Iraq/Italy - CALIPARI: A 'KIDNAPPERS' TRAP' KILLED HIM?)

Agenzia Giornalistica Italia ^ | March 29, 2006

[HAL9000]

CALIPARI: A 'KIDNAPPERS' TRAP' KILLED HIM?

(AGI) - Rome, 29 March - Could it have been a 'trap' of the journalist Giuliana Sgrena's kidnappers that killed the secret service man Nicola Calipari, who was in the car hit at a US checkpoint on 4 March last year, while travelling to Baghdad airport. This, according to Corriere della Sera this morning, is the version offered by a terrorist, Mustafa Mohammed Salman, currently imprisoned in Iraq, according to whom it was the Imam of the Sunnite mosque, the sheik Hussein (who Sgrena was supposed to meet with the day she was kidnapped) to tell him that, immediately after Sgrena's realise, he had contacted the Americans to inform them of the imminent arrival of 'a car bomb' coming towards them, even giving the make and colour. Essentially, the organisers of the kidnapping of the Italian journalist would have wanted the incident to end badly and so they alerted the Americans. The man has been in prison since last year and is accused amongst other things of having participated in the seizure of the English citizen Margaret Hassan in October 2004 who was then killed. The terrorist's claims, according to whom the Sgrena kidnapping took place because of Italian troops occupying Iraq (like American and English), are in a carabinieri report but must be verified so that they could have evidential value in the investigation into Calipari's killing carried out by the Rome attorney's office, it is necessary that they are repeated in a rogatory letter, until now denied, like all the others sent to the Iraqi and American authorities. (AGI) -

CALIPARI: IRAQI VERSION AND EX NSA AGENT AT JUDGE'S SCRUTINY

(AGI) - Rome, 29th March - Rome's prosecutor's office wants to interrogate Mustafa Mohamed Salman, the terrorist held in an Iraqi prison who apparently revealed unknown particulars with respect to certain kidnappings, including those relating to Giuliana Sgrena and the death of the '007' agent that freed her, Nicola Calipari, to local police. According to Salman, Calipari was killed because the Sunnite Mosque's Imam, who was supposed to have been interviewed by the 'Manifesto' journalist, on the 4th of February 2005, advised the U.S. about a car bomb on the road to the airport, indicating that it was contained in the vehicle carrying the Italians. The head of the anti-terrorist pool, Franco Ionta already submitted another official request to Iraqi authorities, claiming that it was absolutely "advisable" to crosscheck the version of the facts given by Salman which contradict Sheik Hussein. The capital's judge's inquiry proceedings do not yet include the declarations made by the Iraqi prisoner, which were referred to Baghdad police and to the Carabinieri about a month ago. The content of the statement, therefore, "needs to be crosschecked" they explain. There is no doubt on the fact that Salman's version is "advantageous to the U.S." because it exonerates the only suspect in Calipari's death, machine-gunner, Mario Lozano, the soldier who apparently took fire on the vehicle respecting the rules, because the mobile vehicle apparently contained a bomb, according to notification given. "The U.S. claimed this version from the very start", say investigators. The probability that the account of the Iraqi terrorist could be "contaminated" and that it may have been divulged came out when the Roman inquiry had already concluded its check against Lozano. There is actually another version which came out about a month ago at the Judge's examination, which apparently puts the blame on the behaviour of American soldiers, tied to declarations, reported by the international press and later by the Italian press, relating to an ex secret service agent of the National Security Agency (NSA), according to whom the U.S. intercepts all existing movement in theIraqi territory, including that of Capilari, who on the 4th of March 2005, was able to free Giuliana Sgrena. Even in this case, the prosecuting office did not want to waste its time, and gave the job to investigators who will follow the steps of this ex agent. It is clear that it will be necessary to obtain a rogatory letter from the U.S. once he is found, in order to be able to interrogate him. (AGI) -

[Abathar]

Very interesting twist on this old story. All they would have to do is call in a credible IED call and leave one there to be found, then when the "source" called again with a hot lead they would certainly take him serious. It would be a good way to get an enemy rushing toward freedom killed, also adds justification to our guys for shooting like they did when he refused to stop.

[GOP_Proud]

Apparently the driver played right into their hands by refusing to slow down. Makes one still wonder "why?"

[LZ_Bayonet]

"the only suspect in Calipari's death, machine-gunner, Mario Lozano"

It would probably make the Italians feel better, seeing that the American soldier was an ITALIAN-American.

[Patriot from Philly]

OK...this is a hobby horse of mine, but I am sick of these countries (Spain and Italy) investigating our soldiers for friendly fire incidents and the US must get much firmer on this nonsense or see military morale sag.

It is most unfortunate for this young man because I read he was devastated by the attack and felt very bad.
Now he's being treated like a common criminal by our great ally Italy for a friendly fire incident.
If the Italians want to try someone why don't they try the horrid Sgrena whose nastiness and agenda set the whole tragic chain of events in motion.