Former US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has said the family of US soldier who was killed by so-called friendly fire in Afghanistan deserved the truth about his death but did not initially get it.
Mr Rumsfeld's testimony at a congressional hearing, was his first appearance on Capitol Hill since leaving office last year.
Pat Tillman became a patriotic symbol in the US when he gave up a multimillion American football career to join the Army after the 11 September 2001, attacks on New York and Washington.
He died on 22 April 2004, in Afghanistan from what the Army initially said was enemy fire and he was later awarded the Silver Star with a citation that suggested that he was killed by enemy fire.
Mr Rumsfeld told the hearing that the handling of the circumstances surrounding Corporal Tillman's death could only have added to the pain of his family.
It came a day after the US Army censured retired Lt Gen Philip Kensinger, former head of the Army Special Operations Command, for lying about Corporal Tillman's death by US fire in Afghanistan in 2004.
Lt Gen Kensinger, who may be demoted in the case, refused to testify at today's hearing.
He rejected the Pentagon's allegations in a statement saying, 'Never did I lie or would I lie, deceive or intend to obstruct or mislead in any fashion.'
