Italy pursues criminal probe into agent's killing

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L30104709.htm

ROME, April 30 (Reuters) - Italy asked its state prosecutors on Saturday to step up their probe into the killing of an Italian agent by U.S. troops in Iraq after the two allies failed to reach agreement in a joint investigation. snip

Opposition politicians blamed Berlusconi's foreign policy.

"We ended up isolated in Europe by lining up alongside the United States in Iraq," said leftist parliamentarian Ugo Intini.

"In return we risk being humiliated by the Americans themselves," he added.

more

[Frederik]

1. Good

maybe some more light will be shed on this, and maybe that will lead to Italy withdrawing its forces as Berlusconi promised but then retracted.

[bobthedrummer]

2. The Italians have experienced what is new to US, fascism and empire.

They will confront this and perhaps the truth about Fallujah will become well known in "old" Europe.

But it won't be heard about here.

[reality based]

3. CBS reported the Pentagon said that satellite pictures

established the speed of the car as it approached the "checkpoint". The article says the Italians are unaware of "any recording of the incident." An animation showed people shooting at the car as it approached. Pictures taken of the car published on Italian sites seem to show damage to the rear windows.

[bobthedrummer]

4. The car was only recently released to the Italians.

The War President doesn't do diplomacy with "old" Europe.

[Frederik]

5. Satellite pictures like

the ones that "showed" Iraqi troops on Saudi Arabia's border in 1991, perhaps?

[valis]

7. Or like those showing WMDs being movd around?

[Barrett808]

8. "Satellite pictures"? Riiiiiight

That is just so obviously bogus. How stupid do they think we are?

Oh, yeah, it's the Bush mafia.

[cosmicdot]

24. even if ... see: a math lesson

link posted at this thread:
"US satellite recorded checkpoint shooting, shows speed of Italian car: CBS"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1434581#1434654

The Killing of Nicola Calipari
By ELI STEPHENS
http://www.counterpunch.org/stephens04182005.html

[leesa]

6. Good. Let's get to the bottom of SOMETHING. I feel like this whole

BushCo Crime Adventure is like that Willie Wonka blueberry girl. Ready to explode with a pinprick.

[Gregorian]

9. You can fool some of the people some of the time

How does that go? Fool me...

Well, we're not all a bunch of fools. Not all of the time, at least. WE may be powerless, but like I have always maintained- Justice will come from outside our borders.

[IChing]

10. Here is the first photo

I have seen from the back of the car. I got it from an Italian newspaper. I have seen all the other photos of the car on the army truck. Notice the back window is shot out.

[bemildred]

12. Bwaaahaaahaaa. They left out the right side.

Edit: thank you for posting that.

[daleo]

25. The old "half a car" picture again.

They have become so transparent, it would be funny if it wasn't so serious.

[IChing]

11. This is a photo the report

And what was black out.




Il rapporto Usa pieno di omissis

[IChing]

13. CALIPARI: BERLUSCONI, INTERNAL USA PROBLEMS WITH PENTAGON

(AGI) - Rome, Italy, Apr 28 - "The USA administration is having internal problems with the Pentagon. The Pentagon is taking a stance, while the Administration would want this position to be more flexible", said Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on the Calipari case. "We are treating with Sembler who represents the US administration, who has to deal with the Pentagon. It is not easy. We are working, we hope to reach a conclusion, we understand the difficulties that the US are having". (AGI) -

http://www.agi.it/english/news.pl?doc=200504281659-1141-RT1-CRO-0-NF82&page=1&id=agionline-eng.italyonline

[warrens]

14. A foreign correspondent on NPR last night said...

Remember, she was a LEFTIST journalist and the U.S. had no love for her. Hinting that it was a hit on her. That is the suspicion in Italy.

[Moderator]

15. kick to combine

[lovuian]

16. Italy furious at report clearing U.S. soldiers over death of agent

http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/?sid=9335b60ac8edf3c8

Big News Network.com Saturday 30th April, 2005

There is fury in Italy this weekend as the U.S. Army cleared American soldiers in the death of an Italian intelligence agent in Iraq.

