American Troops Cleared in Italian Hostage Shooting

You might remember that journalist Giuliana Sgrena was kidnapped by Iraqi terrorists. Last month she was freed, probably after a payment by the Italian government. The car taking her to the Baghdad airport was fired upon by US forces when it failed to stop when ordered to do so at checkpoints. An Italian intelligence officer Nicola Calipari was killed trying to save her life. Ms. Sgrena later accused US forces of trying to kill her.

A joint American-Italian investigation has reportedly found the soldiers acted properly in firing on the car.

When you're in a war zone, and you're ordered to stop at a checkpoint, you darn well better stop. If you don't stop, you risk being shot at. Unless the military has changed, they use real bullets. Real bullets kill. The ones responsible for the death of Nicola Calipari are the people riding in the car. The driver of the vehicle could have stopped at any time. He was in charge of the vehicle. Unless, of course, someone was holding a gun to his head, then that person bears the responsibility of the intelligence agent's death. Not the soldiers at the checkpoint. They were doing their jobs, what they were trained to do. I feel confident that had they meant to kill her, they would have. Like she's important enough to kill.

This is the statement issued by the Army on the night of the shooting: "Vehicle traveling at high speed refused to stop at a check point." [The soldiers] "attempted to warn the driver to stop by hand and arm signals, flashing white lights, and firing warning shots-when the driver didn't stop the soldiers shot into the engine block which stopped the vehicle."

"I think that is a lie," says Sgrena.

What's the lie? That they attempted to stop the vehicle? That they used hand and arm signals, flashing white lights and firing warning shots? That they fired into the engine block? That the vehicle stopped when they shot into the engine block?

It's also entirely possible that Ms. Sgrena, even though she was present, doesn't know what really happened. She might have been sleeping, planning a reunion with friends and family, beginning to write the story of her captivity, or deep in conversation. In any case, just because she was in the car, doesn't mean she was aware of what was happening around her.

Remember, Ms. Sgrena is a reporter for a Communist newpaper. She would be, of course, very diligent in reporting the facts. And she would be sure that the facts portrayed American soldiers in the very best light.

Uh huh....and the Dems will conceed that they lost the election because they just didn't get enough votes.