TranceAddict Forums (www.tranceaddict.com/forums)
- Political Discussion / Debate
-- Americans shoot at the freed Italian reporter
Pages (5): [1] 2 3 4 5 »
Americans shoot at the freed Italian reporter
| quote: |
| Wounded Italian hostage back home Italian agent killed, others wounded in checkpoint shooting Saturday, March 5, 2005 Posted: 6:32 AM EST (1132 GMT) BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena has returned to Rome, hours after American troops in Iraq fired on the car she was in, wounding her and killing an Italian intelligence officer escorting the former hostage. A plane carrying Sgrena back from Iraq landed at Rome's Ciampino Airport on Saturday morning. A crowd milled around it as Sgrena's relatives and dignitaries including Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi boarded the plane to greet her. A few moments later, she emerged, walking with assistance from two men, and was taken to a nearby ambulance. U.S. President George W. Bush has promised to hold a full investigation into the incident, which occurred shortly after Sgrena was released following a month in captivity in Iraq. Nicola Calipari was killed when he tried to shield the 56-year-old former hostage from gunfire as they approached a military checkpoint near the airport in Baghdad. Calipari, who had worked to release other Italian hostages, died when he threw himself over Sgrena to protect her. The incident came just hours after Sgrena, a reporter for the leftist Italian newspaper Il Manifesto, was freed following a month in captivity. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi summoned U.S. ambassador Mel Sembler on Friday night and demanded a full investigation, and took a telephone call from Bush who expressed his regrets. "This was a call to reach out to a good friend and express our regret about the incident," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said, according to Reuters. "The president assured Prime Minister Berlusconi that it would be fully investigated ... We're cooperating closely with Italian authorities." Berlusconi is a staunch Bush supporter, backing the U.S.-led invasion and sending in the Italian troops after Saddam Hussein was toppled in 2003. He said the two other people in the car contacted his office after the incident and "they were in disbelief at the fatality at the end of a brilliantly concluded operation." (Full story) Sgrena's partner said he could not fault the U.S. soldiers, telling Reuters they were probably "scared boys," and the blame lay with those who had sent them to Iraq. But CNN's Alessio Vinci reported that Saturday's Il Manifesto newspaper had accused U.S. forces of "assassinating" Calipari. In a written statement, Multi-National Forces said that at 9 p.m. (1800 GMT) they opened fire on a vehicle that was approaching a checkpoint at a high speed. U.S. troops "attempted to warn the driver to stop by hand and arm signals, flashing white lights, and firing warning shots in front of the car," the statement said. "When the driver didn't stop, the soldiers shot into the engine block, which stopped the vehicle, killing one and wounding two others." CNN's Nic Robertson said coalition forces's rule of engagement permit them to use escalating levels of force if they fel threatened. They can use lethal force, for example, if a car refuses to stop for a checkpoint. The road where the incident took place, near Baghdad's airport, was particularly dangerous, Robertson added. |
If the soldiers are accurately describing what happened, they didn't stop at the check point, then firing at the car was justified.
| quote: |
U.S. troops "attempted to warn the driver to stop by hand and arm signals, flashing white lights, and firing warning shots in front of the car," the statement said. "When the driver didn't stop, the soldiers shot into the engine block, which stopped the vehicle, killing one and wounding two others." |
| quote: |
| Originally posted by Moongoose A dont know about any of you but if someone starts shooting at my the last thing i would consider doing is stopping the car and ask the guy what hes on about. |
wow, this defintely sounds like a made for TV movie. I don't feel sorry for Sgrena, I think she's going to make a lot of money out of this.
But Calipari sounds like quiet the hero. RIP.
...
There are numerous ways once could speculate to how this is was an accidient.
The car speeding after the rescue, with special ops officers (probably civilian clothed) with arms. These italians might have looked Arab (as they are mediterrianian0. US soldiers doing checkpoint duty with piss poor aim.
| quote: |
| Originally posted by Yoepus There are numerous ways once could speculate to how this is was an accidient. The car speeding after the rescue, with special ops officers (probably civilian clothed) with arms. These italians might have looked Arab (as they are mediterrianian0. US soldiers doing checkpoint duty with piss poor aim. |
The americans are trigger happy, they shoot anything and everything except for themselves!! 
Please ban GTA!
| quote: |
| Originally posted by ierxium The americans are trigger happy, they shoot anything and everything except for themselves!! |
Clearly an accident.
| quote: |
| Originally posted by ierxium Clearly an accident. |
| quote: |
| Originally posted by occrider Oh yea??? http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/artic...03/MN117862.DTL We're so trigger happy we'll even shoot ourselves! So nobody mess with us! |
| quote: |
| Originally posted by occrider Clearly a joke ... |
Well when you've spent way more time in Iraq than you were told you would have to, have bombs blowing up all around you every day, and the next car that comes through your check point could be a man with explosives strapped to his body like the one that killed your buddy last week.. I don't think you're going to take any chances.
