Posted on 04/15/2004 9:00:48 AM PDT by Rutles4Ever
The dead man was identified as Fabrizio Quattrocchi, 36, a security guard.
As the gunman's pistol was pointing at him the hostage "tried to take off his hood and shouted: 'now I'll show you how an Italian dies,'" he said.
Meanwhile, three Japanese hostages held in Iraq have been released, the government in Tokyo has confirmed.
The Arabic TV station Al-Jazeera has broadcast images of the three, who it said had been handed over safe and well to Muslim clerics.
Japan is investigating reports that two more of its citizens - freelance journalists - have been abducted.
Tape withheld
Al-Jazeera also said it had video footage of Mr Quattrocchi's death, but would not broadcast it, because it was "too gruesome".
An Italian diplomat viewed the tape and relayed the details to Rome.
"He died a hero," Mr Frattini said, adding the family had authorised him to reveal the details.
Three other Italians, abducted on Monday, are still held by the same group in Iraq. They were working as security guards for a US-based company.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said the killing - the first confirmed hostage death in Iraq - would not affect the peace effort.
"They have destroyed a life, they have not cracked our values and our efforts for peace," he said in a statement read out on Italian TV.
Mr Berlusconi's office said that an envoy, Gianni Castellaneta, would be sent to the region to try and obtain the release of the three other Italian hostages.
The BBC's Brian Barron in Rome says the government appears to be pinning its hopes on mediation by Iran.
'Bandits'
Mr Frattini said earlier that the kidnappers were "a group of bandits, not tied organically to any group".
US President George W Bush has also vowed to stay the course as the threat of kidnappings remains.
The US-led coalition says around 40 foreigners are currently held hostage by militants in Iraq
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
Hmmmmmm, yeah. Maybe he should have tried to be more "understanding" of their situation as terrorists.
Or offered a hug instead.
"Now I will show you how an Italian knows how to die!"
His act was heroic. We should press FOX to obtain the copy of the tape and show it to American public.
This way, his death will not be in vain.
What will it take to convince you islamists are blood thirsty murderers? If you are American or Christian, they want you (and everyone you love) DEAD!
Go Rome Go!
No peace is available until every last cowardly stupid religofascist bastard is smashed to smithereens!
The sooner the better, & the more violently the better, we all know this is the only thing they can ever possibly understand.
Anything less is a waste of time & money & an insult to the spirit of intelligence.
But screw them over at your own considerable risk.
All you have to do is watch this Islamic stoning to death to see that the issue is about power over other people when it somes to Islam.
And that's what's happening now in Iraq, the local fat pigs are seeing their trough getting drained by freedom. They can't have that. Or they will lose their power.
I e-mailed their embassy my respects for what he did. We ought to flood them. Blasting the Italian embassy with support and sympathy is something they might report, and could have a positive effect in the "real world".
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