Booman Tribune ~ Shooting Nicola Calipari No Accident

Shooting Nicola Calipari No Accident

by Oui
Fri Aug 26th, 2005 at 05:46:23 AM EST

Italian aid workers, Simona Pari and Simona Torretta, were held hostage for three weeks in September 2004

The Italian Red Cross treated four Iraqi insurgents to secure the release of two Italian women held hostage last year, a Red Cross official has said.

Maurizio Scelli, the outgoing head of the Italian Red Cross, said the deal had been kept secret from the US.

Mr Scelli - who first revealed the story to the Italian daily La Stampa - said Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's right-man man, Gianni Letta, was aware of the deal. "He acknowledged it and - albeit with a thousand recommendations - he told me to go ahead with it."

Mr Scelli said Mr Calipari had been consulted about the deal to free Ms Torretta and Ms Pari.

Agent's advice
Mr Scelli said he did not know the identities of the insurgents his agency had treated. "We collected them in the place we had been told and then took them to hospital with a series of precautions for them to be admitted into hospital as quickly as possible and without any hindrance."

Mr Scelli added that US checkpoints were among the hindrances he was referring to.

Italy 'did deal to free hostages' ◊ by Fran @ EuroTrib

Does this story tie into Nicola Calipari assassination, by providing motive?

The Calipari shooting below the fold »»

The two investigations on Calipari shooting - US and Italian- are not reconcilable and contain false statements, elements of white-wash and contradictions. There were reports that the shooting was intentional and targeted the journalist Giuliana Sgrena from Il Manifesto. "They don't shoot journalists, do they?"

Yasser Salihee * Reporter Murdered :: Story He Died For

My personal view has been, the US assassin squad of Negroponte in Iraq does not miss their target. I couldn't determine a motive, this story which seems credible, does provide the motive. Do not fuc* with the US in Iraq, similar to the attack on the convoy to freedom and the Syrian border, when two French journalists Georges Malbrunot and Christian Chesnot, were traveling with their abductors.

Nicola Calipari

My personal take: Nicola Calipari shooting was an assassination, a single shot to the head, sending a message to the Italian government and all western intelligence forces operating in Iraq.

Official US report says one soldier in the road block fired at the Toyota Corolla killing Nicola Calipari, and wounding Giuliana Sgrena and the other SISMI agent. Previously Il Manifesto announced that the ballistic experts had found two different caliber bullets.

That is why the Brits - Margaret Hassan and Ken Bigley - and Japan do not undertake rescue missions of hostage nationals with exclusion of the US occupational authorities in the Green Zone of Baghdad.

Does this explain also the hard handed approach of US forces in November, 2004 attack on Fallujah, clearing out all hospitals and Red Crescent aid workers.
After Calipari killing, all love lost between US and Italian intelligence!

~~~

Related diaries and further reading on topic --

Papers reject Calipari death finding ◊ BBC News & Links

Berlusconi Disputes US Report on Agent ¶ Stays Friendly
with No Consequences ◊ by Oui @BooMan

CIA Death Squad Timeline ◊ by Ralph McGehee

The Culture of Terrorism ◊ by Noam Chomsky (1988)

The Salvador Option ◊ by Newsweek

Newsweek: U.S. considering "Death Squads" in Iraq ◊ by balta1701 @dKos

~~~

Uncensored Report from US commission Source it.slashdot.org

"In March, U.S. troops in Iraq shot to death Nicola Calipari, the Italian intelligence agent that rescued the kidnapped journalist Giuliana Sgrena. U.S. commission on the incident produced a report which public version was censored for more than one third. Now Italian press is reporting that all confidential information in the report is available to the public, just by copying "hidden" text from the PDF and pasting it in a word processor (Italian). The uncensored report can now be directly downloaded