A report by an investigating team has also recommended no disciplinary action be taken, a recommendation which won the immediate approval of Lt. Gen. John Vines, the joint commander of U.S. forces in Iraq.

snip...

A joint U.S.-Italian investigation failed to produce a report that both parties were prepared to sign off on as Italian investigators would not accept the U.S. account.

The U.S. side of the report is believed to have been completed a week ago and was only released Saturday after negotiations with Italy failed to reach agreement on a joint report.

The U.S. findings were leaked to Reuters and AFP correspondents at the Pentagon on Monday night of this week when most of Europe was asleep.

snip...
The report found Italy had not informed U.S. forces of the rescue mission, adding "prior coordination might have prevented this tragedy."

It also concluded soldiers fired warning shots in the air, then shot at the engine block because the car was speeding. As Sgrena later pointed out, "Calipari was not in the engine block."

snip...

Italy has not accepted the report and its investigators are expected to issue their own conclusions this week which they say will contradict the U.S. version. Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini said, "the Italian government could not sign off on a reconstruction of events that, in our opinion, does not capture 100 percent of what happened."

Italy has reportedly initiated a criminal inquiry into Calipari's death.

snip...
Sgrena says the Toyota was shot from behind - which contradicts the Pentagon version of soldiers shooting in self-defense. According to Klein, "Sgrena really stressed that the bullet that injured her so badly came from behind, entered through the back of the car. And the only person who was not severely injured in the car was the driver, and she said that this is because the shots weren't coming from the front ... They were driving away."

The Pentagon reportedly refused to allow Italian investors to inspect the car despite the Italian government buying it from the car rental agency after the shooting.

more...
Italy is not going away here!!! It wants the TRUTH and the Pentagon isn't giving it!!!

[ooglymoogly]

17. gee is our wonderful government lying to us................

A-G-A-I-N.....AND AGAIN AND AGAIN

[bullimiami]

18. we are no longer a country of law.

we have degenerated into a rogue nation.

[lovuian]

19. It doesn't help the Pentagon's case refusing to let Italy the car!!!

Physical evidence is a bitch!!!

[The Doctor.]

20. Sgrena is walking evidence...

May the true God keep her safe.

[Laughing Mirror]

29. Don't forget the driver

I hope somebody's keeping them both safe, maybe not God in this case, but certainly Berlusconi.

Sgrena seems to be in a very very bad way. If the motive of this whole exercise was to put her out of commission, cripple her, it has been achieved.

[bpilgrim]

21. yeah, but... it's OUR word against a couple eyeTALIANS -> case closed

who ya gonna believe?


http://images.globalfreepress.com


peace

[Bigmack]

22. Them Eyetalians....

... are prolly still pissed about them US military jets what clipped that there cablecar wahr couple years ago.

Them olive oil dippers had best know their place!

Bein' friends with us is plumb dangerous, and they should just STFU.

[Stinky The Clown]

23. Chimpus Khan to the House Gardener

You BETTER make sure there's no extradition ta Iddaly

[MontageOfFreedom]

26. Amazing...These people should be held accountable.

Immediately the generals in charge there should be sanctioned. Whoever tried to kill the italians is sick.

[Laughing Mirror]

27. Commndr Green hasn't denied he knew they were on the road

GIULIANA SGRENA: The Italians, they can’t speak to the Americans directly. There is a man, a special man, a general that is in charge for the communication with the American commanders. It’s impossible for an agent, an Italian agent, to speak with the Americans directly. I knew the rules because I was there many times. And I know that every time always in Iraq there is an Italian that is in charge for the communication with the Americans. And in this time, in this moment, was a general that was there speaking with the Commander Green that was the correspondent, American one. So I knew about that. And in all the newspaper, Italian newspaper, was published that. So there is no problem of communication. Commander Green knew about our presence on that road. If he didn’t inform the mobile patrol, we don’t know. But he knew, the commander, the American commander knew about it.

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/04/27/1350235

[MontageOfFreedom]

28. Then Commander Green needs to be thrown into prison.

Commit for his atrocities. And be interrogated to see what else he knows, for the benefit of the public.

[Laughing Mirror]

30. Tell that to the boss

and see what HE says!