Italian Red Cross May Have Hid Insurgents

AP via Yahoo News ^ | August 25, 2005

[TomGuy]

ROME - Italy's Red Cross treated four Iraqi insurgents with the knowledge of the Italian government last year and hid them from U.S. forces in exchange for the freedom of two kidnapped aid workers, a top Italian Red Cross official said in an interview published Thursday.

Maurizio Scelli, the outgoing chief of the Italian Red Cross, told the Turin newspaper La Stampa that he kept the deal secret from U.S. officials, complying with "a nonnegotiable condition" imposed by Iraqi mediators who helped him secure the release of Italians Simona Pari and Simona Torretta. They were abducted in Baghdad Sept. 7 and freed Sept. 28.

"The mediators asked us to save the lives of four alleged terrorists wanted by the Americans who were wounded in combat," Scelli was quoted as saying. "We hid them and brought them to Red Cross doctors, who operated on them."

They took the wounded insurgents to a Baghdad hospital in a jeep and an ambulance, smuggling them through two U.S. checkpoints under blankets and boxes of medicines, Scelli said.

Also as part of the deal, four Iraqi children with leukemia were brought to Italy for treatment, he said.

Scelli said he informed Premier Silvio Berlusconi's government of the deal and of the decision to hide it from the United States through Gianni Letta, an undersecretary in charge of Italy's hostage crises in Iraq.

"Keeping quiet with the Americans about our efforts to free the hostages was an irrevocable condition to guarantee the safety of the hostages and ourselves," he told La Stampa. He said Letta agreed.

Officials at the Italian Red Cross headquarters in Rome said Scelli was out of the office and could not be immediately contacted.

In a statement Thursday, the Italian government stopped short of denying it knew about the deal. It said Scelli acted independently and that the government "never conditioned or oriented his action, which ... was developed in complete autonomy."

The statement also did not directly address if Italy had kept the United States in the dark about Scelli's efforts but reiterated that Italy has always maintained a "full and reciprocal" cooperation with its American allies in Iraq.

In Washington, U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack sidestepped questions on whether the United States has asked the Italian government for an explanation.

"Our views, the United States policies with respect to negotiation with hostage-takers are well known. We don't do it," McCormack said, adding that Rome and Washington are "close friends" and allies in the war on terror.

The head of the Italian parliamentary commission overseeing secret services, Enzo Bianco, said the commission would hold hearings soon with Scelli and government representatives, news agency ANSA reported.

Opposition leaders called on the government to tell Parliament what really happened and contended the alleged deal endangered Red Cross neutrality.

"Scelli conducted an improper negotiation using the symbol of the Red Cross as a shield," said opposition lawmaker Tana De Zulueta. "The Red Cross is obliged to offer assistance to all parties involved in a conflict."

The International Red Cross said it was not involved in or informed of Scelli's activities. It said the Italian Red Cross is an independent organization that doesn't answer to the Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross.

"Scelli worked mostly in a personal capacity," said spokeswoman Antonella Notari. "I would not qualify what he did as an Italian Red Cross activity."

Notari would not comment on whether Scelli's initiatives violated the ICRC's pledge of neutrality, saying the commission needed more information from the Italian branch.

Iraqi Deputy Foreign Minister Labeed Abbawi, in Rome, declined to comment about Scelli's allegations, saying "we were not part of that negotiation."

"All we ask countries is that they should not give any political or financial concessions" to insurgents, he added.

[TomGuy]

Additional related articles:

• Official: Italian Red Cross treated, hid Iraqi insurgents 
  Boston Globe - Aug 26 12:51 AM
  ROME -- Italy's Red Cross treated four Iraqi insurgents with the knowledge of the Italian government last year and hid them from US forces in exchange for the freedom of two kidnapped aid workers, a top Italian Red Cross official said in an interview published yesterday.
• Italian Red Cross Hid Iraqi Insurgents in Exchange for Kidna 
  Fox News - Aug 25 2:49 PM
  The outgoing head of the Italian Red Cross said the agency treated and hid Iraqi insurgents from the U.S. in exhchange for the release of kidnapped aid workers.
• Italian Red Cross May Have Hid Insurgents 
  ABC News - Aug 25 1:00 PM
  Italian Red Cross Reportedly Treated and Hid Iraqi Insurgents to Secure Release of Hostages
• Italian Red Cross secretly treated 4 Iraqi insurgents 
  Seattle Times - Aug 26 12:25 AM
  Italy's Red Cross treated four Iraqi insurgents with the knowledge of the Italian government last year and hid them from U.S. forces in exchange for...
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  CTV.ca - Aug 25 1:48 PM
  Italy's Red Cross hid four Iraqi insurgents from the U.S. forces in exchange for the freedom of two kidnapped aid workers, a top Italian Red Cross official said.
• Italian Red Cross hid Iraqi insurgents to secure release of hostages 
  Billings Gazette - Aug 25 6:04 AM
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• Iraq rebels treated in hostage deal: Italian Red Cross 
  Khaleej Times - Aug 25 2:35 AM
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• Red Cross helped Iraqi rebels in 'hostage deal' 
  CNN.com - Aug 25 8:00 AM
  The Italian Red Cross has said it treated four "presumed Iraqi terrorists" at its Baghdad hospital to secure the release of two kidnapped Italian aid workers, according to a media report.
• Italy's Red Cross Aided Insurgents in Exchange for Hostages 
  Newsday.com - 21 minutes ago
  ROME — Italy's Red Cross treated four Iraq insurgents — with the knowledge of the Italian government — last year and hid them from U.S. forces in exchange for the freedom of two kidnapped aid workers, a top Italian Red Cross official said in an interview published Thursday.

