Would the death of a US soldier in Afghanistan have been reported if...

[NNN0LHI]

...his name was not Pat Tillman? I don't think so.

[bedtimeforbonzo]

1. Yes

just not in as spectacular a fashion.

[w13rd0]

2. Afghanistan?

Where's that? Do we have soldiers in Afghanistan?

[jobycom]

3. Maybe not, but c'mon, that's a big story for more than one reason

Tillman was highly respected for what he did by a lot of people. This tragic end has so many elements of irony to it, it's almost Shakespearean.

[charlie]

4. He's going to be lionized

You know memos are flying inside of Fortress Bush right now. This poor guy's going to be very useful to them.

[Windy]

5. The kid should be talked about

He gave up millions and a comfortable life to fight for his country when he didn't have to. In an unjustified war...

Sound familiar to anyone here at the DU? (John Kerry?)

Now I do agree though that if Bush goes to his funeral, the rest of the parents of lost kids should be up in arms!!! That would be a big mistake on bush's part since he has ignored the rest of the dead so far and won't allow their flag draped caskets to be photographed!

[NewYorkerfromMass]

9. actually, Afghanistan was very justified.

a hell of a lot more so than Iraq.

[Gothmog]

6. The media has ignored Afghan deaths.

The media has been under-reporting US deaths in Afghanstan.

[bhunt70]

7. The guy, like the others there, are heros

He gave up a comfortable, capitalist, wet dream, to go support his country in what he thought was right. Other do the same, I agree, but it was a story when he gave it up, and it's a sad twist seeing the end.

[argyl]

8. No.Rules for reporting Special Forces are different from regular Army.

Mainly,they aren't.This is my understanding,anyway.A famous soldier being killed they really have no choice but to report it.I think our casualties in Afghanistan are higher than reported.Afghanis are ferocious warriors and their terrain is so harsh that it's hard to believe that people capable of fighting barefoot at altitudes of 16,000 ft.and were so effective against the Soviets can only manage to inflict a casualty against US troops about once every three months.