PeaceReporter - Giuliana and Nicola

05/03/2005 versione stampabile

The italian reporter has been relased, but her liberator was shoot dead

Giuliana Sgrena, Italian journalist kidnapped in Baghdad on February 4th, has been released on Friday afternoon. Following one month of negotiations, the reporter of il Manifesto has been released and handed over to three men of the Italian secret services, known as Sismi. The hostage was in good physical conditions. But the joy for her release did not last long. While the three mediators and the journalist were heading their way to Baghdad Airport, the car they were in was shot by an US tank at a checkpoint. The Sismi agent Nicola Calipari, main responsible of the negotiations, was shot dead. Other two agents were wounded, one in a seriuosly way. Giuliana Sgrena was hit by a splinter in the shoulder. An official statement from the Coalition Forces said that the car was shot because of the high speed. They claim that the US soldiers alerted the car to stop before shooting.
But it's hard to believe that the Italian secret services- and especially these three men, which had a long experience on the field- didn't inform the US allies about what was happening, it's hard to believe the US soldiers could ignore who was in the car. More than that, the accident happened in Baghdad Aiport area, which is wholly US- controlled.
The Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, summoned the Us ambassador in Italy to get explanations about what happened.