Collapse TCP/BP 541 plus MAP of Baghdad ◊ posted by Oui

~~~

Shooting Nicola Calipari No Accident | 20 comments (20 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

In Memory of All Innocent Victims in Iraq War (4.00 / 5)

.
When a Time line has become a Death line ::
US Fallen Heroes-Coalition-Iraqi Security
.
Our Commander-In-Chief of Coalition forces, is not only responsible to low count of US deaths, also the coalition deaths, contractors, security forces and civilian deaths.

Don't let Bush get away with a low number under 2,000 US troops killed! The cost of this war is much greater - more than 100,000+ men, women, children killed in a senseless adventure.

Iraqi Police and security forces Period Police/Mil Jan-05 109 Feb-05 103 Mar-05 200 Apr-05 199 May-05 259 Jun-05 296 Jul-05 304 Aug-05 207 Total 2005 1,677 Prior to 2005 1,300 Total 2,977

Deaths Since April 28th
(Shiite-led government announced): Police/Mil: 1,113 Civilians: 1,924 Total: 3,037

~~~

by Oui on Fri Aug 26th, 2005 at 05:53:46 AM EST

I'm with you Oui (4.00 / 6)

I am suspicious of death by accident and suicide, as well as by lone nut. We are all held captive by a murderous mob that wants to kill us all and take our stuff. We have a weak press because the personal risk is too high.

Hopefully, we can construct a shield of truth-telling to protect us all from the PR assaults. It starts by being less delicate about language - words like 'lied' and 'killed' need a revival. I much prefer deserter to chickenhawk.

by Alice on Fri Aug 26th, 2005 at 08:59:43 AM EST

Re: Shooting Nicola Calipari No Accident (4.00 / 6)

The shadow government of the U.S. has been conducting assassinations for decades now. This is the same old story, different venue. We must fight for a transparent government, and not buy into the need for secrecy for intelligence reasons. This promotes secret violence against anyone perceived as an obstacle or enemy.

by duranta (yocandra42@hotmail.com) on Fri Aug 26th, 2005 at 10:12:41 AM EST

Re: Shooting Nicola Calipari No Accident (4.00 / 3)

as always, I so enjoy this on Thursdays...thanks you guys...

by BrendaStewart (stormyweather1@hotmail.com) on Fri Aug 26th, 2005 at 11:07:02 AM EST

Italian Gladio - P-2 and DIGOS-Genoa (4.00 / 2)

Italian fascist spy network possibly linked to US intelligence
◊ by paper tigress @dKos

Negroponte. Ledeen. Boykin. North. Kerek. If these figures make you uneasy, they should. An Italian investigation has uncovered an underground, parallel police network with possible links to the CIA which may be involved in the slaying of Niccola Calipari and Il Diario reporter Enzo Baldoni, the extraordiary rendition of Abu Omar and Nigergate.

Gladio and P-2 ◊ Posted by venice ca @dKos
For background on Gladio and P2:
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/CIA%20Hits/Gladio_CIAHits.html
and
http://users.westnet.gr/~cgian/gladio.htm

"Links have...been proven between P2 and right-wing terrorism.
What has not been conclusively shown is what direct links there might have been between the CIA and right-wing terrorism." (Charles Richards & Simon Jones, Independent, 16/11/90)

"Licio Gelli, grandmaster of the P2 masonic lodge - which a parliamentary commission found had links with rightwing terrorists - recently had his
jail sentence overturned on appeal. Mr Gelli, as it happens, was a contact for CIA agents responsible for controlling communist influence in Italy."

(Richard Norton-Taylor, Guardian, 16/11/90)

"Links between Gladio, Italian secret service bosses and the notorious P2 masonic lodge are manifold. The chiefs of all three secret services - General Santovito (Sismi), Grassini (Sisde) and Cellari (Cessis) - were members of the lodge. In the year that Andreotti denied Gladio's existence [1974], the P2 treasurer, General Siro Dosetti, gave a generous account of "a secret security structure made up of civilians, parallel to the armed forces."

