BREAKING: US forces kill Italian secret service after reporter is freed

[Bluebear]

ROME (Reuters) - U.S. forces fired at a car carrying Italian reporter Giuliana Sgrena shortly after her liberation, killing an Italian secret service agent and lightly wounding the journalist, her newspaper said on Friday.

Gabriele Polo, the editor of Il Manifesto newspaper, said Sgrena's car was fired on as it made its way to Baghdad airport.

"This news which should have be a moment of celebration, has been ruined by this fire fight," Polo told Sky Italia television.

"An Italian agent has been killed by an American bullet. A tragic demonstration which we never wanted that everything that's happening in Iraq is completely senseless and mad," he added, struggling to fight back his tears.


http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050304/ts_nm/iraq_dc_510

on edit: second person in auto was also killed

[HereSince1628]

1. Eason Jordan is looking pretty good right now.

[Bluebear]

3. Cripes they were better off kidnapped nt

[rocktivity]

2. Sorry, but I misplaced my scorecard

Is Italy on Bush's side?

:headbang:
rocknation

[Lone_Star_Dem]

5. Or better question might be

Is the Italian Press on Bush's side?

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

8. The Italian gov't is on *'s side

but the Italian people are overwhelmingly opposed. Prior to the war, some of the biggest anti-war marches were in Italy.

The Italian press is also very much against this war. Note that the press in Italy is much more diversified than here in the U.S. The Communist party has its paper (Il Manifesto), the socialists have their paper, etc. Every city has its own (or multiple) paper and the publishing business is still a family business, rather than a corporate enterprise.

That being said, the current PM, Silvio Berlusconi, controls all the major TV networks and, by virtue of his position in government, he has a say on the state-run television (RAI). However, even then, you will not find many Fox-like reporters or newscasts.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

10. Not for long, if it wakes the Italians up.

And, they chuck Godfather Berlusconi out.

[MisterP]

52. Berlusconi and his Murdoch-like media empire are

now I can do TWO Italian PMs with one impersonation, though...

[CanuckAmok]

4. What a fucking quagmire....

not only is Iraq a tactical and logistical arglebargle, but you guy's won't have any allies left if stuff likes this keeps going on (and it will).

Sorry to say this, but the US Forces in Iraq are far too large and inexperienced for the number of commanders they have. Nobody seems to have a handle on what the other hand is doing, so to speak.

[EC]

6. Sooo, does this mean that

American troops ARE targeting reporters? It doesn't say if it was an accident or not...

[Bluebear]

9. I think they just saw swarthy people heading to the airport

and kablammo. So sad.

[Capn Sunshine]

12. Let this be a lesson to them

only send the light skinned blonde Northern Italians to Iraq, or this will happen again. It's the video game training the troops get nowadays.

[Bluebear]

Is Iceland still in the coalition?

Truly, this would solve mistaken identity crises.

Not to make light, this is a horrible story. :(

[Frederik]

38. Iceland

has to be in the coalition, because they have no army; they have outsourced their military to the US.

[Junkdrawer]

13. I guess they thought a "freed journalist" was an "independent journalist"

:shrug:

[tom_paine]

21. OF COURSE it was an accident. Imperial Soldiers would NEVER

purposefully target journalists or purposefully torture POWs or....

oh.

[mattclearing]

63. They are shooting anything that moves.

I think it's probably that simple.

Sad.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

7. That will encourage the Italians to "Support Our Troops!"

So much for the Yellow Ribbon sales in Rome.

[pabloseb]

11. Ugh

Opposition to the Iraq invasion has always been extremely strong in Italy. May be this sad incident will put pressure on the rightwing corrupt government to leave or at least withdraw some of the help they're giving to *.

It's freaking unbelievable that US troops are more dangerous than crazy fundamentalist insurgents. Accident or not, it shows how "well" things are going in Iraq.

[MountainLaurel]

14. What the fuck?

I am completely speechless.

[Bluebear]

16. Me too except for a few questions

Did they know who they were shooting at and if so why were they shooting

or

Did they not know who they were shooting at and if so why were they shooting?

[Lone_Star_Dem]

25. Those are my questions.

I've heard some :tinfoilhat: rumors about Giuliana Sgrena's abduction being a plot to defame the Iraqi resistance. The Il Manifesto is a leftist paper and she reported on the suffering of the Iraq's under US occupation.

