The ANNOTICO Report

Italian Foreign Minister, Gianfranco Fini, didn't actually mention our
name, BUT the Day after our Report insisted that we wanted to know NOW what
the testimony of the other Witness in the Sgrena car was, and whether that
witness or witnesses validated Sgrena's version of events,
Fini went before Italian Parliament in Rome.

We appreciate his Immediate Response to our Request. :)

The News release from the Prime Ministers's office through AGI stated:
"Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini basically disclaimed the US version... .
The government "requested clarification but Americans will not provide
clarification (# 081319 MAR 08)

Being a diplomat, Fini doesn't call the US "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels", He
merely says:
"The reconstruction we have made from the direct testimony of another agent
doesn't coincide completely with what the U.S. authorities have said," Mr.
Fini said. "We demand that there be truth and justice."

For instance Fini "demanded that the United States conduct a full
investigation, especially considering that portions of the American version
of the episode differed from Italian accounts.", and " "We demand that
there be truth and justice.""We demand that light be shed on the murky
issues, that responsibilities be pinpointed and, where found, the culprits
be punished."

He added that the "sequence of acts carried out by the U.S. soldiers before
the shooting" is one of the main discrepancies.

I was pleasantly surprised to hear him take a rather firm position, and
Fini was in fact saying that Segrna's version was validated by the Driver
of the car, and that Italy was so convinced of the veracity of the Italian
version, that he demanded an US Investigation, the Truth and Punishments!!
I heard no word of an Apology?

The US later responded with a promise of a "High Level" Investigation, led
by Brig. Gen. Peter Vangjel, with an investigation that will take three to
four weeks. Later reports said that the Investigation will be accelerated,
and put on "Fast Track".

One US National TV Report in it's typical "distorted" and "propagandistic"
tool of the government  manner, rather than as servant to the Public, spent
its entire portion of its segment pointing out that Sgrena made mention of
a tank, (which in the dark, an Armoured Personal Carrier looks like) and
inferring that since Sgrena was wrong about that (although they presented
no evidence),
that she can not be believed about anything!!!! :(

Another TV Report while repeating the original US Military version, focused
highly on the how dangerous this stretch of the Baghdad road is, as if to
say "stuff happens"

An internal Pentagon memo, obtained by the Washington Times, blames the
Italian security forces for the shooting, saying  that  Italian security
forces failed to make arrangement for the safe passage of a released
Italian hostage, and its forces gave ample warning to the driver of Ms
Sgrena's car, which they said was approaching at high speed when they
opened fire, and that the car failed to respond to warnings."This is war,"
said the memo as transcribed by the daily.

Robert Maginnis, a retired Army officer and military analyst consulted by
The Washington Times, said the Italians should have given serious attention
to their moves about Iraq.

"It seems to me that the Italian secret service considers this a James Bond
movie in Baghdad," Mr Maginnis said.

"They're driving around at night picking up a journalist who has been
kidnapped and pretending they can get through a phalanx of checkpoints
along the deadliest road in all of Iraq without being detected, much less
shot up."

[Mr.McGinnis, you clod! This is what passes for incisive, insightful,
thorough analysis???]

Mr Fini told the Italian Parliament an initial US military statement on the
shooting did not coincide with what Italy believes happened, and he says
the car was not going too fast.

Fini said Italy had made "all necessary contacts" to warn American
authorities that the car carrying the reporter and the security agents
would be heading for the Baghdad airport at that time, and of the car’s
approach to airport, and to facilitate entry to the airport.

Moreover, on the drive to the airport, the Italians left the lights on in
the car to help identify them to U.S. checkpoints.

As they neared the airport, the car slowed to about 40-km/h (25 mph)
because the road was wet and because the driver had to make a sharp
turning. Half way around the curve, a very strong light was turned on, like
a headlight from a position above the car and about 10 metres away, and
picked out the car, "as the vehicle slowed down in response and came to an
almost immediate halt, there was an explosion of gunfire." for 10-15
seconds, Fini said.

[RAA NOTE: CheckPoints are NOT  established on a CURVE. A Great place for
an AMBUSH, but a lousy place for a Check Point, which to be effective must
be able to see and be seen from a distance. It further validates Sgrena's
claim of a Patrol, so ALL her Facts have been corroborated
by the driver.]

The intelligence officer who survived the attack was forced to kneel in the
road until the soldiers realized who he was.

"Two young Americans approached our officer and, demoralized, repeatedly
apologized for what had happened," Fini said.

General George Casey, the general commanding US military forces in Iraq
initially disagreed,
and was satisfied with the statement released Friday night, by the U.S. 3rd
Infantry Division, which controls Baghdad, that said the vehicle was
"traveling at high speeds" and "refused to stop at a checkpoint."

A U.S. patrol "attempted to warn the driver to stop by hand and arm
signals, flashing white lights, and firing warning shots in front of the
car," it said. "When the driver didn't stop, the soldiers shot into the
engine block which stopped the vehicle, killing one and wounding two
others."

However, later Casey declined to endorse the statement issued by his
command late Friday, which said the vehicle carrying the Italians
approached the checkpoint at high speed, and refused to stop for
inspection. "That is one side of the story," he said.

The ANNOTICO Reports
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