Italy collaborating with the enemy, says U.S. Army official

[lovuian]

http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/?sid=eceeb8852741cab4

Big News Network.com Tuesday 17th May, 2005 (UPI)

The kidnapping of an Italian aid worker in Kabul, Afghanistan, this week raised fresh concerns in the U.S. military about how Italy will handle the matter.

An international controversy ensued last month when the U.S. military exonerated a team of soldiers for the shooting death of an Italian security agent on the Baghdad airport road. But according to military and Pentagon officials, the political flap obscured Italy's potentially dangerous dealings with Iraqi insurgents.

That public attention was focused on what the soldiers did on that dark road March 4 and not on what the Italians were doing there -- without coordinating the mission with the United States -- is a deep irritant to U.S. defense and military officials, who spoke to United Press International about the matter on background.

Their concern is not just churlish flank-covering, they insist.

Italian agent Nicola Calipari went to Baghdad to free kidnapped journalist Giuliana Sgrena. He was killed on the road while en route to the airport. How Calipari arranged Sgrena's release after a month's captivity has not been explained by the Italian government, which officially does not approve of negotiating with terrorists or kidnappers or paying ransom.

more...

It sounds to me that the Pentagon and Italy are going round and round!!! and the truth is not in there!!!

[Julius Civitatus]

1. But the Italians claim they WERE coordinating the rescue with US forces

and that they were informed all the way.

I knew they was more to that story, and maybe this is starting to come out now. These anonymous military officials may start to hint that the shooting of Sgrena and Calipari was not necessarily an accident. Quite chilling indeed.

:scared:

[TreasonousBastard]

2. The article is filled with assumptions and innuendo, but..

few facts.

"The Italians always pay ransom..."

"There was no coordination..."

Quite possible, but unsupported.

And, just what "enemy" are we talking about here? Sounds more like criminality. Kidnappings are common in the Middle east, parts of South America... Easy money.

[DemBones DemBones]

4. Kidnappings are not unheard of in Italy, either, and are done by pros,

which probably accounts for Italian willingness to pay ransoms. The logic of never paying off terrorists and kidnappers may be correct but it also sacrifices lives.

[TreasonousBastard]

6. True. I forgot about the other...

Italian national sport. Not as big a problem as in, say Colombia, but an unusually large problem for a fully developed country.

I've suggested that Italy spin off everything south of Naples and make it part of Albania or Libya to solve 90% of their problems, but they seem to think it will cause more...

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

10. Uh? I was born/lived in Italy for 15 years of my life

and I don't recall kidnappings as being a matter of fact, everyday happening.

Then again, I'm from the north-center of Italy.

[TreasonousBastard]

14. Not every day, but...

it was pretty bad. Seems to have been mostly the Mafia and the Red Brigades. Did a quick search for numbers, but I don't have time to come up with more than this, which shows there was, at least once, a problem:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=746111&dopt=Abstract

[0007]

18. You can always replace MONEY but ya can't replace a human life..

The U.S. has seen too many Mel Gibson movies.

[leesa]

3. "collaborating with the enemy"??? You better have some damned proof

[NNN0LHI]

7. Why? The US is still occupying Italy over 50 years after WW II was over

Who cares what the Italians think? They are in no position to say anything. That is just the way things work.

Don

[daleo]

5. Paying ransom to save hostages is not collaborating with the enemy.

At least not to people who live in the real world - John Wayne fantasists may think otherwise. Italy best leave if that is Bushco's attitude.

[lapfog_1]

8. if paying ransom is collaboration

then we better start scraping Ronald Reagan's name
off of all the schools and buildings and airports and
such.

[ima_sinnic]

9. really--how quickly people forget our own treasonous dickhead

collaborator and his private hostage negotiations that shafted Jimmy Carter's re-election chances. Then he went on to preside over the administration that brought us Iran-Contra. Collaborating with the enemy is a way of life for rePUKES.

[converted_democrat]

15. Yep, right on!!!!!!

This is typical of this administration. Paying a ransom isn't the same as collaborating with the enemy. Once again we are scoring BIG points in Europe. No wonder they hate us.

[Demeter]

11. Which Enemy?

It's not like there's one bonified, identifiable enemy here.

Frankly, there's not one group worthy of support, except the unaligned women and children who are hoping to stay alive long enough to get shut of the rest of them.

[LynnTheDem]

12. ROTFLMAO!!!

Ya can't make this shit up. Ya just can't.

:rofl:

[Solly Mack]

13. unfuckingreal I'm laughing...sorry. Every day America becomes

a bigger joke thanks to Bush.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

16. Obviously the Italians "hate us for our freedoms"

:eyes:

[cliss]

17. The important point about this article -

is the US's attitude about Italy. That tells me everything. Under the photo of Bush with Berluscolini, here's the caption:

"What is generally not known is that the anger and resentment is a two-way street". (here, they mean the US is angry and resentful towards Italy)

What exactly is this "anger and resentment" about? What the hell are they upset about? Here Italy joined forces with the US; since the US was desperate for buddies, they showed up and took lots of heat for doing so.

Calipari is dead. Sgrena barely survived with a 4-inch bullet lodged in her lung.

And the US is angry?

[0007]

19. This is beyond all the realms of sanity. I don't believe this fucking

country and their stupid rhetoric. I would hope that Italy removes every troop they have in Iraq, and cut off all dialog immediately.

[Just Me]

20. Um,...how bizarre!

This makes my head ache. The US wants to force Italy to abandon its citizens by accusing Italy of collaborating with the enemy since it negotiates to save its citizens?

Whoah! Just TRY to wrap your brain around that bullshit!!! It'll make your head ache, too!!!

[BrotherBuzz]

21. So, do we have to start boycotting Eyetalian food, too?

:sarcasm:

[Nihil]

23. No Freedom Pies for you!

(or whatever Bush tries to call pizza)

[frictionlessO]

22. The height of our official arrogance is superseded only by our ability

to nurture hypocrisy into an art form.

This is digusting and unprofessional. Truly I hope Italy picks up on how our admin and their lackeys really feel about their sacrifices for our imperialistic neothug crusades.

This little quipping also lends much credence to the theory that they wanted Segrena dead, as a warning to Italy to stop trying to rescue their hostages.