Even if it was a legitimate accident there's still a lot of explaining to be done.

[MountainLaurel]

30. That's what scares me

Considering the U.S. military's record in the Middle East with "accidentally" shooting up journalists, how can we know whether these were a couple trigger-happy 18-year-olds from Podunk Holler, or someone who knew damn well they'd get a gold star for shooting up an "enemy" of the U.S. gubmint.

[DistressedAmerican]

15. I Hope They Hit The Fucking Streets!

This sucks!

[Swamp Rat]

17. Italians know how to protest and I'm sure they will address this.

I hope this will be a catalyst for the ousting of Berlusconi. :grr:

[pabloseb]

20. I hope this will be a catalyst for the ousting of shrub

This is another confirmation of the utter nonsense that is the American occupation of Iraq. Sadly, about half of Americans are either totally brainwashed or don't give sh*t anymore :grr: . Still, I hope the other 50% gets mobilized and starts doing something more proactive.

[Bluebear]

18. CNN anchor "Excited about the weekend"

I turned on the news and they are not even reporting on this?

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

19. I hope this idiot goes the way of Aznar. When is he up for reelection?

Benito Emulator Really Likes Uniformed Soldiers, Carabinieri, Or Naked Iraqis.

[pabloseb]

23. Italy has a parliamentary system

very different from Spain's. The government could fall at any time if the congress withholds its confidence.

[pabloseb]

26. This journalist is VERY critical of the US occupation

Something to keep in mind when they explain this "accident".

[Swamp Rat]

51. Também eu.

Como vai o meu amigo do Rio? Estou morrendo de saudades do Brasil ... os sons do chôro, choppe, moqueca de arraya, as praias, o sertão, minha namorada!... :cry:

[G_j]

22. Dead Messengers: How the U.S. Military Threatens Journalists

This is part one of a four-part series.

Dead Messengers:
How the U.S. Military Threatens Journalists

By Steve Weissman
t r u t h o u t | Investigation

Part I | Hearing What Eason Jordan Said
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/022405A.shtml

Thursday 24 February 2005

Do American soldiers purposely kill journalists, as CNN's Eason Jordan supposedly said? Or, could the problem be even worse?
Eason Jordan, CNN's freshly ousted news chief, hardly knew what hit him. On Thursday, January 27, he was schmoozing with the global A-List at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. On Friday, February 11, he was looking for work.

"After 23 years at CNN," he wrote, "I have decided to resign in an effort to prevent CNN from being unfairly tarnished by the controversy over conflicting accounts of my recent remarks regarding the alarming number of journalists killed in Iraq."

"I never meant to imply U.S. forces acted with ill intent when U.S. forces accidentally killed journalists, and I apologize to anyone who thought I said or believed otherwise."

Corporate media managers had long envied Jordan's diplomatic skill, as when he arranged CNN's live coverage from Baghdad of the first Gulf War. But political conservatives reviled him for being "too liberal." They also felt he had cozied up to Saddam.

..more..
--------------
Part II | Army Failed to Probe
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/022805A.shtml

Monday 28 February 2005

"Journalists engaged in dangerous professional missions in areas of armed conflict shall be considered as civilians within the meaning of Article 50, paragraph 1. . . . They shall be protected as such under the Conventions and this Protocol. . . ."
Additional Protocol I (1977) of the 1949 Geneva Conventions
"There's nothing sacrosanct about a hotel with a bunch of journalists in it."
Lt. Gen. Bernard E. Trainor, U.S. Marine Corps (Retired), The Washington Post, April 9, 2003.

As America's Third Infantry Division took control of Baghdad on the morning of April 8, 2003, an M1A1 Abrams tank stood in the middle of the Al-Jumhuriya Bridge, which spans the Tigris River. Over a mile away, on a balcony of the 17-story Palestine Hotel, a French TV crew filmed the tank as it slowly swung its turret and fired almost directly at where they were standing.

..more..
--------------
Its Attack on Palestine Hotel
Exhibit A | Reporters Without Borders: Two Murders and a Lie

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/022505A.shtml

Thursday 15 January 2004

An investigation of the US Army's firing at the Palestine Hotel in Baghdad on 8 April 2003.
Reporters Without Borders called today for the reopening of the enquiry into who was really responsible for the US Army's "criminal negligence" in shooting at the Palestine Hotel in Baghdad on 8 April 2003 and causing the death of two journalists - Ukrainian cameramen Taras Protsyuk (of Reuters news agency) and Spaniard José Couso (of the Spanish TV station Telecinco).

