Posted on 03/08/2005 10:13:31 AM PST by Crackingham
Gianfranco Fini, the Italian Foreign Minister, increased a diplomatic row with the United States today by demanding that Washington identify and punish those responsible for the shooting of Rome’s top intelligence agent in Iraq. Signor Fini dismissed the American version that a lack of communication was responsible for the death of Nicola Calipari, who died in a hail of gunfire from US troops as he escorted a freed Italian hostage to Baghdad airport on Friday. Signor Calipari had made "all the necessary contacts" with US authorities in Baghdad, the minister said.
In his account to parliament of the shooting, which has sparked a diplomatic row with the US, Signor Fini said: "The reconstruction of the event does not coincide fully with what the American authorities have told us."
He said that the car carrying Signor Calipari and the freed hostage, Guiliana Sgrena, to freedom was not speeding and was not ordered to stop by US troops, as American officials have indicated. He also dismissed as "groundless" a suggestion from Signora Sgrena, the hostage in question, that American forces had ambushed the car because they disagreed with Italy's policy of paying the ransom demands of Iraqi kidnappers.
Italy reportedly paid more than $6 million (£3.1 million) for Signora Sgrena's release, which was negotiated by Signor Calipari himself.
"The car was travelling at a velocity that couldn't have been more than 40 kilometres (25 miles) per hour," Signor Fini said.
Rejecting the ambush claim, Signor Fini said: "It was an accident. This does not prevent - in fact it makes it a duty - for the Government to demand that light be shed on the murky issues, that responsibilities be pinpointed, and, where found, that the culprits be punished.
"We ask for truth and justice."
The minister took pains to point out, however, that Italy has an "old and empathetic friendship" with the United States, adding: "We hope that that within the next few hours this affirmed wish for loyal co-operation will yield its first major concrete result.
"We hope that this is not an opportunity to whip up political campaigns and to sow anti-American sentiment in public opinion, which certainly have no reason to exist."
Story of Italian Hostage's Release Unclear
How many people were wounded? The Americans said two civilians: Sgrena and an intelligence agent. Italian authorities said two agents were wounded besides Sgrena. Italian military officials declined to clear up the discrepancy and Berlusconi's office did not respond to a request for information.
Mr Fini said the vehicle carrying the released hostage and agents was well-lit to facilitate checks.
However, it stopped after a powerful light was shone on it from the roadside and the shooting began immediately, without warning, he said.
A volley of shots from automatic weapons followed, lasting 10-15 seconds, the foreign minister added.
Yup...everyone places them in the backseat.
But then last week...it was a pick-up truck and that's clearly not the case.
However, given the autopsy report, (see littlegreenfootballs) The only way he could have been shot where he was shot was if he was shot from inside the vehicle or if he, from the backseat, leaned over the front seat to grab the wheel.
This entire thing stinks. Those soldiers were set up. The ransom wasn't paid to the terrorists...check the journalist's bank account along with those of the others in the vehicle.
A brief glance at the damage to the vehicle puts the lie to that.
The wounded:
Sgrena and the driver. Calipari was killed. The car stopped when the engine block was penetrated.
BBC spun that quote quite a bit to get their headline, I'd say.
Story of Italian Hostage's Release Unclear
The U.S. military said the Americans used "hand and arm signals, flashing white lights, and firing warning shots" to try to get the car to stop. But in an interview with Italian La 7 TV, Sgrena said "there was no bright light, no signal, and at a certain point, from one side, a firestorm erupted."
Have the US soldiers made any statements to the press on any details of the incident?
Two words:
Open Fire
Everything I've seen indicates that the car stopped when the engine block was penetrated.
I believe I want to see the front/inside of the engine compartment.
If shots came in from one side...they'd all be dead...or at least everyone in the front seat.
...well, well, well, the Communist tactic worked didn't it?....something Hillary Clinton is very familiar with........polarize.....divide.......attack......
Yes--or at least you'd expect everyone in the line of fire to be wounded from the same direction.
How did you reach your conclusion about the car stopping when the engine block was penetrated?
Soldier reports combined with the picture of the car.
Her story is not consistent with the available facts, as meager as they are.
As I said, I want a view inside the front engine compartment to confirm.
The bullet patterns that are present are at an angle consistent with someone in front of the car at medium range...50-30'.
Had the vehicle stopped on it's own, the bullet holes would be more widespread instead of the very few visible outside the grillwork of the car. The grillwork isn't very clear...but everything else seems very consistent with the story from the US Forces.
All said and told, that car appears to me to have stopped due to a number of shots into the engine compartment.
