PHOENIX, Ark., Oct. 22 (UPI) -- The brother of former NFL player Pat Tillman, killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan, termed the Iraqi war "illegal" in an essay published on the Internet.
Kevin Tillman, a former Army Ranger stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan with his brother, said, "Somehow the more soldiers that die, the more legitimate the illegal invasion becomes," The (Phoenix) Arizona Republic reported.
Tillman's commentary, published by Truthdig.com, also criticized the Bush administration and the average U.S. citizen's apparent apathy toward the war, the Republic said.
The brothers, Rangers with the 2nd Battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment, joined the Army after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the newspaper said. After a tour in Iraq, they were on a mission together in Afghanistan when older brother Pat was killed by friendly fire on April 22, 2004.
Kevin Tillman had not spoken about his brother's death or the war since his discharge last year, the Republic said.
Tillman, a minor league baseball player, said "incompetent, narcissistic" people still lead the United States and somehow "this is tolerated," the Republic said.