[armydawg1]

Europe, Appeasement be thy name.

[Finalapproach29er]

Backstabbing mutts.

Will anybody refuse to betray America?

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

This is worse than it sounds. If the 4 terrorists were just Bobo the Al Queda tea boy and his 3 shower buddies, I don't even think their leaders would have raised an eyebrow about an exchange offer. They were definitely major bad guys. Maybe not names we would know, but certainly ones the Iraqis and us wouldn't need to fight another day.

[mewzilla]

Gratzie, Italia.

[edpc]

This story and ones like it have been posted so many times here, it's not even necessary to do a search. It's about as ubiquitous as the women named Simona in Italy.

[TomGuy]

Exactly.

[When did the rumors of Zarqawi being severely wounded surface? Common sense says the 'insurgents' wouldn't give up two hostages unless the injured/wounded 'insurgents' were high up in the organization.]

[rhombus]

Save a few terrorist lives so they can murder other lives. What shame for Italy. I'll never forget the Italian hostage who took his mask off as he was murdered to show the world how an Italian dies. It really is sad to read such things about the Red Cross as well as the Commie news reporter who lied about her escape.

[Vaquero]

we need to get Liddy Dole on this toot sweet.

[Publius6961]

In view of the abuse of the "Red Cross" concept by the SM^©, two things should happen.

The Red Cross maggots should be told they are no longer welcome in a war zone and
Any such vehicle will be destroyed on sight.

The protocols and assumptions on which the free movement of humanitarian vehicles are allowed to operate in a war zone need not be debated, so save your breath.

*SM^© = Sweet Muslims

[PzLdr]

When, exactly, did Romans become Italians? [and I'm half Italian myself]. The shame.

[Casekirchen]

Is this the same terrorist pay-off scandal were the news reporter & alledged agent ran a road block & got shot up?

[Mannaggia l'America]

Disgrazia!

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

No this a different one. Her name is Giuliana Sgrena, a journalist;

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1394428/posts

[Dont_Tread_On_Me_888]

adding that Rome and Washington are "close friends" and allies in the war on terror.

Uh huh. We are "close friends" with Saudi Arabia also. 15 of the 19 hijackers LOVED us.

The USA does not deserve enemies. We have such "wonderful" friends.

[Dont_Tread_On_Me_888]

Save a few terrorist lives so they can murder other lives.

The Italians have, obviously, never seen "Saving Private Ryan".

[jec41]

The new red cross slogan.
SAVE A TERROIST!!!! DONATE TO THE RED CROSS

[steel_resolve]

And Cowardice be thy Bedfellow

[FreedomNeocon]

No, that was another Italian shanangan.

That involved a women 'journalist' for an communist 'newspaper' from Italy, who was 'reporting' on the Iraq war.

She was kidnapped, and 'covertly resecued' by the Italian gov't, though as you remember, they also kept that from the Americans (rumored PM paied ransom, but out of his own money not Italian gov't money as a way to excuse it).

Of course the car got shot up in a reported (by the commie) 'hail of gunfire' that turned out to be 6-8 shots as the sped to the airport, not wanting to stop for American patrols flashing lights and firing warning shots at them, who were, again, kept in the dark as to what was going on.

So no... this is different time, but same situation.

Italians paying ransoms of one kind or another, keeping it from the rest of the coalition because they are embarassed by it, and know the Americans(nor most others in the coalition) would not allow it.

Last time it blew up in their face.. this one, sounds like they 'succeeded' and got their people back, while also saving the lives of 4 terrorists (it'd be interesting and sad to get names, and see how many people they've killed since)

[antti tuuri]

maybe cindy should be in rome instead of crawford