Re journalist fired upon, agent killed. Interesting timing of two stories

U.S.-Italy Relations Chilled by Killing of Agent


ROME (Reuters) - The United States and its staunch Iraq (news - web sites) war ally Italy face their worst falling out in years after U.S. troops killed an Italian secret service agent and wounded an Italian reporter.



The shooting in Iraq on Friday, as the reporter was being whisked to freedom after being held hostage for a month, was sure to fuel anti-war activists in Italy and put pressure on Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

Berlusconi, who defied widespread public opposition to the Iraq war and sent 3,000 troops, took the rare step of summoning U.S. ambassador Mel Sembler to his office.

He demanded the United States "leave no stone unturned" in investigating the incident. President Bush (news - web sites) was quick to call Berlusconi and promise a full investigation.


http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050305/ts_nm/iraq_italy_relations_dc&cid=564&ncid=1480

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=1286350&mesg_id=1286843

U.S. Readies Aggressive Counterintelligence Plan (Reuters)



Sat Mar 5, 2005 01:54 PM ET

And then went on to report the story exactly as the US Defense Department had told it-- without any objectivity at all. Why do we put up with this crap?

shooting of the journalists in the Baghdad hotel?

thing....so I wouldn't get my hopes up.

Many have been killed, and not by insurgents. Jordan Eason was right, after all. There is a lot going on nthat they must not want us to know about. Sgrena was doing a story about the refugees from Faljuah from what I've read. I'm sure many things went on in Faljuah that are trying to remain secret.

Even the Italians believe this shooting was suspicious as they had cleared many checkpoints already andit was well known they were coming.

Congressman Joe on MSNBC was one of the MSM journalists that spearheaded the drive to get Eason fired for his "unamerican" remarks when he said that U.S. military were targeting journalists in Iraq. He should feel really proud of what he has done to keep this country free. I wrote him and said that these charges should be objectively investigated instead of the "kill the messenger" syndrome that has infected our press. But of course, he chose the "high road." Congressman Joe, please take a bow!

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.

more...

http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=38029