Editors Note: Kevin Thomson, a reader of Axis of Logic publications sent this note and article in today regarding the release of Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena, followed by an attack on her car, wounding her and others and killing Nicola Calipari, the Italian agent who was accompanying her. We ask, "What does Giuliana Sgrena know and why did the U.S. military want to silence her?"
Ever since the kidnappings and beheadings of non-military personnel in Iraq began nearly 2 years ago, many observers, readers and analysts have asked why the Iraqi resistance would commit these crimes, knowing they would turn world opinion against them. Many ask the same questions about the mass killings of Shiites with bombs. The Iraqi resistance has nothing to gain from these atrocities and the invader/occupiers have everything to gain in the propaganda war. We know that the CIA and Mossad have been very busy in Iraq but what kind of "work" are they doing? Many readers write to us with their suspicions that these killings and kidnappings are the work of Black Ops in Iraq. "The jury is out." - Les Blough, Editor
Axis Reader Kevin Thomson writes: "All the American media said the Italian car, which was carrying the former hostage and Italian intelligence officers, was speeding at checkpoint and thus fired upon by American troops. However, foreign news reports it differently. This is from AFP (French media) and published on a Turkish web site."
US attack against Italians in Baghdad was deliberate: companion
Published: 3/5/2005
ROME - The companion of freed Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena on Saturday leveled serious accusations at US troops who fired at her convoy as it was nearing Baghdad airport, saying the shooting had been deliberate.
"The Americans and Italians knew about (her) car coming," Pier Scolari said on leaving Rome's Celio military hospital where Sgrena is to undergo surgery following her return home.
"They were 700 meters (yards) from the airport, which means that they had passed all checkpoints."
The shooting late Friday was witnessed by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's office which was on the phone with one of the secret service agents, said Scolari. "Then the US military silenced the cellphones," he charged.
"Giuliana had information, and the US military did not want her to survive," he added.
When Sgrena was kidnapped on February 4 she was writing an article on refugees from Fallujah seeking shelter at a Baghdad mosque after US forces bombed the former Sunni rebel stronghold.
Sgrena told RaiNews24 television Saturday a "hail of bullets" rained down on the car taking her to safety at Baghdad airport, along with three secret service agents, killing one of them.
"I was speaking to (agent) Nicola Calipari (...) when he leant on me, probably to protect me, and then collapsed and I realized he was dead," said Sgrena, who was being questioned on Saturday by two Italian magistrates.
"They continued shooting and the driver couldn't even explain that we were Italians. It was really horrible," she added.
Sgrena, who was hospitalized with serious wounds to her left shoulder and lung after arriving back in Rome Saturday before noon, said she was "exhausted because of what happened above all in the last 24 hours".
"After all the risks I have been running I can say that I'm fine," she said.
"I thought that after I was handed over to the Italians danger was over, but then this shooting broke out and we were hit by a hail of bullets."
The chief editor of Sgrena's left-wing newspaper Il Manifesto Gabriele Polo meanwhile branded Calipari's death a "murder".
"He was hit in the head," he said.
Calipari will be given a state funeral Monday.
03/05/2005 13:43 GMT