Italian Hostage Says Americans Targeted Her
BBC -Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena has suggested US troops deliberately tried to kill her moments after she was released by her kidnappers in Baghdad.
Ms Sgrena, writing in her left-wing newspaper Il Manifesto, described how her car came "under a rain of fire".
At that moment, she said she recalled her captors' words that some Americans "don't want you to go back".
The US military, who said troops fired on the speeding car after it failed to stop, has opened a full investigation.
A top Italian secret service agent, Nicola Calipari, died in the incident as he shielded Ms Sgrena from the gunshots.
He had led the efforts to negotiate the release of the correspondent, held captive in Iraq for more than a month. . . .
Upon her release, [Sgrena] said, "They [the kidnappers] said they were committed to releasing me, but that I had to be careful 'because there are Americans who don't want you to go back'."
In another interview with Sky Italia TV, she said it was possible the soldiers had targeted her because Washington opposed the policy of negotiating with kidnappers.
"Everyone knows that the Americans do not like negotiations to free hostages, and because of this I don't see why I should exclude the possibility of me having been the target," she said.
There is no doubt in my mind that Sgrena's car was fired upon by American forces because the driver failed to follow the directions of the soldiers at the checkpoint. The idea that U.S. forces would fire upon a released hostage because we do not negotiate with terrorists is patently ridiculous.
This assertion also ignores the fact that had the U.S. troops really wanted Sgrena dead they could have easily finished the job of killer her after the car was stopped and she lay wounded inside. Doing so would have removed all witnesses to the crime and left no one to tell the tale that Sgrena is now telling. But that didn't happen. Instead the troops realized their mistake and rushed Sgrena to a hospital for treatment. Not exactly the behavior of a military force intent on murdering freed hostages.
But really it isn't at all surprising that Sgrena is taking this position. What else would you expect from a communist terrorist sympathizer? Regardless, I expect this story to be hyped to the high heavens by the blame-America-first crowd who will no doubt claim it as vindication for Eason Jordan.
Chad Evans has much more on this story.
Update:
You gotta love this headline from Reuters:
Apparently, as far as Reuters is concerned, Sgrena speaks for all of Italy.
There is no indication in that article, or anywhere else in the media, that Italy doubts America's version of the shooting. They are asking for an investigation, of course, but that fact certainly doesn't warrant the headline Reuters is running.
Harry
likwidshoe
Hannitized
Kenny
lilmomma