(Ed Vulliamy, Guardian, 5/12/90)

<source letter>

La dedica di Licio Gelli a Saya tratta da una foto.
Gelli scrive: "A Gaetano Saia. La verità ha un solo volto, quello dell'onestà verso gli altri e verso se stesso. Con stima e molta simpatia, Licio Gelli". La data è quella del 5/6/91

"To Gaetano Saia.
The truth has only one face, that of honesty towards others and to itself.
With fond regards, Licio Gelli" Dated June 5, 1991

Posted by venice ca on Fri Jul 1st, 2005 at 11:53:28 PDT

~~~

by Oui on Fri Aug 26th, 2005 at 11:23:55 AM EST

Re: Shooting Nicola Calipari No Accident (4.00 / 5)

this is as credible an explanation as any. As to the love lost: that could explain the charges against the CIA kidnapping squad in Italy ...

Quid (rescue missions) leads to Pro (assassination) leads to Quo (charges against CIA operatives).

"Whenever a Voice of Moderation addresses liberals, its sole purpose is to stomp out any real sign of life." - James Wolcott

by Madman in the Marketplace on Fri Aug 26th, 2005 at 12:52:36 PM EST

Re: Shooting Nicola Calipari No Accident (4.00 / 3)

Thanks Oui. Outstanding, as usual.

I remember that during the negotiations for the release of three Italian mercenaries Gino Strada of Emergency was making accusations that Scelli (and the CRI) were not independent, but Berlusconi's vassals. Still not exactly sure what in particular he was criticizing - such are the problems of not having access to Italian TV, radio and full editions of the newspapers.

One of the Simone was interviewed in Manifesto after the shooting of Calipari, and she recalled his participation in her release. She described the trip to Baghdad IA as being one of hiding their identities (of the two Simone) from the US soldiers at the checkpoints, and taking off with an unauthorized flight out of BIA. My posting on this is no longer at dkos - evidently lost in the new upgrades - and Manifesto doesn't keep more than one week of on-line archives for non-subscribers.

I agree that it looks as if it were an assassination; whether Calipari in particular, or everyone and anyone in the vehicle, the shooters didn't seem to care.

IIRC I read that there was the possibility that the US didn't even do ballistic tests on the Toyota in which Calipari, Sgrena, and Carpani were shot. And why would they want to? The results would obviously contradict the narrative of a lone gunman (sound familiar?) that the US inquest members had constructed. And the fiction of a lone gunman, with super human powers to handle a large flood light and a machine gun, was a big F*Y* to the two Italians who were allowed in the investigation commission - but then the "joint" US-Italian investigation was a fiction as well. The US military said F*Y* to Italy, to SISMI, to Berlusconi, and especially to Sgrena and Carpani. Then Secretary of State Rice had to step out to say that the military F*Y* really wasn't a definite, and final F*Y*... but it was.

In Italy there is acknowledgment of a parallel government and intelligence/security agencies - P2, Gladio, and now DSSA. For a brief period, the US was starting to acknowledge our parallel structures, only to have the discussion fade from view. Now we have the neo-cons with their parallel intelligence - something that absolutely stuns me.

Parts of the CIA have been willing to carry out American Foreign policy - in one way or another - in Central and South America for example, and now they are not to be trusted? Just how far out there are these neo-con people? We are seeing the disastrous results in Iraq and Afghanistan.

by venice ca on Fri Aug 26th, 2005 at 01:42:14 PM EST

Interview with Giuliana Sgrena (none / 1)

Interview with Giuliana Sgrena tonight on 60 Minutes
by venice ca Wed Apr 13th, 2005 at 12:31:40 PDT

Tonight April 13, 2005, Sixty Minutes Wednesday will broadcast an interview with Giuliana Sgrena.

Most interestingly, the report does not include the claims of Sgrena and the surviving agent that the car was not speeding. Although the U.S. Army declined requests for an interview, citing its ongoing investigation, the report presents an excuse for the shootings. A former U.S. Marine captain, who was not present at the incident, attempts to make a reconstruction of events.

~~~

by Oui on Sun Aug 28th, 2005 at 01:19:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]

US Military Investigation Shooting Nicola Calipari (4.00 / 2)

.
Did US Military Errors Kill Nicola Calipari? ◊ diary by gilgamesh

I haven't finished reading the restored original report.
I did read that the road block was left up long after Negroponte arrived at Camp Victory at Baghdad airport. Also in the report, road blocks are supposed to be set up and then dismantled within 15-20 minutes otherwise they risk becoming targets of the insurgents. This road block was up for well over an hour.

