Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Italian hostages 'sitting ducks' after US troops disarmed them (The illusion of gun control)
Telegraph ^ | 02 May 2004 | Colin Freeman in Baghdad and Bruce Johnston in Rome

Posted on 05/12/2004 8:02:44 AM PDT by MegaSilver

The four Italian security guards kidnapped in Iraq had their personal protection weapons confiscated by American soldiers just hours before they were seized by suspected rebels, colleagues have revealed.

According to Paolo Simeoni, the former leader of their security team, soldiers manning a checkpoint in one of Baghdad's most dangerous districts confiscated their three high-powered assault rifles and two pistols.

Breaking his silence about the incident, Mr Simeoni said the Americans claimed that the Italians had flouted gun permit rules. The soldiers issued a receipt so that the arms could be collected at a later date.

The men, who had been on their way back to Italy, were forced to return to their hotel and search for substitute weapons. They managed to find just a single machine pistol and two handguns, which friends fear left them vulnerable to their attackers.

One of the hostages, Fabrizio Quattrocchi, was executed by the kidnappers, an Iraqi Islamist group, two days after the men were captured, on April 12. His death was videotaped and the plight of the three remaining captives continues to cause intense public anguish in Italy.

Yesterday, a statement sent to the Arabic television station al-Jazeera, purporting to be from the Islamic group, said that the three men would not be harmed. The kidnappers supposedly said they had been swayed by a 6,000-strong peace march at the Vatican in Rome on Thursday in which the men's families pleaded for their release.

In Rome, an adviser to the Italian government said that the authorities were keen to question Mr Simeoni as he was considered "the key to understanding what really happened".

"This man is not technically being sought, as he would be if in Italian territory,' he said. "But the Italian authorities have not heard from him since the incident. Let's not forget that a man has been killed, and an inquiry has been opened by Italian magistrates in Genoa."

Last night Mr Simeoni, 32, told The Sunday Telegraph that the receipt for the guns from the Americans was in his possession. "My colleagues were driving home from Baghdad to Jordan that morning when they came across a checkpoint manned by US soldiers," he said.

"We do not know exactly why the soldiers confiscated the weapons. The Iraqi interior ministry does not issue weapons permits to Westerners - they say that normally all you need to do is show an ID card, such as a passport. All my men had Italian passports on them, and Fabrizio had a pass for the Coalition Provisional Authority headquarters in Baghdad's Green Zone. Normally that is more than enough proof that they were working in security for the coalition, but in this case the soldiers wouldn't accept it."

The kidnappers pounced as the Italians drove along Highway 10, the main road leading from Baghdad to Jordan which passes through the lawless area around Fallujah.

"Four men with powerful assault rifles in a car might have stood a chance against these guys," said one security consultant who used to employ the men. "Four men with just one MP5 and a couple of pistols between them would probably not have."

Mr Simeoni's revelations come amid growing criticism from the estimated 12,000 private security guards in Iraq that US-led forces are not doing enough to protect them. Many say that coalition troops refuse to come to their aid if they are attacked, yet prevent them carrying heavier weapons to defend themselves.

Technically, foreign security staff must have a weapons permit with a serial number that matches the gun they are carrying. The rules are normally relaxed, however, for Western security guards, who are waved through checkpoints.

"If they had been British or American, I think it would have been fine," Mr Simeoni claimed. "It may be that because they were Italians and their English was not quite perfect, the soldiers did not trust them."

Mr Simeoni believes that his men were the victims of a well-planned ambush, and admits that more powerful weapons may not have saved them. "I think it had something to do with the taxi drivers who took them out, that they led them into a trap," he said. "But I am still angry that the US army just took their weapons away from them like that - these were professional security people and doing that put them in immediate risk."

He said that he had talked to Italian officials in Iraq after the incident. The government adviser said that only one of the kidnapped men, Salvatore Stefio, had adequate experience in foreign security. "If the Italians had acted professionally, they would never have made the journey in the first place," he said. Last night, the Italian foreign ministry refused to comment on the disclosures.

A US Army official said: "We are still investigating this matter and cannot comment further."


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: banglist; guncontrol; gunpermits; idiots; italianhostages
Go figure.
1 posted on 05/12/2004 8:02:47 AM PDT by MegaSilver
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: MegaSilver
"The four Italian security guards kidnapped in Iraq had their personal protection weapons confiscated by American soldiers just hours before they were seized by suspected rebels, colleagues have revealed."

Are we insane? Do we know who's with us and who's against us? Just who's running our military, Don Rumsfeld, or the Million Moms?

2 posted on 05/12/2004 8:04:23 AM PDT by jocon307 (The dems don't get it, the American people do.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: jocon307
Are we insane? Do we know who's with us and who's against us? Just who's running our military, Don Rumsfeld, or the Million Moms?

Well, just look at who occupies almost half the seats in our government. That should give you a hint.

