The ANNOTICO Report

There are currently various versions of  the US Military attack on Freed
Hostage Giuliana Sgrena, and her three Italian Military Intelligence
Escorts.

Unfortunately for the US Military, three of the Victims survived, are
Italian allies, and one was a Reporter, so this can not so easily be "swept
under the rug".

Was it a Deliberate Ambush, OR just Blood Thirsty Imbeciles or Terrorized
Kids who shoot at anyone?

The foreign press can be generally relied upon for greater honesty.
The US news is now so "managed", there is LITTLE reason to Trust it.
And who would be so naive as to believe ANYTHING the Government says :(

The LA Times gives the impression that the Giuliana Sgrena car was a "solo"
car, when it was actually a multi car Convoy, and stated that Sgrena's car
had run a Checkpoint, when in fact Sgrena's car was attempted to be
Intercepted by, and was Fired on by a Patrol, and that Sgrena's car was
driving at a high rate of speed, when its speed was reported by others to
be Normal.

The New York Times in todays issue, also reports that the Americans were
guarding a Checkpoint, and the US soldiers supposedly fired at the car's
motor, although Nicola Caliperi, the Italian intelligence agent that had
been instrumental in negotiating the release of Giuliana Sgrena, was
sitting in the back seat, and was killed with bullets, not shrapnel, and
two other intelligence agents, sitting in the front seats of the car were
wounded in the shooting, in addition to Sgrena, who suffered serious wounds
to her left shoulder and lung

The US soldiers reportedly had flashed white lights, waved their hands and
arms, and fired warning shots in a failed attempt to get the vehicle to
stop.

Segrena claims that as soon as they were targeted by a blinding spotlight,
a "hail of bullets" rained down on the car.

Nicola Caliperi, the intelligence agent, had hurled himself atop Giuliana
to protect her, Sgrena's editor, Gabriele Polo, told Mapco, an Italian news
agency.

Caliperi, 50, was married and had a 19-year-old daughter and a 13-year-old
son. He originally was from the southern city of Reggio-Calabria, and he
had previously been responsible for the release of the Two Simonas; Simona
Torretta and Simona Pari.

Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi awarded Calipari with the gold medal
of valor Saturday for his heroism. Across Italy, fans observed a moment of
silence in tribute to the agent before the kickoff at soccer games.

Reports further critical of the US "version" cite that Americans were Fully
Aware of this Headline Hostage Release story, and her route and time of
transit, and that the Convoy had passed through several previous
Checkpoints. Sgrena's convoy was within 700 yards of the Airport, which
means that they had passed all checkpoints when attacked!!

Further, Cellphone conversation in progress between the Friday`s shooting
was heard by aides  to Berlusconi, who were on the phone with one of the
intelligence officers in the car, "Then the US military silenced the
cellphones." !!

Pier Scolari, who was sent from Italy to accompany Giuliana Sgrena from
Baghdad, and is her partner, leveled serious accusations at the US troops
involved in the incident, saying the shooting had been deliberate.

Either this was an ambush, as I think, or we are dealing with imbeciles or
terrorized kids who shoot at anyone," he said.

It was one of the most bizarre "friendly fire" incidents in Iraq since the
US-led invasion in March 2003.

After countless shootings over the past two years, Iraqis, and "friendlies"
have learned to approach US checkpoints cautiously.

"Giuliana had information, and the US military did not want her to
survive," he added.

"The Americans and Italians knew about (her) car coming," Pier Scolari said
on leaving Celio hospital.

When Sgrena was kidnapped on February 4 she was writing an article on
refugees from Fallujah seeking shelter at a Baghdad mosque after US forces
bombed the former Sunni rebel bastion.

The LA Times reports Sgrena's previous articles had been sympathetic to the
Iraqi civilians and other downtrodden people, and she had written about
abuses at Abu Ghraib prison.

To continue to support this "Crusade" betrays the 1500 US Military, that
have died, the tens of thousands who have been maimed, and hundred
thousands whose psyche will be forever wounded as a result of the killing,
destruction and horrors of war inflict on them. And I have not yet begin to
talk about the Iraqis killed, their relatives devastated, and those
subjected to economic ruin, made homeless, or orphans and the hell visited
upon the young.

The Motto seems to be: We will set the Iraqis Free, even if we have to
Impoverish or Kill every last one of them!!!!

Even the US Public is forced to suffer, and endure monies being wasted on
War and Domestic Security, while we talk about cutting back on Social
Security, Health Care, Education, etc., while the Military Industrial
Complex again grows richer with "war profits".

Turkish Press
March 5, 2005

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.

When Sgrena was kidnapped on February 4 she was writing an article on
refugees from Fallujah seeking shelter at a Baghdad mosque after US forces
bombed the former Sunni rebel stronghold.

Sgrena told RaiNews24 television Saturday a "hail of bullets" rained down
on the car taking her to safety at Baghdad airport, along with three secret
service agents, killing one of them.