[Road block up from 19:30 till 20:50 shooting incident - Oui -
Post: Collapse TCP/BP 541 plus MAP of Baghdad]

Communications difficulties put the telephones used to contact the patrols out of order, but they also had FM/radio communications, which no one used to contact the road block and tell them to move on.
Two different means of communicating available. One not working and the other not used. Why???
Why did they expose the soldiers to additional danger by the long posting? Or was the "oversight" intentional?

The US claims a single gunman, while reports from around March 23 (TG3, Il Manifesto) say that two different caliber bullets were found in the interior of the car; one from an M16, and another from machine guns used on Humvees.

Previously posted at dKos.
The inside of the car was hit by a dozen bullets, almost all directed towards the head and chest of the passengers. In fact, at least four were embedded in back of the rear passenger seats, exactly in the places where Giuliana and Calipari were sitting.

A single shooter can hit the left front tire, the front windshield, shoot tracer bullets that pass in front of the chest of the driver, blow out the windows on the passenger side, hit both Calipari and Sgrena, seated in the rear passenger seats, from behind, and blow out the rear window.
This report is truly an insult to the Italians.

I don't know if Sgrena and/or Calipari were targeted, or if the military command wanted to teach Italy a lesson and didn't care who in the car was hurt.

by venice ca on Mon May 2nd, 2005 at 08:16:07 AM PST

[Minor editing and some bold emphasis is mine - Oui]

~~~

by Oui on Fri Aug 26th, 2005 at 01:42:45 PM EST

It's quite simple really (4.00 / 3)

if the US military say it was an accident, it wasn't.
Let's not forget teh targeting of doctors and ambulance drivers in Fallujah. If you can shoot a doctor, for god's sake, you can shoot a journo!
Thanks for this Oui.

by observer393 on Fri Aug 26th, 2005 at 11:00:49 PM EST

Re: It's quite simple really (none / 1)

sorry
Should have read "shoot at a journo" - didnt forget the agent actually took the bullets

by observer393 on Fri Aug 26th, 2005 at 11:02:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Shooting Nicola Calipari No Accident (4.00 / 2)

Thanks Oui, as said above outstanding as usual. This whole story -as reported here in the US-was extremely fishy from the start and didn't seem to hang together or make sense. I really try to be objective and not automatically assume every story relating to Iraq/Afghanistan is some sort of coverup/disinformation by the Pentagon here but that's pretty hard to do.

I'm sure this will get zero coverage here however all these stories that continue to be reported in their own countries makes the question-'why do 'they' hate us' pretty easy to understand at times and I certainly wish the American public were being given real news instead of the crap we get daily from our MSM shills.

'Poverty is the worst form of violence'--Gandhi

by chocolate ink on Sat Aug 27th, 2005 at 06:40:28 PM EST

Re: Shooting Nicola Calipari No Accident (4.00 / 2)

This so clearly had John Negroponte written all over it...................

dd

by lyvwyr101 (greatbear215@aol.com) on Sun Aug 28th, 2005 at 12:45:27 PM EST

Question (4.00 / 2)

Ever since reading this I've been wondering...

How have the deaths of the Iraqi/Afghanistan war jounralists/photographers rank with other wars? Is there any stats about this? Would be interesting to compare the numbers. And how many may have been killed/murdered by our own troops.

When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace. - Jimi Hendrix

by Damnit Janet on Sun Aug 28th, 2005 at 04:53:55 PM EST

Iraq War as non-civil war is worst (none / 1)

The war in Iraq : the most deadly one for the media since Vietnam

Iraq is the world's most dangerous country for journalists and the place where the most are kidnapped. 56 journalists and media assistants have been killed there since the fighting began on 22 March 2003 and 29 kidnapped.

The Iraq conflict is the deadliest inter-state war for journalists since the one in Vietnam, when 63 were killed, but over a period of 20 years (1955-75). During the fighting in the former Yugoslavia (1991-95), 49 journalists were killed doing their job.

57 journalists and 20 media assistants were killed in Algeria between 1993 and 1996 but this was during an internal (civil) war.

Journalists in Danger: Facts on Iraq

JOURNALISTS KILLED ON DUTY: 52
CPJ considers a journalist to be killed on duty if the person died as a result of a hostile action--such as reprisal for his or her work, or crossfire while carrying out a dangerous assignment. CPJ does not include journalists killed in accidents, such as car or plane crashes, unless the crash was caused by aggressive human action (for example, if a plane were shot down or a car crashed trying to avoid gunfire). Nor does CPJ include journalists who died of health ailments.

EARLIER CONFLICTS

Central American conflicts: Freedom Forum, a nonpartisan foundation dedicated to free press, lists 89 journalists killed for the years 1979-89.
Argentina: Freedom Forum lists 98 for the years 1976-1983.
Vietnam: Freedom Forum lists 66 journalists killed covering the conflict in Vietnam from 1955-1975. The Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan, which surveyed the years 1962-75, lists 71 journalists killed.
Korean War: Freedom Forum lists 17 journalists killed.
World War II: Freedom Forum lists 68.
World War I: Freedom Forum lists 2.

Some 274 journalists have been killed in war zones around the globe since 1990, according to the International Federation of Journalists. It is less common for foreign journalists to be killed in war zones. Most media casualties over the past 13 years were working in their country of origin.

Many of the 62 journalists killed during the Bosnian conflict came from the former Yugoslav republic, while all of the 49 journalists killed in the war in Rwanda were Rwandan. Of 23 journalists killed in the Kosovan conflict in 1999, 16 were Serbian, three Chinese, two German and two others were of unidentified nationality.