Why werent the Americans at the checkpoint breifed on the release of the hostage, and then KNOW of their expected arrival time (or what type of car they're driving). Is that too hard?
| quote: |
| Originally posted by Dupz Why werent the Americans at the checkpoint breifed on the release of the hostage, and then KNOW of their expected arrival time (or what type of car they're driving). Is that too hard? |
| quote: |
| Originally posted by igottaknow they didn't speak italian and didn't order a pizza so they shot first and ask questions later |
| quote: |
| Originally posted by igottaknow they didn't speak italian and didn't order a pizza so they shot first and ask questions later |
| quote: |
| Originally posted by Dupz Why werent the Americans at the checkpoint breifed on the release of the hostage, and then KNOW of their expected arrival time (or what type of car they're driving). Is that too hard? |
I'm having difficulty finding out what happened after the car was shot at...did it stop, or did it carry on to the airport?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4322775.stm
Giuliana Sgrena: "As for the rest, I can't talk about it yet."
Sounds a bit dodgy to me...?
Iraq Check Points
Did you know that check point areas on Iraq roads are not known by Iraqi drivers. No signs. No warnings.
Standard protcol that American Soliders use to warn or signal a check point is to shoot in the air upon the oncoming car/traffic. If the car does not stop or slow down after the 'warning' shot, soliders are advised to shot the car and/or the driver.
I did not beleive this myself until I saw this practice on TV!
I was watching a PBS documentary on the war in Iraq and they showed numerous american solider doing this at various check points.
My personaly reaction was ' Wow I can't believe they spent 80 billion dollars on this war but could not buy road signs that say in the Iraqi language WARNING CHECK POINT AHEAD SLOW DOWN etc. or something you would typically see on road to warn drivers to slow down etc.'
Are these people in the army that fucking stupid. Seriously. What if you were an Iraqi driving your car. how the fuck are they supposed to know that gun fire means slow down or stop!!!
Recently , an Italian CIA agent was killed because of this STUPID policy that the American Army is using at check points.
I guess the stupidity in the white house has manifested itself on the battle feild. Amazing!
| quote: |
Originally posted by THE_Chris At the same time though if you're in a country you know is occupied and you see a roadblock of soldiers on the road in front of you you dont fucking keep driving fast, you slow down and let them check you. |
| quote: |
| Originally posted by igottaknow If the soldiers are accurately describing what happened, they didn't stop at the check point, then firing at the car was justified. |
| quote: |
| Italian Journalist Rejects U.S. Account 2 hours, 32 minutes ago By MARIA SANMINIATELLI, Associated Press Writer ROME - The Italian journalist wounded by American troops in Iraq (news - web sites) after her release by insurgents rejected the U.S. military's account of the shooting and declined Sunday to rule out the possibility she was deliberately targeted. The White House said it was a "horrific accident" and promised a full investigation. Meanwhile, an autopsy performed on the agent who died trying to save Giuliana Sgrena reportedly showed he was struck in the temple by a single round and died instantly as the car carrying Sgrena sped to the Baghdad airport. Friday's shooting that wounded the 56-year-old journalist and killed Italian intelligence officer Nicola Calipari as they were celebrating her freedom has fueled anti-American sentiment in a country where people are deeply opposed to U.S. policy in Iraq. But government officials indicated the shootings would not affect the decision by Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi � a strong U.S. ally � to maintain 3,000 troops in Iraq to help secure peace in the country. "The military mission must carry on because it consolidates democracy and liberty in Iraq," Communications Minister Maurizio Gasparri was quoted as saying by the ANSA news agency. "On the other hand, we must control � but not block � the presence of civilians and journalists, who must observe rules and behavior to reduce the risks." Sgrena, who works for the communist daily Il Manifesto, did not rule out that she was targeted, saying the United States likely disapproved of Italy's methods to secure her release, although she did not elaborate. "The fact that the Americans don't want negotiations to free the hostages is known," Sgrena told Sky TG24 television by telephone, her voice hoarse and shaky. "The fact that they do everything to prevent the adoption of this practice to save the lives of people held hostages, everybody knows that. So I don't see why I should rule out that I could have been the target." http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=sto...stage&printer=1 |
I think this proves that it is very easy to get shot in Iraq for no reason whatsoever.
fuckin American animals 
Then they bitch about why everyone in Iraq wants to blow them up.
Powered by: vBulletin
Copyright © 2000-2021, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.