maybe next time they will deign to inform us of their presance BEFORE they start playing duck...duck!!!
Posted on 01/17/2006 3:29:21 PM PST by Patriot from Philly
ROME - Italian prosecutors investigating the killing of an Italian secret service agent at a checkpoint in Iraq plan to charge a U.S. soldier with murder and attempted murder, Italian media reported Tuesday.
U.S. gunfire killed Nicola Calipari near the checkpoint on March 4, as the agent was heading to Baghdad airport in a car with an Italian journalist who had just been released after being held hostage by militants.
The ANSA and Apcom news agencies reported Tuesday that prosecutors planned to charge the soldier with murdering Calipari and attempting to murder the agent driving the car as well as the journalist, Giuliana Sgrena, who were both wounded during the incident. State TV news Tg1, and private SKY TG 24 television news also carried the report.
The prosecutor in charge of the case, Franco Ionta, could not be reached for comment Tuesday evening. A Pentagon spokesman, Lt. Col. Barry Venable, said the Pentagon had not seen any charges actually filed and declined to comment.
An Italian government report in May blamed U.S. military authorities for failing to signal there was a military checkpoint ahead on the road. It also contended that stress, inexperience and fatigue played a role in the shooting.
The Americans insisted that the car was going fast enough to alarm the soldiers. The Italians have said the vehicle was traveling slowly.
Police and ballistic experts assigned by Rome prosecutors to examine the car have concluded it was traveling slower than the U.S. military claimed. They agreed with U.S. findings that only one soldier fired at the car.
The shooting angered Italians, already largely opposed to the war in Iraq, and led many to step up calls for withdrawing the Italian contingent. Premier Silvio Berlusconi, who sent some 3,000 troops to Iraq after Saddam Hussein's ouster, insisted the incident would not affect troop levels or Italy's friendship with Washington.
You said it! A$$HOLES.
We need to do something. I think the US strategy is to handle these cases very quietly. However, the Italians saw that the Spanish charged US troops for its domestic audience and nothing happened so they did it.
I think the US needs to let these countries know there is a price for this nonsense.
We could pull the visas of the magistrates. We could send the soldiers in question to the charging country and dare them to arrest them and then force the country to release the soldiers and apologize. A little humiliation may nip this in the bud.
"We can't blame the majority of the Italian people"
Our military has added $billions to the Italian economy since we liberated them. Screw'em I say.
This entire matter is ludicrous.
"We could send the soldiers in question to the charging country and dare them to arrest them and then force the country to release the soldiers and apologize"
We have a status of forces agreement which would allow the Italians to keep him there for years until the matter is resolved.
I guess our soldier will not be vacationing to Italy any time soon.
His opinion. My opinion is that using a trumped up murder charge against an innocent G.I. for domestic political purposes will sent this friendship straight down the toilet. (And I'd be happy to operate the flush handle.)
I thought SOFA covered crimes committed by an American soldier in a foreign country. For instance if an American soldier stationed in Italy robbed a store while off duty that would fall under Italian jurisdiction.
However, if an American soldier is at war in a third country and kills an Italian national in a friendly fire incident this would not be covered by SOFA. In fact, the Italians are stretching to claim jurisdiction.
The US needs to make these countries pay for this insult, and it is an insult.
I thought SOFA covered crimes committed by an American soldier in a foreign country. For instance if an American soldier stationed in Italy robbed a store while off duty that would fall under Italian jurisdiction.
However, if an American soldier is at war in a third country and kills an Italian national in a friendly fire incident this would not be covered by SOFA. In fact, the Italians are stretching to claim jurisdiction.
The US needs to make these countries pay for this insult, and it is an insult.
Not sure but I do know that legal hold can take years for minor things like car accidents depending on the country.
The US indicted Osama Bin Laden in absentia in 1998. But that was a Federal Court and Clinton's AG. How does this Italian Judge determine foriegn policy on BS charges?
I don't think the Italians expect a trial. In fact, in 2004 the American signed a treaty saying that US soldiers in Iraq will be under US jurisdiction. The Italians agreed to this and it covers the period of this incident.
This charging individuals in a low risk tactic to hit at the US and make the citizens of the charging country feel good. The only thing is that it makes me as an American angry.
Notice this doesn't get much press here.
Lets not let any EUropeans in America when the continent is taken over by crazies.
Ok, thanks .....
Good post. All I gotta say is, our military better not hang the soldier out to dry like they do from time to time. Some ally Italy is, good grief.
maybe next time they will deign to inform us of their presance BEFORE they start playing duck...duck!!!
Anyone involved in giving huge sums of money--for ransoms or otherwise--to our terrorist enemies should be shot. Money given by national leaders to our enemy is used to purchase weapons to kill more of our soldiers.
You are absolutely right in regard to the ICC. Both this case and the Palestine Hotel case underscore what can happen.
In both cases, the US military investigated. In the case of the Palestine Hotel, there were 2 military investigations and an investigation by Reporters without Borders. In all three cases, the soldiers were cleared yet a Spanish judge issued warrants.
In the Italian case this was investigated by a joint US/Italian panel who, although the disagreed on some matters, agreed that the incident was an accident. Yet, the soldier is charged with murder.
The US military personnel were under some jeopardy when the investigations were taking place and then they were cleared only to be charged again by a different and, in my opinion, illegal jurisdiction.
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