The call came in a report of the press freedom organisation's own in-depth investigation of the incident, which gathered evidence from journalists in the hotel at the time, from others "embedded" with US Army units and from the US military soldiers and officers directly involved.

The report said US officials at first lied about what happened and then, in an official statement four months later, exonerated the US Army from any mistake or error of judgement. The report provides only some of the truth about the incident, which needs to be further investigated to establish exactly who was responsible.
..more..

--------------

[Justyce]

24. What the....

Why are they firing on a moving vehicle with unknown occupants in the first place? Aren't they supposed to only be firing at either specific targets or when having to return fire, etc.?? (Not "blaming" the soldiers but questioning their training)

[Bluebear]

27. Or were the occupants known?

Just sayin'.

[Justyce]

29. Shit... even scarier. n/t

[AValdoux]

34. Rules of Engagement

They are required to give a warning shot if a vehicle doesn't stop or looks suspicious. If the vehicle doesn't stop or respond in someway they are then allowed to fire. It's up to the grunts in the field to decide in a split second. I imagine the driver of the italians was probably in a hurry to get the journalist out of harms way and didn't respond correctly to the soldiers. You can't blame the soldiers. The rules of engagement are just like in vietnam, insane. Civilan deaths will happen. The soldiers aren't taking any chances. They seen their buddies die at the hands of civilans.

AValdoux

[Bluebear]

36. "You can't blame the soldiers"

I completely hear what you are saying, believe me I do, but this is either a total miscommunication -or- they were following orders. I don't even know what to believe anymore.

[Justyce]

40. Thank you for clarifying

the specific rules. I am unfortunately clueless in that area. My cousin is in Iraq & I have sympathy for all of our boys stuck fighting bush's war, so I really wasn't trying to blame them -- was just wondering how this could've happened, but you're right, I guess it is part of the horror of war.

[shance]

56. Are you blaming the victims that were shot?

n/t

[HEIL PRESIDENT GOD]

62. I blame the grunts...

...if they knew they were doing political work and didn't mutiny.

Tin hat off, though, I wouldn't blame them. Hope more details of the situation actually come to light somehow...

[Nordmadr]

28. How hard is it to hop on the radio and...

say, hey we've got the Italian journalist that was just freed and we're bringing her through? Anyone...anyone at all?

Olaf

[Bluebear]

31. I am fearing this may go deeper than that

Eason Jordan had to resign from CNN after saying that soldiers are firing on journalists. He is looking more legitimate by the minute.

[JohnnyRingo]

32. This is the journalist that denounced the war....

...They used her anti-war stance to negotiate her release.
Coincedence?....Perhaps.

Burlisconi just summoned the American ambassador.
Now of course, this is being spread equally among "Coalition" forces.

I hope so, but the odds aren't good that the squad was other than U.S.

[Bluebear]

33. Where are you looking for news JR?

Wires? I can't find anything up to date here

[JohnnyRingo]

57. I heard the anti-war angle on CNN about a month ago

The Italian government was negotiating her release and pointed out that she didn't support the war.

(I didn't read it anywhere however, so no link)

[warrior1]

35. looks like the freeps

are trying to bury this story. Vote it a five please.

[Bluebear]

37. Now US is saying "MULTINATIONAL" forces killed him

Are we mixing and matching nationalities in the field? Anyone know?

[neweurope]

45. Spiegel online is saying it was the Americans. And I'm sure the

wounded have 1.) been questioned and 2.) know Americans when they see them.

Spiegel online says Sgrena has been wounded heavily - also the three other members of Italian secret service who were with her. It has happened at a road block.


Sorry, I don't think it was a mistake.

------------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[Bluebear]

47. CNN: Is Condi Rice 2008 backed by Bush?

No big news here.

I wonder if Sgrena is the second person 'apparently killed' :(

[Lone_Star_Dem]

39. It appears a second person in the automobile was killed

"It appears a second person in the automobile was killed," and that "Sgrena is being treated by coalition force medical personnel."

The announcement, read by a U.S. military spokesman, Staff Sergeant Don Dees, added that the "incident is under investigation and additional details will be provided when they become available."

Dees would not provide further details but said the issue was being taken "very seriously."

