Italian Journalist Abucted in Iraq Has Been Released
By JASON HOROWITZ
Published: March 4, 2005
 OME, March 4 - An Italian journalist who was abucted last month in Iraq has been released, the Italian government said today.
The
reporter, Giuliana Sgrena, who works for the leftist daily Il
Manifesto, was kidnapped on Feb. 4 while she was interviewing people
near Baghdad University.
The plight of Ms. Sgrena, 56, has been
on the front pages of Italian newspapers constantly since then,
especially late last month when a videotape was released showing her
begging for her freedom and urging that all troops, including those
from Italy, leave Iraq.
Italy has roughly 3,000 troops in Iraq,
but popular opinion was against the war, and there has been much debate
about whether the country's troops should remain there.
Two
separate Islamic militant groups claimed to have taken her, and
threatened to kill her if Italy did not withdraw its troops from Iraq.
Ms. Sgrena might be back in Rome later today, Italy's under secretary
for foreign affairs, Margherita Boniver, said, according to The
Associated Press.
Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini expressed
"great joy and enormous satisfaction," the ANSA news agency said. Her
release was first reported by the Al-Jazeera television channel.
The
headline on Il Manifesto's Web site reporting her release read,
"Giuliana Sgrena Has Been Freed!" At a political congress for
communists taking place today, applause broke out when the news was
announced.
No thanks whatsoever to the U.S military-gung-ho to the last,who
killed an Italian Intelligence Agent & wounded Giuliana in the
process!!
Let's hope Giuliana is safely back on Italian soil before the U.S. mil. "mistakenly" do anything else!!
Sadie
------------
Paper:Sgrena wounded by US fire
by
Friday 04 March 2005 7:22 PM GMT
Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena, earlier reported released in Iraq,
was wounded when US troops fired on the convoy transporting her, her
newspaper said.
Freed Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena was wounded when US troops
opened fire on a convoy carrying her to safety, and an Italian mediator
who help negotiate her release was killed, her newspaper Il Manifesto
said on Friday.
"She was going in a car to the airport with three people from the
Italian security forces. US forces opened fire on the car. She is fine
but there are wounded," Il Manifesto's editorial director Francesco
Paterno said.
Sgrena was taken to a US-run hospital for treatment for wounds to her shoulder, the newspaper said.
Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi confirmed late on Friday that
US troops had fired on Sgrena's convoy as it approached a checkpoint.
Shot dead
Berlusconi's office also announced that the US ambassador to Italy had been summoned over the matter.
"As the fire came from American forces, I decided to summon the US
ambassador immediately," Berlusconi told a news conference.
The mediator, an Italian secret service agent, was shot dead in the incident, Il Manifesto said.
Sgrena, 56, was kidnapped by armed men near Baghdad University where
she had been interviewing refugees from last year's US assault on
Falluja.
Il Manifesto's editorial director Francesco Paterno said he had been
informed of Sgrena's release by an Italian official in charge of the
secret service.
"It's been confirmed. Gianni Letta confirmed it. They have her," said Paterno, without giving any further details.
Italy's President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi also confirmed that Sgrena had been released.
Agencies
By
You can find this article at:
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/0D7282B7-B969-4665-BFBB-18A16046B023.htm |
