posted
Well, this is unfortunate, but really, does anyone honestly believe that we targeted an Italian journalist with the intent to kill? Italian wounded by US forces I'm not saying that we're not capable of such underhanded operations, but if it was truly intentional then I have no doubt that she would have been killed, not just wounded.
Posts: 1480 | Registered: Dec 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Point is, one of the secret agents that protected her is dead, and they think he was the real target. He was an important officer, if I understood well.
[ March 07, 2005, 11:28 AM: Message edited by: Anna ]
Posts: 3526 | Registered: Oct 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
I've seen the article some days ago, and I still don't get it. Did they ignore the US soldiers' warnings? If yes, why? If not, why did the soldiers shoot? Posts: 4519 | Registered: Sep 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
From what I've heard about the incident, it was a very unfortunate accident. I'm embarrased that we fired on the vehicle, but I in no way feel it was intentional. One of those miscommunication things that ends up very bad. My understanding was they drove through the checkpoint without stopping, or something like that? We would react as however our guys had been trained to react.... In this case, it was just the wrong thing.
posted
If the lady and her drivers did not follow the instructions of the guards at the post, then it all falls on her and her driver. This is a regretable accident at worst.
posted
Oh, and by the way : I don't think it was intentional, either. I just wanted to clarify the Italian point of view (or at last from what I read in the newspapers this morning). EDIT : But by no means I would call a death a "regretable accident" either. It is not if you think about this guy's life ended, about his family...
[ March 07, 2005, 11:23 AM: Message edited by: Anna ]
Posts: 3526 | Registered: Oct 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
I believe they were speeding toward a checkpoint when the US troops opened fire. Given that the area has (I believe) been targetted by insurgents I can understand that troops reaction. Of course, one side says they signaled for the vehicle to stop and the other says they didn't but I don't think we'll ever know for sure.
While I'm inclined to say it's a regrettable accident, I have to wonder how much longer the Italian troops are going to be in Iraq. Commiting the 3000 troops was hardly popular when the war started.
Posts: 3243 | Registered: Apr 2002
| IP: Logged |
How else would you characterize it? It looks to be an accident. It is regretabble. The only reall other options are that it was not an accident or that it was not regretable.
posted
I maintain that it must have been an accident, because we are very efficient when it comes to blowing things up.
Posts: 1480 | Registered: Dec 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
I think it's most likely to have been an accident, but a terrible one. However, many Italians, including this woman, do not seem to think so- and that could be not a good situation for America, regardless of the truth.
Posts: 8473 | Registered: Apr 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
The Italians have been looking for a way out of Iraq, and this may provide it. Maybe...maybe the Italians orchestrated this whole event specifically so that they could pull out! That makes more sense to me than anything else I've heard!!
Posts: 1480 | Registered: Dec 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Here is the supposed Why of Why We Fired and Why They Didn't Stop.
The journalist was being held captive by the insurgents.
The Italians paid a truckload of cash to get her out.
The American military would like to find out everything that she discovered about the insurgents while she was held captive.
Since she is a left wing journalist, who does not trust the American military and especially their Abu Graib tainted methods of asking questions, and she really wanted to get out of the dangerous Iraq, she and her security personell were rushing to leave Iraq before the American security people discovered where she was.
The anti-war people believe the troops that shot at the journalist were put there to recapture her and torture information out of her.
After all, it has been demonstrated that current US policy is to condone the imprisonment and painful interrogation of anyone who may be able to help fight terrorism, as long as they aren't US Citizens held on US territory.
Perhaps the Italian bodyguards and the journalist feared the same, which is why they didn't stop.
Posts: 11895 | Registered: Apr 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
I hadn't heard that theory, Dan, that we (the US) wanted to interrogate her. But it makes sense, and I can see her believing it. CNN has a translation of Giuliana Sgrena's story from Sunday's Il Manifesto (apparently an Italian Communist paper, not sure if it's the official party paper.)
quote:'My truth' By Giuliana Sgrena Monday, March 7, 2005 [beginning cut for brevity] I start counting the seconds that go by between now and the next condition, that of liberty? I had just started mentally counting when a friendly voice came to my ears "Giuliana, Giuliana. I am Nicola, don't worry I spoke to Gabriele Polo (editor in chief of Il Manifesto). Stay calm. You are free." They made me take my cotton bandage off, and the dark glasses. I felt relieved, not for what was happening and I couldn't understand but for the words of this "Nicola." He kept on talking and talking, you couldn't contain him, an avalanche of friendly phrases and jokes. I finally felt an almost physical consolation, warmth that I had forgotten for some time.
cnn.com A short time later, Nicola, the first countryman she had met in months was dead.
Some points: She is a left-wing journalist who is against the war, and she has been through very traumatic events in a short time. The agent who saved her from the kidnappers was killed saving her from US soldier fire. She has every reason to be furious at US forces, and even admits to speculating in her story about being targeted. Her main "evidence" for her speculation, comments from her kidnappers that the Americans might not let her leave the country:
quote:But then I realized my mind went immediately to the things the captors had told me. They declared that they were committed to the fullest to freeing me but I had to be careful, "the Americans don't want you to go back." Then when they had told me I considered those words superfluous and ideological. At that moment they risked acquiring the flavor of the bitterest of truths, at this time I cannot tell you the rest.
Also, someone on a radio-call show pointed this out:
quote: The car kept on the road, going under an underpass full of puddles and almost losing control to avoid them. We all incredibly laughed. It was liberating. Losing control of the car in a street full of water in Baghdad and maybe wind up in a bad car accident after all I had been through would really be a tale I would not be able to tell.
Moments later she came on the US checkpoint, as I understand it. She has claimed that they were't speeding, so why was she worried about her vehicle losing control while swerving to avoid puddles? And the swerving may have looked suspicious to the US troops. Morbo
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Dont Know]](graemlins/dontknow.gif)
![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
That makes more sense to me than anything else I've heard!!
![[Confused]](confused.gif)
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
