Posted on 03/04/2005 11:20:16 AM PST by george wythe
Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena, who was held captive in Iraq for a month, has been released, according to the Italian government.
"I can confirm it 100 percent," Margherita Boniver, an undersecretary at the Italian foreign ministry, said Friday.
[snip]
Sgrena, 56, who worked for Il Manifesto newspaper, was kidnapped outside a Baghdad mosque one month ago, on February 4.
Later that month, she was shown in a video pleading for her life and urging her government to work for an end to the foreign occupation of Iraq.
The tape was shown on the same day that Italy's Senate voted to extend the funding for the deployment.
Sgrena also asked her partner, Pierre Scolari, to show pictures she had taken of Iraqi children being hit by cluster bombs.
Il Manifesto is a left-leaning newspaper that has long opposed the Iraq war.
(Excerpt) Read more at edition.cnn.com ...
All stories at Drudge are "developing".
The companion of the journalist: "E' be nearly killed from the Americans"
"Giuliana Sgrena is free", killed one 007
The journalist hurt in one shoot-out after the liberation. Agent of the Sismi hit for error from USA troops: He is Nicholas Calipari
Giuliana Sgrena is free. To an exact month from the seizure, happened 4 February, the journalist of The Manifest has been freed. Great joy and relief for a moment attended for a long time, but also worry for the conditions of the reporter. From the joy to the sgomento . The states of mind are interlaced and they overlap hand by hand that the news of the liberation of the journalist leaves the place to the first voices on a conflict to fire that has invested the car that brought back Giuliana to the airport.
The journalist was in machine with some agents of the Italian intelligence agencies, was going to Bagdad, when an armored American has illuminated the machine with a beacon: a man of the Sismi is remained killed in order protect the Sgrena. Draft of Nicholas Calipari , former civil employee of the Police of State, gives beyond a passed year to the intelligence agencies. An other agent would be hurt.
"FIRE FRIEND "- " There is little from saying, Giuliana has been nearly killed from the Americans " they have been the first words of the companion of the journalist, Pier Scholars. Premier Berlusconi has convened USA ambassador "since the fire has come from sources Americans". Berlusconi has confirmed that Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena had been freed and was in machine with Italian agents, one of which has been killed.
"HURT BUT I AM WELL" - "They are full of threads and tubes but I am well": therefore Giuliana Sgrena in the first words, revolts for telephone to the undersecretary to the presidency of the Council Read Gianni. It has reported to the center of The Manifest Valentino Spoken, former director of the head, two hours after after the liberation. To Giuliana, ricoverata allOspedale American of Baghdad, has been extracted one chip from the shoulder.
NEW VIDEO - the news of the liberation is given in order before from the tv Arabic to the Jazira that also has transmitted a new video in which Giuliana Sgrena ringraziato its kidnappers in order to have dealt it much good and has said that its abductors are determines to you to free their Country from the occupants. Words that leave to deduce that the video has been turned to happened liberation, or at least decided.
TAM TAM - the news of the liberation has been confirmed little minuteren after from the director of The Manifest: "confirmed E', ce has said the undersecretary to it to the presidency of the Council Read Gianni. Ce has they "has said it Francisco Paternò publishing director of The Manifest. Read it has informed also the Ciampi president timely. The head of the Read State has person in charge to express its more lives congratulations to all those who has collaborated to the positive outcome of the vicissitude.
APEX To PALACE CHIGI - the Silvio, Prime Minister Berlusconi, has arrived to Chigi palace in order to meet Pier Scholars, the companion of Giuliana Sgrena and the director of The Manifest, Gabriel Pole. In order to celebrate the liberation of Giuliana from this evening he will come illuminated the Colosseo. He has arranged Veltroni Mayor.
ESULTANO the RELATIVES - Uncontrollable the joy of the relatives . Ivan Sgrena, the brother of Giuliana, has learned the news from Sky. "they have telephoned, has reported to Me, I do not know what to say". Emozionatissimo, Ivan Sgrena, caught up by telephone while it was in car and it was re-entering to house ". In day the father of the journalist had said itself optimistic and had told: I have dreammed its liberation.
JOY And SGOMENTO To The Manifest - urlo liberatorio has received the news to The Manifest. Before the outcry only some moment of indecisione, perhaps of incredulità. The director of the newspaper, Gabriel Pole, is exited from its room in order to control the situated one of Al-Jazira that brought back the news of the liberation of the journalist. Then of race towards Chigi Palace for having the official confirmation of the government. While to the daily paper the festivity exploded, opened bottles of sparkling wine, was embraced to us, us commuoveva. Then, as the news of the shooting arrived, humor is changed: "the joy for liberation of attenuated Giuliana has been a lot from this mourning. Nicholas Calipari has been victim of a murder, Giuliana is remained hurt. This liberation has cost blood and the brutality of the war in Iraq has blinked us in face ". The designer of The Manifest has declared, Vauro, that insanguinata dove has added "the vignetta tomorrow is one ".
After the liberation of Giuliana Sgrena l only journalist still in hand to its abductors in Iraq is linviata of the French daily paper Liberation, Florence Aubenas .
04 March 2005
She'll spend weeks in Italy...talking on morning shows...and trying to make the Americans look bad. After 10 days...she will be old news and dropped. After a month...we'll find her back in Iraq...trying to get kidnapped once again. Its the Italian way....life just doesn't get any simplier.
Car in which she was in, was fired upon by US Forces at check point and driver was reportedly killed. She is reported to have been wounded and is in the hospital
I just read that. I have a feeling that they were trying to run the check point. Otherwise I cannot think of a reason why the troops would not have fired on the car.
This is a PR bonanza for the commies, with a new video release thanking the kidnappers for such a "great" treatment. (The video currently playing on al Jazeera).
This is almost like a new J.Lo album release, with thugs, shootings, lies and videotape.
Mi dispiace molto.
:-(
How would this journalist be freed and immediately accompanied by a "secret service agent"? I may be out of line, but something does not seem right here. Did they try to run the checkpoint?
Moderator:
Please move this post to the "Oh well, Sh*t Happens" Thread.
/sarcasm
If the Italian agent was driving at high speed toward Baghdad airport without prior notice to U.S. military authorities, it may have appeared to be another suicide terrorist attack. Apparently, there was a communications breakdown somewhere.
In an interview with Europe Radio 1, French terrorism expert Frederic Helbert quoted intelligence sources in Baghdad as saying the Italians had wanted to evacuate Sgrena from Iraq as soon as possible and had embarked on the airport road, scene of frequent terrorist attacks, without obtaining the proper clearances or communicating with the U.S. forces.
US forces kill Italian agent after reporter freedROME, March 4 (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.
The Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi sent his condolences to the family of the dead agent, who was named by Il Manifesto's Polo as Nicola Calipari.
Sgrena was seized in the Iraqi capital on Feb. 4 as she conducted interviews on the street near Baghdad University.
Where is the flag in the background that they always want to exhibit? It's a hoax.
Oh well. Sucks for her. Next time, obey the folks trying to protect you.
Armed Italian make most of the people I know either very nervous or quite safe, but then again I live in New Jersey. :)
It's all over our local news that we shot her. My husband just called to tell me to call my daughter to warn her (she's studying in Italy) that anti-Americanism is very high there--it's all over their news.
KABC radio in L.A. just reported that she was shot after her car charged a US checkpoint near the Baghdad airport. One Italian in the car was killed. She's being treated as a US military hospital for a minor wound to her shoulder.
What was she doing there? Damn commie was probably comforting the ememy. USA 1 - Commie lefty media 0
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