Iraq - Italy To Stop Paying Ransom

After continuing to deny that Italy paid ransoms to terrorist kidnappers in Iraq, Italy now says it will stop paying ransoms.

Italy was told that paying ransoms, as they did with the previous two Italian journalists, would only encourage more kidnappings and help fund the terrorists. They didn't listen and Giuliana Sgrena paid the price. Or should I say Italy paid the price?

The article contains some new information in Sgrena's unraveling story.

Selva claimed that the attack on the Toyota Corolla carrying Sgrena and Nicola Calipari, the intelligence officer, to Baghdad airport had been prompted by a satellite monitoring system. This detected that their vehicle did not have clearance from US military authorities. A signal alerted a mobile checkpoint near the airport and its soldiers opened fire.

“The Italian team should have known what to expect, but it appears they didn’t realise how sophisticated the American military are,” said Selva.

Seems the Italians were trying to secret Sgrena out of the country. Why? Was it to give her captors time to get away as part of the deal?

More and more this looks like a screw up by the Italians.

UPDATE

More proof emerges that the Italians kept Sgrena's release a secret from the US.

Mario Marioli, a deputy commander of the US-led coalition troops in Iraq, was quoted by the Italian newspaper La Repubblica as saying: "I asked Calipari if I should inform our American allies of the hostage-freeing operation, but his reply was that under no circumstances was the ally to be informed." [...]

La Repubblica quoted statements by Marioli to Italian investigating magistrates probing the incident. He said he had twice been warned by Calipari not to disclose the operation to the Americans.

On the second occasion, with the hostage already free but the operation not yet complete, the general had asked whether he should warn the Americans that the Italians were driving to the airport with Sgrena.

"I was told no, although I warned that this might mean a quarter of an hour's wait at the checkpoint at the airport entrance," Marioli was quoted as saying.

The Italian government accepts the killing was an accident, but Italian and US versions differ.

More and more it looks to me like they wanted to give her captors time to get away.

It has also emerged that the checkpoint was set up specifically as security for U.S. ambassador John Negroponte, who was to travel the road. That would explain the use of a satellite monitoring system and would explain why the troops took no chances - as if they needed more reasons.
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