BTW here's another detail I've been mulling over:
State funeral held for Italian intelligence officer shot dead in Iraq hostage liberation
Milan daily Corriere della Sera said the autopsy on Calipari found a burn mark on a foot, and quoted one of the investigators as saying it could be a sign that the U.S. soldiers threw a grenade.
Obviously there is no grenade damage to the car and a grenade would not burn the foot of someone in the back seat while leaving the rest of their body and the other passengers and the rest of the car unscathed, which makes me wonder why the unnamed investigator being quoted would suggest such a theory to explain a burn on the corpse.
Italian Journalist Freed in Iraq Is Nearly Killed by Friendly Fire
An Italian secret service agent, Nicola Calipari, 50, who was instrumental in bringing about her release, was shot dead while trying to shield her from the barrage of bullets. Sgrena, 57, sustained a wound to her left shoulder and a punctured lung. Two other agents in the car were also wounded.
The same article, dated March 8, also mentions that Vincent Cannistrano has been chiming in on the case to the Italian press:
“Those are inadequate explanations,” said former C.I.A. anti-terrorism chief Vincent Cannistrano, in an interview with Corriere della Sera. “Even supposing the soldiers were not informed about the approaching vehicle, why did they fire at the engine block, that is to say at passenger level, and not at the tires? How is it possible that on the road dubbed ‘the highway of death’ there aren’t any signs in Arabic and English telling vehicles to slow down? And how can you believe that a man with Calipari’s experience would not have slowed down?”
Is Cannistrano just capitalizing on another anti-American propaganda opportunity, or does his involvement go deeper?--seems like he stuck his nose it it awfully quick with a bunch of half-baked talking points. Wonder if he ever gave interviews to Sgrena's newspaper before this incident?
I'm assuming you know enough about firearms and vehicles to know why the tires were not targetted?
As for the burn on his foot, that would happen when a casing from inside the vehicle dropped onto the foot.
A better question is why when on a highway of death...faced with flashing lights and waving arms by soldiers armed with guns and commonly attacked with cars stuffed with bombs, a vehicle would refuse to stop.
One of the more frequent police injuries appears to be caused when officers attempt to 'shoot out the tires' of suspect vehicles. The automobile and the wheels that it rests upon are largely made of steel. The concrete or asphalt roadway that the vehicle rests upon serve to further compound the situation. When a high speed lead bullet is discharged in the general area of a vehicle, ricochets and metal fragments abound. Unlike the scenes depicted by 'Hollywood', the 'shooting out of a tire' can be a precarious and dangerous event.
Ai nostri lettori offriamo una importante testimonianza, quella dell’amico Muhamad T.A., Direttore Esecutivo del Centro Studi sui Diritti Umani e la Democrazia di Fallujah ma da mesi residente a Bagdad e che Giuliana ben conosceva:
«Cari amici del Campo Antimperialista,
Stiamo cercando di fare del nostro meglio per la liberazione della giornalista italiana . ..
[Bad] Google translation:
To our readers we offer one important testimony, that one of the friend Muhamad T.A., Executive Director of the Center Studies on the Human Rights and the Democracy of Fallujah but from months resident to Bagdad and that Giuliana very knew:
"Beloveds friends of the Anti-imperialist Field,
We are trying to make of our best for the liberation of the Italian journalist
Studies Center for Human Rights and Democracy in Fallujah
A briefed report on American Crimes in AL-Fallujah for the period of November 7 to December 25, 2004
SNIP
Studies Center of Human Rights & Democracy For/ The Civil Network Organizations at Al-Fallujah City
Al- Fallujah 14/01/2005
Studies Center of Human Rights & Democracy (SCHRD)
Headquarter: Iraq-Fallujah
Baghdad Office: Mansour, Rouad, Ice Shop
National Society of Iraqis Muthaqafin, 1th floor
E-Mail: muhtaq72@yahoo.com
Mobile Iraq: 07901615665
Mobile Jordan: 0796646877
Thuraya: +8821625072291
Abduljabbar Al-Kubaysi, president of the Iraqi Patriotic Alliance (IPA) and renown exponent of the popular resistance, was arrested on September 3 in a quarter of Baghdad controlled by the guerrilla.
