If the Italians are lying about any of this, they'll never be able to live it down. And I hope they didn't pay any ransome for this chick, because you can bet that'll come out, too.
Huh? I don't think the Americans that mattered -- the ones guarding the checkpoint -- knew they were coming.
I am sniffing SET UP all over this thing. I look forward to every detail coming out. This woman is a communist. I have doubts about the abduction in the first place.
she's going to try to get her 15 minutes of propagada time.
Fox News Radio reported this morning that soldiers at the checkpoint flashed white lights, then fired warning shots in front of the car, before taking out the car's engine block with, I assume, a Bradley's main gun.
Re: Ransom
snip....
Meanwhile, more and more details of the tragic occurrence have become known: According to the "Repubblica", the Italian secret police Sismi had been working with two teams for Sgrena's release. In Baghdad, Calipari , who was later shot, had contact with the kidnappers. The second team stood ready with ransom money in an neighboring Arabian state, Kuweit or Saudi Arabia. Yesterday morning, the message came through that Giuliana Sgrena had been taken to the capital from her hiding place near Ramadi, 200 kilometers west of Baghdad. After quite a number of delays the exchange finally took place near a mosque in the afternoon around 5 p.m.. Because it already growing dark, Calipari decided to go to the airport immediately.
It still isn't known up to now whether a second safety vehicle was set aside for the secret service personnel. It is unclear, as well, whether or not the Italians informed the American Centcom headquarters of their arrival at the airport, or whether this message was passed on by the Americans to the checkpoints in time. The U.S. soldiers at the checkpoint in front of the airport had just arrived in Iraq. They were newcomers, who still had an attack on the same checkpoint the week before on their minds.
So, three unfortunate factors seem to have met: Darkness, miscommunication and the inexperience of the control positions. The checkpoint was approximately a kilometer from the airport area after a curve.
The road to the airport in Baghdad is considered as the most dangerous street in Iraq. Almost daily there are incidents and attacks by snipers, who aim at drivers and allied soldiers. The U.S. soldiers at the checkpoints on this road are correspondingly nervous.
The responsible 3rd U.S. infantry division in Baghdad is offering an explanation now, too: The car in which Sgrena was to be taken to the airport by Italian special agents, was driving towards the roadblock at high speed and had repeatedly ignored calls to slow down, they explain. "U.S. soldiers have killed a civilian and injured two others when (the driver of) their car, driving at high speed, refused to stop at a checkpoint, it says further.
At first, the driver had been asked to stop by signals and flashing lights. The soldiers then fired off warning shots, and only after that aimed at the engine block of the car.
....snip
"Spiegel-Online"....Tödliche Fehler auf Iraks gefährlichster Straße
Translated by longjack
Any video or recording devices at these outposts?
We've got to remember what "news" organization this woman worked for--she's a died in the wool commie, and she might feel there is some benefit to making the US look bad. I don't trust this version of the story.
The results may be very interesting.
(......note to self: patience, patience, patience......)
Leni
"Somebody didn't get the word." That has happened since there have been military operations. Either the Italians or the senior American military didn't get the word out but the troopers at the check point were doing their job.
They can't assume much, it's a war zone.
When she was in captivity I said leave her for the rats: I still say leave her for the rats.
That doesn't mean that the guards at the checkpoints knew that they were coming or that they knew what car they were coming in.
What do these morons think? Do they think that they can call the HQ and then just bust in through the checkpoints at will?
Expat travelers going back and forth to the ariport cannot even go through the checkpoints without stopping and showing ID and that is a routine operation. We know the guards, the guards know us.
Dum basses. The great thing about working in a combat zone is that, generally speaking, the dumb ones make themselves pretty obvious.
The only important thing is if the US soldiers followed the ROE. If yes nothing else matters.
This Communist "reporter", like all commies, socialists and liberals, will tell any lie to advance the party agenda.
This morning the reports tended to conclude that the US military reports were accurate. The trend has changed to reports of Italy questioning why the supposed 'good guys' did the killing. The leftist media in Italy appears to be out in force, now.
Here are a couple of interesting sentances / paragraphs from the "Spiegel" report running now:
After her return, Sgrena contradicted this representation and explained that the vehicle wasn't going particularly fast. (re: US reports of fast approaching car, blinking lights, warning shots, etc.
Berlusconi immediately sent for the U.S. ambassador and demanded a explanation. "Somebody must take responsibility for such a serious incident", the politician said with an irritated undertone. Berlusconi showed a composed impression publicly, although he was supposed to have been raving mad according to a newspaper report. President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi who, in his figurehead role, usually holds back with political remarks, said: "I, as all Italians, expect from the United States that they clear up this painful and tragic episode."
"Spiegel-Online"....Ihr Retter starb in ihren Armen
Translated by longjack
The last paragraph definitely tries to hang the US out to dry.
I wonder if this was a contract job for the agents, and not government initiated. Pure conjecture, but, for me, something doesn't pass the smell test here.
longjack
I haven’t seen any news about who was driving that car. Who ever it was, he must have known that it would be suicide to run a checkpoint.
Do you think there is anybody over there that might be suicidal?