~~~

by Oui on Mon Aug 29th, 2005 at 01:20:20 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Iraq War as non-civil war is worst (none / 1)

Oui, thank you so much. Found this little bit

CNN: "More journalists have been killed in Iraq since the war began in March 2003 than during the 20 years of conflict in Vietnam, media rights group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said on Sunday."

Unbelievable. No wonder the world hates this country. Can't even say My Country anymore...

There's hockey where you live right?? :)

When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace. - Jimi Hendrix

by Damnit Janet on Mon Aug 29th, 2005 at 01:43:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]

.
8/29/05 Media News Monday ◊ by Newsie8200

~~~

by Oui on Mon Aug 29th, 2005 at 02:06:10 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Thank you Oui!

When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace. - Jimi Hendrix

by Damnit Janet on Mon Aug 29th, 2005 at 01:39:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Route and Time Frame Italian Corriere (none / 1)

The Only graphics released

that I recall ever seeing of the route and timeframe of the shooting incident were in the Italian press. Here
Can you or your buddy in Iraq point to any graphics released by US officials to illustrate US Mil's side of the story?

by shumard on Fri Apr 1st, 2005 at 12:06:59 PDT

Saddam's private highway, built especially as an escape route to the airport from the Republican Palace

~~~

by Oui on Sun Aug 28th, 2005 at 01:22:09 PM EST

Diary gilgamesh :: US/Italian Commission (none / 1)

Calipari Killers Absolved; Sgrena Outraged
by gilgamesh ◊ Tue Apr 26th, 2005

cross-posted at New European Times and BoomanTribune

The joint US/Italian commision investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of Nicola Calipari - the SISMI agent awarded a Gold Medal by the Italian governement for saving the life of journalist Giuiliana Sgrena - has completely absolved US troops, and a shifted the responsibility for the incident onto Nicola Calipari himself.

