Italy Rejects U.S. Version of Iraq Shooting

[chlamor]

Italy Rejects U.S. Version of Iraq Shooting
Sun Mar 6, 2005 07:26 AM ET

ROME (Reuters) - Italian hostage Giuliana Sgrena, shot and wounded after being freed in Iraq, said Sunday U.S. forces may have deliberately targeted her because Washington opposed Italy's policy of dealing with kidnappers.

<snip>

The U.S. military says the car was speeding toward a checkpoint and ignored warning shots, an explanation denied by government ministers and the driver of the car.

Speaking from her hospital bed where she is being treated, Sgrena told Sky Italia TV it was possible the soldiers had targeted her because Washington opposes Italy's dealings with kidnappers that may include ransom payments.

"The United States doesn't approve of this (ransom) policy and so they try to stop it in any way possible."

According to Italy's leading daily Corriere della Sera, the driver, an unidentified Italian agent, said: "We were driving slowly, about 40-50 km/h (25-30 mph)."

<snip>

Although Italy has denied paying kidnappers in past hostage releases, Agriculture Minister Gianni Alemanno told the Corriere that "very probably" a large ransom had been paid in this case.

Italian newspapers have speculated that anything up to 8 million euros ($10 million) may have been paid.

   www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=7817604



       

[NVMojo]

1. We don't like their ransom policy so we kill them?

[ECH1969]

2. Interesting story this could go on for some time

[IndianaGreen]

3. Exactly, no doubt anymore that we are the murderers

According to the Italian press, US troops prevented others from providing medical aid.

[okasha]

9. Link please?

"According to the Italian press, US troops prevented others from providing medical aid."

I haven't seen this yet. Would you post the source, please, IG?

Given that they were inside the checkpoints, blaming this on "insurgents" would raise the embarassing question of how said "insurgents" got inside the perimeter. As for why they didn't finish the job--I think that may go to the fact that the Italian agents were on the line with Berlusconi's office when the attack occurred. There were witnesses, possibly witnesses who heard the attackers speaking in English.

Okasha

[IndianaGreen]

13. Here is NVMojo's thread in GD politics that quotes the Italian press

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1642614

Here is NVMojo's post# 2:

"The US soldiers prevented first aid for several minutes and prevented anyone from coming near the car", said Pier Scolari as he entered Celio (military) hospital. "Giuliana had had information that the USA wouldn't let her return home alive.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1642614#1642635

[CHIMO]

22. Laura Flanders Interview

On Sat. Mar.5, 2005

Interviewed a reporter that said he had heard that her kidnappers had told her the US does not want to allow you to leave alive. How much weight can be given to this is questionable.
Laura asked him if he would be available for another interview on Sunday, Mar. 6, 2005 and his response was yes.
Let's hope that she can speak to him again on her Sunday AAR show.

[NVMojo]

26. WE ARE THE TERRORISTS!!!

[uppityperson]

4. ABC, NY Times have stories too, according to BBC online

Hopefully this will get out into the MSM now.

[shadowknows69]

6. of course the WH calls it a horrific accident

I call BULLSHIT. Her aide was killed by a single shot to the temple. does that sound like sniper fire to anyone? This was a planned ambush. Italy needs to keep this woman in a very safe place and find out what she knows.

[IndianaGreen]

7. A sniper that aimed at the passenger instead of the driver

really tells us volumes that this was a targeted assassination, perhaps by one of Rumsfeld's Salvadoran Option death squads.

Makes me wonder about who really was responsible for the bombing in Beirut...

[nolabels]

32. Ah, who cares if * starts a war with Italy, it's just old Europe anyway

:crazy:

The amount of news you can find out about in the international realm as compared to what they are trying to feed the domestic population in the Corporate-mas(insanity)-media of the US, would tell me something is going to give sooner or later.

[chlamor]

8. Pro Occupation Death Squads

First revealed by Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti in 1991, Gladio (from the Latin for "sword") is still protected to this day by its founding patrons, the CIA and MI6. Yet parliamentary investigations in Italy, Switzerland and Belgium have shaken out a few fragments of the truth over the years. These have been gathered in a new book, "NATO's Secret Armies: Operation Gladio and Terrorism in Western Europe," by Daniele Ganser, as Lila Rajiva reports on CommonDreams.org.