SNIP
First signatories:
· Walter Wendelin, ASKAPENA (Basque Solidarity with the peoples)
· Lars Akerhaug, International Officer Red Electoral Alliance (RV), Norway
· Lola Oliván, Arabist, Arabist, militant of the Arab Cause and member of the Spanish Campaign Against Occupation and for the Sovereignty of Iraq (CEOS)
· Walid Al-Kubaisi, author and refugee from Iraq, Norway
· Gerhard Drexler, communist dissident and activist for the Iraqi resistance, Austria
· Arnljot Ask, international secretary of the Worker’s Communist Party (AKP), Norway
· John Catalinotto, International Action Center, USA
· Jörg Ulrich, former member of the PKK’s armed forces, leading member of Initiative Duisburg, Germany
· Sanaa Mustafa, Arab house Oslo, Norway
· Jean-Pierre Page, Co-organiser of the French conference in support of the Iraqi resistance
· International League of People’s Struggle (ILPS)
· Moreno Pasquinelli, spokesman of the Anti-imperialist Camp
· Leonardo Mazzei, chairman of the Free Iraq Committee, Italy
· Klaus von Raussendorff, journalist, Bonn, Germany
· Joachim Guilliard, publicist, Heidelberg, Germany
· Mohamed Regragui, activist for democratic rights, Morocco
· Dimitri Tsalos, spokesman of the Committee Free Iraq, Germany
· Sean Burns, 32csm International Department, Belfast, Irland
· Costanzo Preve, philosopher, Italy
· Giuseppe Pelazza, lawyer, Italy
· Domenico Losurdo, philosopher, Italy
· Franz Fischer, Anti-imperialist Group Basel, Switzerland
· Sammi Alaa, chairman of the Committee Free Iraq, Denmark
· Torstein Dahle, President of the Red Electoral Alliance, Norway
· Awni Al-Kalemji, intl spokesman of the Iraqi Patriotic Alliance
· Jagat Thoudam, President of All Manipur United Clubs Organisation (AMUCO), India
· Zafar Aslam, intl secretary of the Communist Mazdor Kisan Party (CMKP), Pakistan
· Group Revolusjon, Norway
· Gurmeet, editor Peoples Resistance, bi-monthly of the All Indian People’s Resistance Forum (AIPRF), India
· Hülya Sekerci, President of Özgur Der (Free Thought and Educational Rights Association), Turkey
· Serdar Yilmaz, President of Özgur Der Diyarbakir branch, Turkey
· Kenan Alpay, Editör of Haksoz (Islamic Monthly Magazine),Istanbul, Turkey
· Ridvan Kaya, Author Haksoz, Turkey
· Hamza Turkmen, Publisher Ekin Publishing House, Turkey
· Necip Kibar, Lawyer, Istanbul Bar Association, Turkey
· Badruddin Umar, President of the Bangladesh National Liberation Council
· Choukri Latif, Committee for the support of Palestinians and against the Normalization with Zionism, Tunisia
· Gabriele Roberto, Italy
· Aldo Bernardini, scholar for international law, Italy
· Vainer Burani, lawyer, Democratic Jurists, Italy
· Suhel Sleibi, Abna el-Balad, Magd el-Kurum, Palestina
· Gamil Safuri, Abna el-Balad, Shefa'amer, Palestina
· Yoav Bar, Abna el-Balad, Haifa, Palestina
· Abdelmoumen Belanès, former political prisoner, Tunisia
· Ali Ben Salem, president of the Ligue of former Resistance Fighters, Tunisia
· Mohamed Maali, journalist and former political prisoner, Tunisia
· Radhia Nasraoui, lawyer, president of the Association against Torture ALTT, Tunisia
· Hana al-Bayaty, film maker
· Nasir Loyant, Left Radicals of Afghanistan
· George Nicola, vice president of the Palestinian Community Austria
· Lachit Bordoloi, Secretary General of the North East Coordination Committee on Human Rights (NECOHR), India
· Abdul Ilah al-Bayaty, political refugee from Iraq, France
· Peter Szekely, Secretary general of the Left Front and member of the presidium of the Worker’s Party, Hungary
· Said Zeriouh, membre central committee Unified Socialist Left (GSU), Morocco
· Aziz El Atrouz, membre GSU, Marrakech, Morocco
· Pôle de Renaissance Communiste, France
· Franz Pöschl, Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands/Marxisten-Leninisten KPD/ML (Roter Stern), Germany
· Antonio Manuel Carrasco Fonseca, Badajoz, Spain
· Victor Novo, Secretary for international relations of the Federation of University Students (FEUV), Venezuela
· Erik Anderson, International secretary Communist Party Marxist- Leninist (revolutionaries) [KPML(r)], Sweden
· Monika Balzer, Kommunistische Plattform Hamburg »Friedrich Engels«, Germany
· Hamdan Aldamiri, member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), Belgium
· Mohamed Elaouni, journalist, member of the Political Bureau of the GSU, Morocco
· Raj Kishore, General Secretary of Struggling Forum for Peoples' Resistance (SFPR), India
· Bruno Drweski, France
· Tania Noctiummes, economist, international functionary, Sri Lanka
· Lahoucine Amal, professor, Annahj Addimocrati, Morocco
· Djimadoum Ley-Ngardigal, Secretary General Action for Socialism and Unity, Chad
