{news} Fw: USGP-INT Italian media reveals details of Baghdad killing censored by Pentagon (BBC News)

[Justine McCabe]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Scott McLarty" <scottmclarty at yahoo.com>
To: <usgp-media at gp-us.org>; <natlcomaffairs at green.gpus.org>; 
<usgp-int at gp-us.org>
Sent: Monday, May 02, 2005 1:56 AM
Subject: USGP-INT Italian media reveals details of Baghdad killing censored 
by Pentagon (BBC News)


> Italy media reveals Iraq details
> By David Willey
>
> BBC News in Rome
> 1 May, 2005
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4504589.stm
>
>
> Italian media have published classified sections
> of an official US military inquiry into the
> accidental killing of an Italian agent in
> Baghdad.
>
> The 40-page report was censored by the Pentagon
> before being officially published on Saturday.
>
> Italy has refused to accept the US report's
> findings and is to publish its own version of
> events later this week.
>
> Details of the official report were published in
> newspapers on Sunday with censored material
> restored in full.
>
> Missing text
>
> A Greek medical student at Bologna University who
> was surfing the web early on Sunday found that
> with two simple clicks of his computer mouse he
> could restore censored portions of the report.
>
> He passed the details to Italian newspapers which
> immediately put out the full text on their own
> websites.
>
> The missing text contains the names and ranks of
> all of the American military personnel involved
> in the killing of Nicola Calipari, the Italian
> agent who was given a state funeral and awarded
> Italy's highest medal of valour.
>
> It also reveals the rules of engagement in
> operation at the military checkpoint near Baghdad
> airport which have been contested by the Italian
> authorities.
>
> The censored sections include recommendations
> that the American military modify their
> checkpoint procedures to give better and clearer
> warning signs to approaching vehicles.
>
> The official Italian report on the incident
> expected to be published this week will accuse
> the American military of tampering with evidence
> at the scene of the shooting.
>
> The Americans invited two Italians to join in
> their inquiry, but the Italian representatives
> protested at what they claimed was lack of
> objectivity in presenting the evidence and
> returned to Rome.
>
> Relations between Rome and Washington remain
> tense.
>
>
> DIFFERING ACCOUNTS
>
> US military:
> Car approaches checkpoint at high speed
> Troops attempt to tell driver to stop with arm
> signals, lights and warning shots
> Soldiers shoot into engine
>
> Italian government:
> Italy makes all necessary contacts with the US
> for safe passage
> The driver stops immediately when a light flashes
> 10m away
> At the same time, shots are fired into car for
> 10-15 seconds
>
> Accounts in full
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4325253.stm
> [below]
> Profile: Nicola Calipari
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4334617.stm
> Italy's papers reject US findings
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4485839.stm
>
>
> *  *  *  *  *
>
>
> Iraq shooting: Differing accounts
>
> BBC News, March 9, 2005
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4325253.stm
>
>
> Italian secret agent Nicola Calipari was killed
> when US troops opened fire as he escorted freed
> journalist Giuliana Sgrena to Baghdad airport. He
> had just helped to secure her release after more
> than a month held hostage in Iraq. The US, the
> Italian government and Ms Sgrena have differing
> accounts of what happened.
>
>
> US MILITARY
>
> The US military says the car carrying Mr Calipari
> was speeding as it approached a coalition
> checkpoint in western Baghdad at 2055 (1755 GMT)
> on Friday.
>
> Soldiers used "hand and arm signals, flashing
> white lights and firing warning shots" to get the
> driver to stop.
>
> When the car did not stop, soldiers shot into its
> engine block.
>
> US Lt Col Clifford Kent of the 3rd Infantry
> Division in Baghdad said the checkpoint where the
> shooting happened was a temporary set-up.
>
> According to the Associated Press news agency,
> when asked how easy it would be to see US troops
> at the checkpoint at night, he said: "Depending
> on where it is, that could be difficult."
>
> He added: "But if you're seeing soldiers in
> military uniform with military equipment, if you
> know it's a dangerous area, then... you need to
> maintain your awareness.
>
> "The event was very tragic, and my condolences go
> out to those killed and injured."
>
> Senior White House official Dan Bartlett called
> it "a horrific accident" and pledged a full
> investigation.
>
> "As you know, in a situation where there is a
> live combat zone, particularly this road to the
> airport has been a notorious area for car bombs,"
> he told CNN's Late Edition on Sunday.
>
> "People are making split-second decisions and
> it's critically important that we get the facts
> before we make judgements."
>
>
> ITALIAN GOVERNMENT
>
> Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi says an
> Italian agent who was in the car with Mr Calipari
> has given his version of events.
>
> "A light was flashed at the vehicle from 10m
> away," Mr Berlusconi said. "The driver at this
> point stopped the car immediately and at the same
> time there was gunfire for about 10 or 15
> seconds.
>
> "A few shots reached the vehicle - one killed Mr
> Calipari and another bullet injured Ms Sgrena in
> the shoulder."
>
> The prime minister went on: "This reconstruction
> of events has been made according to what has
> been witnessed by another agent who was with Mr
> Calipari and does not coincide totally with what
> has been communicated so far by the US
> authorities."
>
> Italy had made all necessary contacts for safe
> passage, advising the US military at the airport
> as Sgrena was en route, Mr Berlusconi said.
>
> His statement contradicted preliminary accounts
> from the US military that it had no knowledge of
> the rescue mission.
>
> Mr Berlusconi said Italy, as an ally of the US,
> had "the duty to demand from them the utmost
> truth" about what happened. A joint inquiry will
> be held.
>
>
> GIULIANA SGRENA
>
> She wrote in her newspaper, Il Manifesto:
>
> "The driver twice called the embassy and Italy to
> say that we were heading towards the airport that
> I knew was heavily patrolled by US troops.
>
> They told me that we were less than a kilometre
> away... when... I only remember fire.
>
> At that point, a rain of fire and bullets hit us,
> silencing forever the cheerful voices of a few
> minutes earlier.
>
> The driver started yelling that we were Italians.
> "We are Italians, we are Italians."
>
> Nicola Calipari threw himself on me to protect me
> and immediately, I repeat, immediately I heard
> his last breath as he was dying on me.
>
> I must have felt physical pain. I didn't know
> why.
>
> But then it came to me in a flash, and my mind
> went immediately to the things the captors had
> told me.
>
> They declared that they felt fully committed to
> freeing me but I had to be careful, 'Out there
> are the Americans, who don't want you to go
> back'.
>
> Then, I had considered those words superfluous
> and ideological. But at that moment, they risked
> acquiring the flavour of the bitterest of truths.
> At this time I cannot tell you the rest."
>
> "There was no bright light, no signal," she told
> Italian La 7 TV in response to a US military
> account.
>
> "We were driving slowly, about 40-50 km/h
> (25-30mph)," the driver, an unidentified Italian
> agent, said according to Italy's Corriere della
> Sera.
>
> Ms Sgrena's editor, Gabriele Polo, said he was
> told by Italian officials that 300 to 400 rounds
> were fired at the car.
>