Guiliana Sgrena's reaction is sharp and unambiguous:

~~~

by Oui on Sun Aug 28th, 2005 at 01:23:16 PM EST

Shooting Nicola Calipari No Accident | 20 comments (20 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Go to: [ Booman Tribune Homepage : Top of page : Top of comments ]

. Home
. About
. Contact
. Advertise
. FAQ
. Search

Username:
Password:

. Make a new account
. Reset password

Gift Cards * New Arrivals

NOTE: Overstock bests Amazon's prices and is "blue."

THE BOOKS WITH "BUZZ":
______________

Learn the real story behind the CIA's War on Terror:

The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned Into a War on American Ideals
by Jane Mayer

Read Barack Obama's vision for America:

The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream
by Barack Obama

DaveW recommends:

I Am a Strange Loop
by Douglas Hofstadter

Need some laughs?

I Am America (and So Can You!)
by Stephen Colbert

rae recommends:

Dark Ages America: The Final Phase of Empire
by Morris Berman.

On BooMan’s shelf:

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
by Doris Kearns Goodwin

This looks interesting:

Adventure Divas
by Holly Morris

Here’s a good one from
Elizabeth Gilbert:

Eat Pray Love
by Elizabeth Gilbert

"Crash" * Best Motion Picture, Academy Awards * Only $11.79 at Overstock * 2006 SAG Winner, Best Ensemble

Check out
Powell's new section:
NEW FAVORITES
Selected new arrivals at 30% off

Recommended by Indianadem and ejmw:
The Conscience of a Liberal
by Paul Wellstone

From northcountry’s bookshelf:

The New Golden Age:
The Coming Revolution Against
Political Corruption and Economic Chaos by Ravi Batra

A novel about contractors in Iraq from the woman that runs The Spy That Billed Me:

Outsourced: A Novel
from RJ Hillhouse.

Download Sleeper Cell on iTunes

(Better than "24") Download Weeds on iTunes

(Hilarious 1/2-hour adult comedy starring Mary-Louise Parker) Download Late Nite with Conan O'Brien on iTunes

Download South Park on iTunes

James Hunter - People Gonna Talk:

Great Deals
----- * ^ * -----

Find mystery novels by Nancy Pickard ("Kansas")

Challenging Empire: How People, Governments, and the UN Defy US Power by Phyllis Bennis (interviewed on DN!)

Featured by Keith Olbermann, New (Powell's Sale): Rogue State: A Guide to the World's Only Superpower by William Blum (whose other books merit serious consideration)

"Explosive" State of War: The Secret History of the CIA and the Bush Administration
by James Risen

The book the CIA doesn't want you to read: Jawbreaker: The Attack on Bin Laden and Al Qaeda: A Personal Account by the CIA's Key Field Commander
Larry Johnson's review

BT's all-time best seller:

PERMACULTURE:
A Designers' Manual
$79.95 * Sale: $59.95

Unequal Sisters: A Multicultural Reader in U.S. Women's History (Third Edition)

The Undercover Economist: Exposing Why the Rich Are Rich, the Poor Are Poor And Why You Can Never Buy a Decent Used Car!

The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl
by Timothy Egan

Green Press Initiative
----- * ^ * -----

Journalistas: 100 Years of the Best Writing and Reporting by Women Journalists by Eleanor Mills * NYT review

Bury Me Standing: the Gypsies & Their Journey

1491: New Revelations of the Americas before Columbus

Brokeback Mountain
by Annie Proulx
----- * ^ * -----
Check out Powell's
"At The Movies"

Imperial Ambitions: Conversations on the Post-9/11 World by Noam Chomsky (Power & Terror: Post 9-11 Talks)

The Price of Privilege:

How Parental Pressure and
Material Advantage Are Creating a Generation of
Disconnected and Unhappy Kids
by Madeline Levine

Save 35-70% on
name brand clothing,
footwear, and outdoor gear
at SierraTradingPost.com
:

We listened to PEN American Center's "State of Emergency" and found 1940s books by Curzio Malaparte only at Alibris. (Selection (MP3) excerpted from "The Skin.")

Banned Books * Are you a fan of Film Noir, Art House, Documentaries or Hong Kong Action? * Searching for a long-lost children's book or a first printing of Miles Davis' Kind of Blue on vinyl? Find it at Alibris!

:
:

Booman Tribune Homepage
admin@boomantribune.com
powered by Scoop

More blogs about Blogs at Technorati.

Technorati Profile