Giuliana Sgrena & the killed agent.
Kattunge said on March 7, 2005 11:45:
What do you think about it?
ROME Mar 7, 2005 — A steady stream of Italians visited the body of the Italian intelligence officer lying in state two days after American troops in Iraq shot and killed him, while the journalist whose life he saved promised his widow she would find out why they were attacked.
Giuliana Sgrena, who was abducted Feb. 4 in Baghdad, spoke from a Rome hospital where she was recuperating Sunday from a shrapnel wound to the shoulder. The intelligence officer, Nicola Calipari, was killed when U.S. troops at a checkpoint fired at their vehicle Friday as they headed to the airport shortly after her release.
Sgrena said Calipari died shielding her, and that it was possible they were targeted deliberately because America opposes Italy’s policy of negotiating with kidnappers.
Italy Honors Slain Intelligence Officer
Syrian, Lebanese Leaders Discuss Pullback
Has Iraq Passed a Tipping Point to Peace?
However, she has offered no evidence to support her claim, and in an interview published in Monday’s edition of the daily Corriere della Sera, she said she doesn’t know what caused the attack.
“I believe, but it’s only a hypothesis, that the happy ending to the negotiations must have been irksome,” she said. “The Americans are against this type of operation. For them, war is war, human life doesn’t count for much.”
Sgrena has rejected the U.S. military’s account of the shooting, claiming instead that American soldiers gave no warning before they opened fire.
The White House said it was a “horrific accident” and promised a full investigation.
Sgrena, meanwhile, told private TG5 TV she had spoken with Calipari’s wife.
The only thing that I promised and I want to guarantee to her is that we must know the truth, because such exceptional people cannot die for no reason,” Sgrena said. “If someone is responsible, we need to know.”
coyboyusa said on March 7, 2005 18:59:
accidents hap[pened and u have to wonder why the italin consulate wasn’t in communication with american/iraqi authorities so they would knwo where she would head after she was released
Santi said on March 7, 2005 19:07:
Il Manifesto, 6 March 2005
“Sapevano eccome, gli americani. Sapevano che Nicola Calipari e il suo collega erano a Baghdad anche perché, in mattinata, avevano consegnato loro due badge per muoversi, con tanto di licenza di portare armi. Sapevano perfettamente cosa erano venuti a fare. Il rilascio di Giuliana Sgrena doveva avvenire nella stessa mattinata e solo per un contrattempo è slittato alla sera, quando il buio rende tutto più difficile e pericoloso. E gli americani sapevano che, una volta conclusa l’operazione, gli italiani sarebbero subito ripartiti, senza perdere tempo, peraltro con un volo autorizzato dagli stessi comandi della coalizione occupante. La notizia dell’avvenuto rilascio era addirittura pubblica, in un lancio della Reuters che citava fonti di Al Jazeera, almeno mezz’ora prima della sparatoria.”
Santi said on March 7, 2005 19:11:
Basically this says that the Americans gave permits to these two men for even carry weapons, they knew very well what they came to do and when it had to be done. The opperation got delayed but there were 4 phonecalls, some of them in English and even Reuters informed that Sgrena was free before the “accident” (I mean “assassination”) happened. Now tell us that Reuters gets things to know before the Americans so that we can all laugh along...
The last phonecall was interrupted by the massacre.
LittleSpooky said on March 7, 2005 19:22:
I think that someone in the US didn’t want her to be released for whatever reason.
They’d passed ALL the check points that were set up and they were driving at a reasonable rate of speed. So why open fire on the vehicle? The Allies knew she was coming.... but as it was stated once before somewhere: All it takes is a little rumour... and in a place like that, where everyone’s already jumpy.... it spells nothing but disaster.
sommartiderhejhej said on March 7, 2005 22:05:
I don’t believe this was a accident.
This was murder.
They knew who was in that car, they checked it earlier, so it was known she was in that car.
coyboyusa said on March 10, 2005 14:44:
if thats the case we would have shot up the trransport of every hostage that ever got freed you people need serious head exams
MiracleMan said on March 10, 2005 23:28:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4530228
LittleSpooky said on March 11, 2005 03:25:
Coy: You honestly and truly believe that it was an accident that this “transport” was fired upon AFTER passing ALL the check points and following “proper procedures” for travelling through this area?
If you honestly believe that... you, like many others, believe that President Bush is right in everything he’s done to this country since he’s been in office (2000). You’ve been bullshitted by the best of them Coy... because you believe the lies.
Jud (moderator) said on March 11, 2005 07:30:
but why would they want to kill her? this is what I don’t get, because US thinks war is war and gives a shit if 1 person dies.. but why to try to kill her themselves when she has already been resqued ?! One of the many things that we won’t get an answer for.
sommartiderhejhej said on March 11, 2005 20:07:
You can expect anything from (people from) a country that can choose George Bush as a president....
LittleSpooky said on March 12, 2005 05:03:
Jude: As far as I’ve been able to tell, this war won’t be ending any time soon. To me... it’s over when every last man / woman / piece of equipment is returned back to their “home base”. Well, those that are alive / in one piece.
Santi said on March 7, 2005 18:51:
I have just read Giuliana Sgrena’s article “La mia verita” (My truth) and I think that it is highly improbable that someone like Nicola Calipari would have been as reckless as to go too fast or to ignore any kind of signals as some have told. This kind of people do not make such mistakes, we are talking about a very successful secret agent.