"I want to emphasize that we are investigating this, and that we will work diligently and quickly to provide details as soon as we have them," Dees said.
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050304/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_050304195045

[Bluebear]

41. They are probably working on her at a fever pitch

I hope she was not the "second person killed" and they will release that little tidbit when the flak dies down.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

50. I'm not sure who it is but they do say she had an operation and is fine

This is also from the AP/Yahoo link in my last post.


"Berlusconi confirmed that the former Italian hostage, journalist Giuliana Sgrena, was injured by shrapnel. She was taken to a U.S. military hospital by U.S. troops, where she had a minor operation on her left shoulder to remove a piece of shrapnel, he said."


Every thing's so sketchy now there's no telling what is really going on.

[Bluebear]

54. Thanks LSD

I was afraid it was Sgrena, you know these things unfold.

[Roland99]

42. It's been voted down by the Freepers to a 2.79

Morans.

[neweurope]

46. No. Criminals.

----------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[Bluebear]

43. THE SPIN HAS BEGUN!

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Freed Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena was injured and another person killed on Friday when "multinational forces" fired on a speeding automobile at a military checkpoint in Baghdad, the Pentagon said.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

60. The Pentagon Lie Factory was very quick on this one

The explanation about the car speeding towards a checkpoint seemed to come immediately, even before Berlusconi met with the U.S. Ambassador. I wonder if the Pentagon bothered to ask any percipient witnesses, such as the individuals riding in the car?

[PST]

44. "someone will have to take responsibility"

from BBC News:

<snip>

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi at a news conference said that the agent had been killed by US fire.

The prime minister added he had "immediately" summoned the US ambassador, adding he would have to "clarify the behaviour of the US troops for such a serious incident, for which someone will have to take responsibility

<snip>

link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4320111.stm


after all these years poor Silvio still doesn't know who he's dealing with..

[neweurope]

49. I'm sure he knows. He's just got to keep up the pretense.

-----------------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[JackRiddler]

48. This will be VERY big...

Let CNN discuss the weekend, let the freeps rate it low, there is no way to hide this kind of stuff internationally nowadays. It's already top of the Google news page, which means it's the number one story worldwide.

http://news.google.com

Condolences to the dead.

This will definitely up pressure on Berlusconi and on Italy to withdraw. Guaranteed you will see big protests on the street there and journalists will not give up on this story (except here).

Also, it's quite irrelevant what explanation the Americans come up with for this - half the world will never believe it precisely because it fits their treatment of unwanted journalists in Iraq.

[mhr]

53. What A Waste - What A ******* Waste - George Bush Can Go To Hell!

eom

[pabloseb]

55. Words by the editor of the newspaper where Sgrena works

"This news which should have been a moment of celebration, has been ruined by this firefight," said Gabriele Polo, editor of Sgrena's Il Manifesto paper, a Rome-based Communist daily.

"An Italian agent has been killed by an American bullet. A tragic demonstration which we never wanted that everything that's happening in Iraq is completely senseless and mad," he told Sky Italia television, struggling to fight back tears.

WHY CAN'T AMERICANS HAVE EDITORS LIKE THAT?

[northamericancitizen]

58. Update: on french news channel

They said that the wounded journalist has left the hospital. She did not want to stay there a minute longer.

i really hope that this will wake up the millions who marched againt that war.

We have to takes the steets again.

[Bluebear]

59. Update: Killed agent likely saved Mrs. Sgrena's life

....Then the premier was told the things will go exactly: "Giuliana Sgrena, after being delievered to our three (Italian) civil employees from the kidnappers, will travel in one car, with the three agents. The car was by now next to the airport - the premier continues - a civil employee spoke on the telephone in order to arrange the departure from Baghdad, when it has been found of forwarded to the check point of the Americans ". To that point, continued the emotionally affected Berlusconi, "there have been shots some blow that have hit the car. Calipari (the killed agent) agent had covered with his body Mrs. Sgrena and has been unfortunately hit from a mortal bullet them while a graze has hit the mrs. and she has been hurt as well as the others occupant of the car".

http://www.repubblica.it/2005/b/sezioni/esteri/iraq44/berluscc/berluscc.html

[Donailin]

61. Couldn't have been on purpose because our military

would NEVER deliberately target journalists, especially journalists that are openly vocal against the US led inavsion and occupation.


Have I mentioned how much I fucking hate George Bush lately?