· Confederation of Workers’ from Turkey in Europe (ATIK)
· Farid Hanna, former employee of an international organisation, Vienna, Austria
· Bogdan Radomski, president of the Patriotic Front of Socialistic Left, Poland
· Hisham Bustani, Socialist Thought Forum, Jordan
· Chris Sedlmair, Iraq News Network, Germany
· Jozef Lachut, Vice president Polish Communist Party
· Boleslaw Tejkowski, Polish National Community Party
· Irmgard Hubauer, sociologist, Austria
· Alla Bogdanova, Arab House Oslo, Norway
· Douglas Richard Aitken, London, England
· Foreign Office of the Party of Labour of Iran (Toufan)
· Klaus Hartmann, vice president of the World Union of Three Thinkers, Germany
· Arab Cause Solidarity Committee (CSCA), Spain
· Gilles Munier, secretary general of Amitiés franco-irakiennes, France
· Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)
· Cristina Avendaño, “Another world is possibile”, Argentina
· Maite Jean, elementary school teacher, Kingersheim, France
· Clément Dousset, teacher, member CasquesBleusCitoyens, France
· Ginette Hess Skandrani, journalist, Paris, France
· Aziz Messaoudim, AMDH, Rabat Section, Morocco
· Anti-globalist Resistance, Russia
· Nouvelle Gauche Communiste,France
· Emile Fabrol, editor Prométhée, France
· Alicia Villoldo-Botana, sociologist, teacher, journalist and psychoanalyst, Madrid, Spain
· Houmad Elkadiri Badaoui, Moroccan activist, Spain
· Antonio Soriano Espinosa, Spain
· José María García Labrac, student, Granada, Spain
· Pedro Servera, Spain
· Solidarity Association Salvador Allende, Galicia, Spain
· Narmi Joanna Michejda, bio-chemist, philosopher, Stop the War Initiative, Warsaw, Poland
· Carlos Felipe Barría Hamamé, Chile
· Huguette Saladin, France
· Emilio José Silva Chapellín, Spain
· Malgorzata Swiątek, Attac Mazowsze, Poland
· Kaosenlared, Catalonia, Spanish State
· Semir al-Mubarak, France
Tamsin Smith, "Italian group backs Iraq fighters", BBC, 11/17/2003
A group of Italian militants involved in staging anti-war protests is raising funds to support the armed Iraqi resistance, the BBC has learned. . .The "Antiimperialista" organisation's internet campaign asks people to send "10 Euros to the Iraqi resistance". . .The Antiimperialistas are a group of European anti-war and anti-globalisation supporters. They are currently organising an anti-war demonstration in Italy next month, and it remains to be seen whether news of the fund-raising activities will deter more moderate anti-war activists from attending. The organisation's Italian branch says the money will be given to an Iraqi resistance group known as the Iraqi Patriotic Opposition. Independent Iraqi sources in London say the leaders of this group have a long history of association with the Baath party and are now back in Iraq supporting the armed resistance. . .The Italian spokesman of the antiimperialistas, Moreno Pasquinelli, says the money collected so far is in an Italian bank account. Mr Pasquinelli said it would be taken to Iraq in January. He was candid when asked about raising money for the Iraqi Patriotic Opposition which says it actively supports military resistance. "Its not our affair how they use this money. If they want to use it to print papers for example, or to buy weapons in order to fight for the Iraqi independence," he said. "We support the armed struggle in Iraq. our money is to help them, it doesn't matter to us if they use it buy weapons, Kalashnikovs, or medicines for people." When asked to confirm if the money raised could be used to buy weapons he admitted: "Yes they could, and why not?"
Leading Iraqi Scholar Endorses The `LaRouche Doctrine', 5/1/2004
The following statement was issued today by the LaRouche in 2004 political campaign committee. Dr. Ahmed Al-Kubaisi, leading Sunni religious personality and chairman of the United Iraqi Patriotic Movement, in discussions with EIR on April 28, said: "Convey in my name, Ahmed Al-Kubaisi, Iraqi Islamic scholar and Chairman of the United Iraqi Patriotic Movement, that I support Mr. LaRouche's proposals for a new U.S. policy in Iraq and the region which he has called the LaRouche Doctrine."
Sgrena had told veteran war reporter Harald Doornbos that she was in no danger from Iraqi insurgents saying that Doornbos did not “understand the situation. We are anti-imperialists, anti-capitalists, communists, the Iraqis only kidnap American sympathizers, the enemies of the Americans have nothing to fear.”
Look at what Fedora found!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1358558/posts?page=118#118
Thank you fedora! That is very interesting!
Thank you Calpernia and fedora.
Yes, that is interesting.
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