WAR: Freed Italian Reporter Hurt, Italian Secret Service Agent Shot Dead in Iraq

Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena, just freed from a one-month hostage ordeal, was wounded Friday and one of her rescuers killed when US soldiers opened fire as their speeding car headed toward the Baghdad airport. The Italian intelligence officer, Nicola Calipari, saved Sgrena's life by using his body to shield her from the gunfire. Sgrena was being treated by a U.S. medical team. The shooting is under investigation.



update:

U.S. soldiers tried to warn then shot into its engine block when the driver did not stop, the U.S. military said.



Sgrena, who is in her mid-50s, was kidnapped on 4 February. Insurgents later released a video of her sobbing and wringing her hands as she pleaded for Italian troops to be pulled out of Iraq.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said he has asked the U.S. ambassador for an explanation.

Related News Links:
www.bloomberg.com


[edit on 6-3-2005 by Banshee]

This begs for a new headline - buts it's hot news.

Hate to sound cold, but for the benefit of the Italian Politicos, I will speak slowly. It was a righteous shoot. Plain and simple. The outcome was most unfortunate.

"Our vehicle was running at normal speed, which could not be misunderstood," she said, rejecting US fears of a possible suicide attack.

"It wasn't a checkpoint, but a patrol which immediately opened fire after they trained their light on us."

A companion, who travelled with her from Baghdad, levelled serious accusations at the US troops involved in the incident, saying the shooting had been deliberate.

"The Americans and Italians knew about (her) car coming," said Pier Scolari on leaving Italy's Celio hospital, where Ms Sgrena was treated for her wounds.

"They were 700 metres from the airport, which means that they had passed all checkpoints."

Source

Ms Sgrena, who was wounded in the incident, has been sent to a military hospital in Rome for an operation.

She denied US military accounts that the car was speeding past a checkpoint when it was fired upon.

BBC

Good stuff sanctum.

FYI - The Italian media has been going public with US dirty laundry. Especially depleted uranium and its health effects on soldiers.

This looks like payback. ...have also read that the journalist had "information."

IRAQ-MEDIA: All Flights Lead to Rome

Also see: Poison DUst: Depleted Uranium Kills


.

The death of an agent tests Italy's friendship with the United States

Since World War II, Italy and the U.S have been consistently close allies, but the relationship has had to survive several tough tests. For example the military standoff over Washington’s bid to capture a Palestinian guerrilla leader in Sicily and the killing of twenty people when a marine jet sliced a ski gondola’s cable. But now Silvio Berlusconi must manage a fresh crisis, outrage after U.S troops in Iraq killed an Italian intelligence officer who negotiated the release of a journalist held hostage for a month.

So this negotiator has risked her life to live in Iraq for the last month and dedicated her life to the release of a hostage. Later to be able to free the hostage but open fired upon by their own allies.

What has gone wrong here, personally I think something has gone terribly wrong and it will take a long time for U.S to even attempt to make things ‘better’.

This woman is an "old" woman and should understand that her job is exremely dangerous, and could result in death. My heart goes out to The gentleman who saved her life, who I understand, was much younger with a young family. If you are not willing to anticipate death as a journalist, then get out of the field of journalism. At first, I felt sorrow, until I saw the pictures of this "old" woman, and then began to grieve for the agent who saved her. Retire already.

For every Euro the Italians pay to release a hostage, that much more pays for weapons to thwart efforts to stabilize Iraq and to kill OUR (allies included) our troops

Tough! They should have let the Communist Old Lady spend time with the terroists, who obviously weren't going to kill her. Can anyone say, "Martha Stewart?"

"But now Silvio Berlusconi must manage a fresh crisis, outrage after U.S troops in Iraq killed an Italian intelligence officer who negotiated the release of a journalist held hostage for a month."

The only reason this is a crisis is that the Italian Govt pimps are lying to make the US look bad here. This was an attempt to save a Communist News Reporter for God's sake. Think about this. I personally know the Unit Commander in this and he would never fire on an innocent situ! It is what it is.... a tragedy none the less....but they didn't even inform Unit Command that they were going to do this? It was OOPs (out-of-protocol) kill.

"So this negotiator has risked her life to live in Iraq for the last month and dedicated her life to the release of a hostage. Later to be able to free the hostage but open fired upon by their own allies" They were stupid to NOT follow protocol. She risked the whole mission and other lives as well with this oversite...they are to blame....not the grunt trying to do his job.

"What has gone wrong here, personally I think something has gone terribly wrong and it will take a long time for U.S to even attempt to make things ‘better’"

The problem with you folks here is that you have no idea of what you are talking about. You sit in your protected world with little or NO experience with this, but believe all the crap you are fed. AFter being in theater for two years in various forms (Iraq or wherever there) and seeing and experiencing every situ that you can muster, I will tell you that we ARE the good guys here and it's a freaking war zone for pete's sake and stay out of it if you cannot protect or conduct yourself accordingly. Don't ask me or others to protect your ass if you get caught or endangered.

Last but not least.....the Italian Gov is now negotiating with terrorists, which mean collaboration. I won't trust another Italian in combat now because I know what your Governments real character is. As far as I am concerned go back to your wine, women, song and stay out of our way.

Capt INO

Originally posted by INO It is what it is.... a tragedy none the less....but they didn't even inform Unit Command that they were going to do this? It was OOPs (out-of-protocol) kill.

The Italian foreign minister said they did contact the US and let them know what was going on.


"He had the free movement pass and had taken all contacts with US authorities placed for airport security".
agi.it

Boston.com
In a somber speech to Parliament, Gianfranco Fini disputed the US military's version of the events that led to Friday night's shooting near Baghdad International Airport. The car carrying journalist Giuliani Sgrena to the airport -- less than an hour after her release by insurgents who had held her hostage -- was coming to a halt when it was riddled by gunfire at a US checkpoint, Fini said. He also said the slain intelligence agent, Nicola Calipari, had made a series of phone calls in an effort to alert Italian and US authorities...

...Fini's description of the events, based on testimony by the driver, an unidentified Italian intelligence agent, contained no mention of warning shots or hand signals. Fini said the car was traveling at no more than 25 m.p.h. on a wet road as the driver steered around cement blocks. Fini said the driver was already braking when the car was hit by a burst of automatic gunfire lasting 10 to 15 seconds.

She was a communist...enough said...kill facist pigs...kill them, who ever they are where ever they be...

Liberation at all costs...

the story from the horse's mouth

it seems the US didn't want her to get back to italy. it will be interesting to hear what she is going to say that's got the boys in the ivory control tower in a cold sweat.