Last month, it was widely reported that the Pentagon is considering a similar program in Iraq. What was not reported, however -- except in the Iraqi press -- is that at least one pro-occupation death squad is already in operation. Just days after the Pentagon plans were revealed, a new militant group, "Saraya Iraqna," began offering big wads of American cash for insurgent scalps -- up to $50,000, the Iraqi paper Al Ittihad reports. "Our activity will not be selective," the group promised. In other words, anyone they consider an enemy of the state will be fair game.
http://globalresearch.ca/articles/FLO502B.html


This is not to say that this particular group, "Saraya Iraqna", was involved here as it has been firmly established that it was American "troops". The point is that there are various special ops forces that are carrying out assassinations and other destabilizing maneuvers. Your questioning of the shot to the temple is on the mark I believe. There were between 300-400 rounds fired where did all the ammo go? Who has the auto for evidence? Everybody is a target particularly those who wish to get the truth out. She has seen alot.

[NVMojo]

25. One article stated that more than 300 rounds were fired ....

[hlthe2b]

28. Exactly... 300 rounds reportedly fired & now the car can not be located?

:mad:

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[uppityperson]

10. congratulations, you take the "more cynical than me" award.

people ask why I laugh, it's so I don't cry

[meganmonkey]

11. Nice subject line, man. Are you kidding me?

First of all, I doubt regular soldiers would be used for a hit like this. It was special forces or operatives of some sort, I would guess. Everyone knew this woman was released and on her way to the airport, and they were past all the checkpoints. I truly believe it was planned.

Just like this fucked up administration to make the generic 'troops' the fall guy for this.
on edit: sorry if I totally misread you and you were being sarcastic...I just came from a thread where a few people were really baiting folks into saying shit like 'the troops are all evi' so I am a little sensitive ;)

[TheWatcher]

12. As the story develops I am beginning to think

more and more that is the case.

Perfect cover, if you ask me.

Send in a Death Squad to do your dirty work, and blame it on generic soldiers who had nothing to do with it.

The one thing I wonder is if those soldiers at supoosed check point were as suprised about the bullets being fired as the passengers in the car were.

Curioser and curioser.

One step deeper into Hell this country goes.

[ECH1969]

14. hehe

I do that alot. :evilgrin:

[BrotherBuzz]

16. Do we know that US soldiers did it?

What if the Blue Meanies (read death squads)....operating in the shadows and outside the rules of war were compled to disappear when the real troops (the stupid ones, I guess :crazy:) arrivived at the scene of the crime.

[FloridaPat]

15. But that's our ransome policy - at least for important Americans.

Bush changed that the first year he was in the White House.

One thing some folks have pointed out is that * does everything he can to not negotiate with the insurgants. He doesn't want anyone to notice they will negotiate and will keep their promises, unlike us. But others have been released before too.

I think she knows something * doesn't want reported by someone that people will take seriously. However, why didn't they finish her and the rest of them off when they had the chance?

[sadiesworld]

18. Obviously, I'm just talkin' here...

but what if the only member of the patrol who knew the car contained the journalist was the leader? When the leader realized that some of the occupants had managed to survive the 300-400 rounds, he couldn't very well order his troops to open fire on injured Italians, right?

[FloridaPat]

20. They do it with the Iraqi's. Could always claim they didn't realize

they were Italians.

[sadiesworld]

24. I guess I have a problem with the idea that multiple...

...rank-and-file, out-of-the-loop soldiers would not only murder wounded individuals, but could also be expected to cover it up effectively in a high-profile situation. :shrug:

[SpiralHawk]

17. Are they calling George Bush and the Republicans liars?

Then, welcome to the club. They are now in excellent company.

"We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark. The real tragedy of life is when men (and women) are afraid of the light." - Plato

[understandinglife]

19. AP/Yahoo: Italian Journalist Rejects U.S. Account

Being freep'd: surprise, surprise.....

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&e=2&u=/ap/20050306/ap_on_re_eu/italy_iraq_hostage

Peace.

[number6]

21. so do I ...

"Italy Rejects U.S. Version of Iraq Shooting"

[understandinglife]

23. NYTimes 'online front page': Italian Journalist .... Rejects U.S. Account

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/06/international/europe/06cnd-italy.html?hp&ex=1110171600&en=65ae6706a19be8e2&ei=5094&partner=homepage

WH will not be able to control this one.....

Peace.

[NVMojo]

27. there are tons of news links worldwide on this site about it...

http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/

[Boomer]

30. Very telling

The NYT report leaves out many of the details that support Sgrena's contention that the assault was intentional. No mention of the checkpoints passed, of the rate of speed she says they were traveling, of the hail of bullets, the delay in bringing in medical aid, or of the disaperance of the car.

I've learned more from Turkish news reports than from our own press.

Big surprise.

[Jokinomx]

29. Thanks for the update...

I am sure that all of Italy is furious about this incident.

The U.S. just keeps sinking deeper and deeper in this quagmire we have created.

[Voltaire99]

31. Why would anyone believe the US account of anything in Iraq?

So it is being "fully investigated."

That is merely the term used by Washington to describe the interval between the discovery of its latest hideousness and the time it takes for its public to forget.