Posted on 02/15/2007 12:59:02 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
ROME - A judge Wednesday ordered a U.S. soldier to stand trial in absentia for the fatal shooting of an Italian intelligence agent at a checkpoint in Baghdad, the prosecutor said.
Spc. Mario Lozano is indicted for murder and attempted murder in the death of Nicola Calipari, who was shot on March 4, 2005, on his way to the Baghdad airport shortly after securing the release of an Italian journalist who had been kidnapped in the Iraqi capital, prosecutor Pietro Saviotti said.
Another agent, who was driving the car, and the journalist, Giuliana Sgrena, were wounded.
"This looks to me like the first step on a long road toward truth and justice, and I hope justice will come in the end," said a visibly emotional Rosa Calipari, the agent's widow.
Lozano was not at the hearing and his whereabouts are not known. Judge Sante Spinaci set his trial date for April 17.
According to prosecutors, the judge said in his ruling that Lozano can be tried for "political murder," because Calipari was a civil servant and his slaying damaged Italy's interests.
Italian law does not allow foreigners charged with killing Italians abroad to be tried in absentia unless the murder has political connotations, prosecutors have said in the past.
Sgrena's lawyer, Alessandro Gamberini, said the judge agreed to attach a civil lawsuit against the Defense Department.
Prosecutors so far have not sought the soldier's arrest. Lozano, a member of the New York-based 69th Infantry Regiment, has said through friends in the military that he had no idea the car was carrying the Italians.
Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said there are no plans to make Lozano available for the trial.
(Excerpt) Read more at military.com ...
This is the equivalent of a Ramsey Clark charge.
She needs to run another roadblock.
Italy went to the dark side in the last election, regretably.
Well, after all he missed the commie reporter and got the wrong man instead.
Sgrena left her hotel the morning of Feb. 4th to interview refugees from Fallujah, the resistance stronghold captured by U.S. Marines in November. The interviews didn't go well. "The refugees...would not listen to me," she said. "I had in front of me the accurate confirmation of the analysis of what the Iraqi society had become as a result of the war and they would throw their truth in my face." ------------ "ITALIAN MORAL STUPIDITY IN IRAQ ," Guest Author Jack Kelly , Friday, March 11, 2005 , Printed from To The Point - http://www.tothepointnews.com
Congressman Billybob
Did you happen to notice the date on this already post story line?
Thus guy should get an award for doing his job to the best of his ability! He stopped the threat to his fellow soldiers. There is no way they knew these people were out there.
My husband's relatives in Sicily adored Saddam Hussein. It was Booooooosch (as they call him in Italy) who was the villian.
This is a bit ignorant. E4's don't commit "political murder" against anyone, much less against Italians who are on our side.
It's not political murder, it's a political trial. A bit of anti-American venting.
"Well, maybe it is time to try Sgrena in absentia for aiding and abetting terrorists."
And then send a team of special operators to cap her stupid commie ass.
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