"I was speaking to (agent) Nicola Calipari (...) when he leant on me,
probably to protect me, and then collapsed and I realized he was dead,"
said Sgrena, who was being questioned on Saturday by two Italian
magistrates.

"They continued shooting and the driver couldn't even explain that we were
Italians. It was really horrible," she added.

Sgrena, who was hospitalized with serious wounds to her left shoulder and
lung after arriving back in Rome Saturday before noon, said she was
"exhausted because of what happened above all in the last 24 hours".

"After all the risks I have been running I can say that I'm fine," she
said.

"I thought that after I was handed over to the Italians danger was over,
but then this shooting broke out and we were hit by a hail of bullets."

The chief editor of Sgrena's newspaper Il Manifesto, Gabriele Polo
meanwhile branded Calipari's death a "murder".

"He was hit in the head," he said.

Calipari will be given a state funeral Monday.

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

Turkish Press
by Gunther Kern
March 5, /2005

ROME - Freed Italian hostage Giuliana Sgrena said on her return from Iraq
Saturday that the shooting by US soldiers that left her wounded and an
Italian intelligence officer dead was not justified, as Rome awaited an
explanation of the incident from Washington.

The firing on the road to Baghdad airport late Friday threatened to cast a
pall over relations between Rome and Washington, which are close allies in
the Iraq conflict.

US Ambassador to Rome Mel Sembler told Italian Prime Minister Silvio
Berlusconi he had asked Washington for an urgent explanation of what
happened.

"Everything will be done to shed full light on the incident", which ended
Sgrena`s month-long ordeal, a statement issued by Berlusconi`s office cited
the envoy as saying.

Sembler "has already requested an urgent clarification," the statement
added.

Sgrena, the 56-year-old correspondent of the communist daily Il Manifesto,
told Italian investigators the US troops` intense fire had been in no way
justified by the speed of her car, ANSA news agency said.

"Our vehicle was running at normal speed which could not be misunderstood,"
she said, rejecting US fears of a possible suicide attack.

"It wasn`t a checkpoint but a patrol which immediately opened fire after
they trained their light on us," Sgrena said.

The US military said Friday Sgrena`s convoy had ignored signals to stop,
and that US soldiers had waved their hands and arms, flashed white lights
and fired warning shots in a failed attempt to get the vehicle to stop.

But Sgrena told RaiNews24 television Saturday that a "hail of bullets"
rained down on the car taking her to safety at Baghdad airport, along with
three Italian intelligence officers, killing one of them.

"I was speaking to (officer) Nicola Calipari (...) when he leant on me,
probably to protect me, and then collapsed and I realized he was dead,"
said Sgrena, who was being questioned on Saturday by two Italian
magistrates.

"They continued shooting and the driver couldn`t even explain that we were
Italians. It was really horrible," she added.

One of two intelligence officers wounded in Friday`s incident was also on
Sgrena`s plane.

Amid anger in Italy at the violent end to Sgrena`s month-long ordeal, US
President George W. Bush promised a full investigation into the incident.

Berlusconi, a staunch Bush ally, told a press conference in Rome late
Friday there were troubling questions that needed to be answered.

"We are petrified and dumbfounded by this fatality", said the prime
minister.

Meanwhile, about 100 anti-globalization protesters gathered outside the US
embassy here and called for a withdrawal of the 3,000 Italian troops from
Iraq, Berlusconi`s resignation and support for Calipari`s family.

They carried a banner reading: "Bush has changed: now he even kills
Italians".

Sgrena, her left shoulder in a bandage, flew into Rome on a government
plane Saturday morning and was immediately rushed to Celio military
hospital where she will undergo surgery within the next few days. She had
been given emergency treatment in a US military hospital in Baghdad.

Her companion, who traveled with her from Baghdad, leveled serious
accusations at the US troops involved in the incident, saying the shooting
had been deliberate.

"The Americans and Italians knew about (her) car coming," Pier Scolari said
on leaving Celio hospital.

"They were 700 meters (yards) from the airport, which means that they had
passed all checkpoints."

Friday`s shooting was heard by Berlusconi`s aides who were on the phone
with one of the intelligence officers, 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.

When Sgrena was kidnapped on February 4 she was writing an article on
refugees from Fallujah seeking shelter at a Baghdad mosque after US forces
bombed the former Sunni rebel bastion.

Il Manifesto chief editor Gabriele Polo meanwhile branded the intelligence
officer`s death a "murder". Calipari, 51, is to be given a state funeral
Monday.

A military plane repatriating his body was expected at Rome`s Ciampino
airport around 11:00 pm (2200 GMT).

Berlusconi and Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini were to face tough
questions by Italian deputies Tuesday and Wednesday.

In Paris, journalists` rights panel Reporters sans frontieres (Reporters
Without Borders) called on the United Nations to conduct an urgent probe
into the shooting incident.

03/05/2005 17:47 GMT
AFP and  Turkish Press
http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=38054

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