U.S. Forces Wound Freed Italian Hostage, Kill Officer

March 5 (Bloomberg) -- U.S.-led forces in Iraq shot and wounded an Italian journalist yesterday, hours after she was freed by her kidnappers, and killed an officer escorting her in an incident that prompted Italy to demand an explanation.

Reporter Giuliana Sgrena, 57, was wounded and Italian intelligence officer Nicola Calipari was killed when coalition forces fired on their convoy as it approached a Baghdad checkpoint, according to the Italian government and a U.S. military spokesman. Italy said the shooting came from U.S. forces. The U.S. military wouldn't say who fired the shots.

The convoy was approaching the checkpoint at a ``high rate of speed'' about 8:55 p.m. yesterday, said Marine Sergeant Salju Thomas by telephone from Baghdad. ``It's an extremely threatening act,'' Thomas said. ``That's the exact same thing that car bombers do.''

Sgrena, who appeared in a Feb. 16 video pleading for Italy to withdraw its soldiers from Iraq, was freed after a month's captivity. The shooting occurred as she was headed toward the airport for a homebound flight.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi demanded an explanation at a Rome press conference.

``I immediately invited the American ambassador to come speak with me, to clarify the actions of the American military for such a grave accident that someone is going to have to take responsibility for,'' Berlusconi said.

U.S. President George W. Bush called Berlusconi late Friday afternoon to express regret about the incident and offer cooperation in the investigation, White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters aboard Air Force One.

``The incident is under investigation now and we are cooperating closely with the Italian authorities,'' McClellan said.

Sgrena's employer, the Rome-based newspaper Manifesto, said she underwent lung surgery and that her life was not in danger, Agence France-Presse reported.

Calipari, the intelligence officer, had helped free three other hostages in Iraq, Berlusconi said, without elaborating. The officer saved Sgrena's life by shielding her with his body, the prime minister said.

``It's such a shame that what was such a joyful moment that had made everyone so happy has been transformed into such profound pain for the loss of someone who behaved so valiantly,'' Berlusconi said at the press conference broadcast by the Italian media.

The prime minister has pledged to leave Italy's 3,000 soldiers in the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah until the new government in Baghdad asks for a withdrawal. Italy has the fourth- largest contingent of the 29 countries with soldiers in Iraq. Only the U.S., U.K. and South Korea have more.

To contact the reporter on this story: Demian McLean in Washington at dmclean8@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Edward DeMarco at edemarco1@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: March 4, 2005 19:17 EST

Posted by proutist-universal on March 5, 2005 08:07 AM

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