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Iraq-Jordan
U.S. Forces Fire at Freed Reporter's Car, Agent Killed
2005-03-04
U.S. forces fired at a car carrying Italian reporter Giuliana Sgrena shortly after her liberation, killing an Italian secret service agent and lightly wounding the journalist, her newspaper said on Friday. Gabriele Polo, the editor of Il Manifesto newspaper, said Sgrena's car was fired on as it made its way to Baghdad airport. "This news which should have be a moment of celebration, has been ruined by this fire fight," Polo told Sky Italia television. "An Italian agent has been killed by an American bullet. A tragic demonstration which we never wanted that everything that's happening in Iraq is completely senseless and mad," he added, struggling to fight back his tears.
So what happened, try to run a roadblock? Not stop when told to? Or are we back to the "American troops targeting journalists" mode?
The Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi sent his condolences to the family of the dead agent, who was named by Il Manifesto's Polo as Nicola Calipari.
My regrets as well, but did Agent Calipari let the Americans know he was in country, or was this a "lone wolf" operation? All he had to do was place a call on his cell phone and he would have had an escort to the airport.
Sgrena was seized in the Iraqi capital on Feb. 4 as she conducted interviews on the street near Baghdad University.
Posted by:ed

#10  This sounds like the cousin of the driver that drove Dodie and Dianna around in Paris. A member of the dumb sh*t's club.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2005-03-04 11:40:23 PM  

#9  Looked French.
Posted by: BH   2005-03-04 11:34:17 PM  

#8  Italian driver.
Cause meet effect.
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom   2005-03-04 11:10:18 PM  

#7  The account I read had this:
A U.S. patrol "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 military said in a statement. "When the driver didn't stop, the soldiers shot into the engine block which stopped the vehicle, killing one and wounding two others."

Is there anything more universally understood than warning shots?! What the hell was the driver trying to prove?
Posted by: Dar   2005-03-04 6:28:00 PM  

#6  gotta be more to the story. I seriously doubt you get shot at without fair warning.
Posted by: 2b   2005-03-04 6:22:36 PM  

#5  I am sorry for the dead secret agent - you dont speed towards a checkpoint in Iraq - at night, to boot.

Pity it was not the commie newswoman who died.
Posted by: Glereper Craviter7929   2005-03-04 6:13:23 PM  

#4  Pool starting-
Odds she was bought out, not released...
let the bidding begin.
Posted by: Jules 187   2005-03-04 4:55:53 PM  

#3  Damn right CS. She's got 0 cred.
Posted by: Rex Mundi   2005-03-04 4:49:22 PM  

#2  Report I have is that the car was approaching the checkpoint at very high speed. Makes it kinda hard to respond to any singnals. File this one under Darwin.
Posted by: Rex Mundi   2005-03-04 4:47:28 PM  

#1  Let me get this straight, she was captured by “terrorists” a month ago and pleaded for immediate retreat of she would be killed by the “terrorists.” After a month of putting up with Italy’s Favorite Commie Bitch the “terrorists” release her rather than lop off her head (like they did with so many others). Now she is involved in one of the few fratricide incidents at a U.S. checkpoint? Something doesn’t smell right here and I aint talking at the unwashed lefty reporter.
Posted by: Cyber Sarge   2005-03-04 4:40:58 PM  

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