows that we had one Three-Star General who didn't tell the truth and-

Dom Giordano: Mm hm.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: (inaudible) how high up this went. We don't know what the instructions were. I'm, you know- The, the most likely thing is that Pat Tillman died in a friendly fire accident, but I looked at the investigation results. Some of them, the ones I've seen, show that it occurred at extremely close range. I don't understand how they could make that kind of a mistake, even under, even under poor lighting conditions. And now I understand there was a doctor's call for, for investigation concerning murder, and I think that should've been followed through on.

Dom Giordano: General, let me talk to you about the murder issue, and I agree, it all should be followed through, and that's fair. When you were on with Keith Olbermann the other night, by the way it came out, and of course it's spontaneous on TV, of talking about his and how far it must go, does it trouble you that a number of bloggers, somewhat prominent websites, are now saying, 'Well, an authority like General Wesley Clark is postulating murder in a, you know, in a sense of the possibilities, and that it could go all the way up to the White House'? Your, your response to how it's been put out there.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, what I said is the investigation, the information about Tillman's death probably went up to the White House. I think when doctors say it has to be looked at and examined as a possible murder because of these three rounds supposedly that were in his forehead - again, I have not seen the autopsy results myself - then I think it needs to be looked at. And that investigation should've been, they should've asked that question.

Suzanne LaFrankie: General Clark, Suzanne La Frankie-

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: (inaudible) I mean, that's just proper investigating procedure. You run down-

Dom Giordano: Mm.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: -every lead. And you know, Tillman wasn't an unknown figure. He'd been used by the Secretary of Defense. It's natural to assume that the Secretary of Defense would have been called by somebody and said, and they would've said, you know, 'Tillman's been killed. We don't know what it is. May have been an accident.' And then, that would've gone to the White House, because that's the way those things work.

Suzanne LaFrankie: General Clark, Suzanne La Frankie. You know, I'm looking ant this and it, to me, it, it's an old story. I mean, this happened. It's a tragedy. I think there was cover up, but I don't see any new wrinkles in this and, to, to, to go off on this possibility of conspiracy, I think is irresponsible.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well I'm not quite sure what you're saying, but let's, let, let's talk about what the story is. The story is that a man who was a professional football player and his brother volunteered to serve in the Army Rangers, and he died under circumstances that were at best a friendly fire accident, that the family was given an award which wasn't earned or merited, an award for heroism in action when the chain of command, someone in the chain of command knew that there wasn't any enemy force there. He never was in contact with the enemy, which-

Suzanne LaFrankie: General Clark, with all due respect though that is, that is-

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: (inaudible under interruption) But let me finish!

Suzanne LaFrankie: But that is old.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Excuse me!

Suzanne LaFrankie: That is old news.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Excuse me, sir. Excuse me.

Suzanne LaFrankie: Ma'am.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: You're asking, you're making an implication of something I said that was improper. Is that right? So, I'm going to explain it. I'm saying that this family has never received the information from the government they've requested. And the chain of command should not cover up incidents like this, and that is NOT an old story, sir. That is a very important live story, because our country's safety depends on the integrity of the men and women in uniform and their ability to tell the truth under adverse circumstances. And that's why this is an important issue.

Suzanne LaFrankie: I'm not saying it's not important. And my name is Suzanne.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well.

Suzanne LaFrankie: I'm a woman, but thank you.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, I couldn't tell who you were ma'am. I don't know you. Al I know is that you cut me off when I, after you'd asked me a question. Didn't give me a chance to explain.

Dom Giordano: Alright, General, that's-

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: So, I don't think that's-

Dom Giordano: Okay.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: -the right interviewing technique.

Suzanne LaFrankie: (snickers)

Dom Giordano: Okay. Alright, Gen- General Clark-

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: It's not an old story.

Dom Giordano: Okay.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: If it was an old story, why did you ask me to be on the radio this morning?

Dom Giordano: Alright. General Clark, Dom Giordano with you here on the Big Talker 1210. The new part of this story then as you see it, because we, we- Did you see Sergeant, and I wanted to get your reaction, over the weekend who talked to the Associated Press about this? And he said it was friendly fire and that he explained pretty clearly what he thought happened here with Tillman. Give me a sense of how that cuts in, in your sense of where we are now with this.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: I have not seen the Sergeant's (inaudible).

Dom Giordano: Okay. Okay. Bottom line then, General - and I'm on page with this if this is what you're saying - this ought to be a full and complete investigation. Given your background, what do you think the proper forum should be to do that?

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: I think you need to have an investigating officer in the Armed Forces appointed with the authority to ask the questions all the way up and down the chain of command. The questions are: What happened and why-

Dom Giordano: Okay.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: -was false information given out?

Dom Giordano: Alright, General. Thank you very much. Thanks for joining us here at the Big Talker 1210.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Thank you.

Dom Giordano: Alright. General Wesley Clark with us here on the Big Talker 1210.