3 posted on 05/12/2004 8:06:04 AM PDT by MegaSilver (Training a child in red diapers is the cruelest and most unusual form of abuse.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: MegaSilver
Really!!?? This puts a different light on things.
4 posted on 05/12/2004 8:43:48 AM PDT by valkyrieanne
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: *bang_list; runningbear; Vigilantcitizen; jtminton; BenLurkin; eno_; Coleus; Pahuanui; ...
sarah brady joins the army ping
5 posted on 05/12/2004 9:13:20 AM PDT by freepatriot32 (today it was the victory act tomorrow its victory coffee, victory cigarettes...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: MegaSilver
It's about time somebody proved that the murder of those Italians was Bush's fault.

/sarc
6 posted on 05/12/2004 9:21:47 AM PDT by jtminton (Ask me about my turn paper. It's about diaramas.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: freepatriot32
This is outrageous. These men might have had a chance against the thugs if properly armed.
7 posted on 05/12/2004 9:23:59 AM PDT by Larry Lucido
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: MegaSilver
There's more to that story. I'd need to hear the story from those manning the checkpoint.
8 posted on 05/12/2004 9:40:16 AM PDT by mtbopfuyn
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Larry Lucido
This is outrageous. These men might have had a chance against the thugs if properly armed.

What's outrageous is they'd have stood a much better chance if there weren't thugs running around kidnapping everyone in sight.

9 posted on 05/12/2004 9:42:42 AM PDT by mtbopfuyn
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Larry Lucido; Eaker; Joe Brower; Squantos; coloradan; Mulder; Noumenon
Killed by "gun control."


10 posted on 05/12/2004 9:52:40 AM PDT by Travis McGee (----- www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com -----)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Travis McGee
From the article: "Technically, foreign security staff must have a weapons permit with a serial number that matches the gun they are carrying. "

Not just "gun control", but "gun registration".

Coming to a city near you real soon.

11 posted on 05/12/2004 10:33:45 AM PDT by William Tell (Californians! See "www.rkba.members.sonic.net" to support California RKBA.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: William Tell
Too bad for you if you're left defenseless and kidnapped and murdered.

"The law must be obeyed!"

12 posted on 05/12/2004 10:36:23 AM PDT by Travis McGee (----- www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com -----)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: MegaSilver
"Many say that coalition troops refuse to come to their aid if they are attacked, yet prevent them carrying heavier weapons to defend themselves."

It is the same with civilian police. If it were up to them they and the criminals would be the only ones with guns. From the police perspective it makes sense. That way if they see someone who has a gun and he/she is not a police officer they can simply shoot them. They don't have to worry about killing innocent civilians that way.

If civilians die because they have no means of protecting themselves, well thats just too bad. Better a few civilians die than risk endangering the police.
13 posted on 05/12/2004 11:08:30 AM PDT by monday
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mtbopfuyn
"What's outrageous is they'd have stood a much better chance if there weren't thugs running around kidnapping everyone in sight."

It has been that way ever since Saddam was removed from power. Is it our fault the American Military isn't as good at providing security as Saddam's henchmen?
14 posted on 05/12/2004 11:12:18 AM PDT by monday
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: mtbopfuyn
"There's more to that story. I'd need to hear the story from those manning the checkpoint."

I think this is far more serious than the prison abuse scandal. This was done to our allies the Italians. Why would they lie?
15 posted on 05/12/2004 11:15:57 AM PDT by monday
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: MegaSilver
Common sense people, come on, I'm really getting disappointed in all of this. It's like were a bunch of dumba$$es, honestly. And they reports about fighting in this town and that town, we should be able to roll in a take a town in about 20 minutes, what is going on here? OVERWHELMING FORCE, DID WE NOT LEARN, NOT 20 AGAINST 20 BUT 200,000 AGAINST 20.
16 posted on 05/12/2004 11:20:38 AM PDT by Scythian
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Travis McGee
confiscated their three high-powered assault rifles and two pistols.

They managed to find just a single machine pistol and two handguns, which friends fear left them vulnerable to their attackers.

Huh???

17 posted on 05/12/2004 11:22:29 AM PDT by Eaker (That the bright star of Texas shall never be dim while her soil boasts a son to raise rifle or limb.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Eaker
I read it as their M-4s or whatever were taken, and they were able to scrounge or beg an MP-5 and some pistols.
18 posted on 05/12/2004 11:24:13 AM PDT by Travis McGee (----- www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com -----)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: MegaSilver
WE allow all Muslims to have an AK and confiscate guns from the Italians....sheesh...
19 posted on 05/12/2004 12:14:06 PM PDT by Indie (We don't need no steenkin' experts!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: monday
Why would they lie? Not saying they are telling lies, but, Italian elections are coming up next month.
20 posted on 05/12/2004 12:41:34 PM PDT by monkeywrench
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson