The Sgrena affair: A deadly game
Tuesday, March 8, 2005

The unfortunate firing on the car carrying released hostage Giuliana Sgrena by U.S. forces in Iraq quickly devolved into an outlandish accusation by the reporter for the communist daily Il Manifesto. But consider the source and consider the circumstances.

Ms. Sgrena, 57, a veteran war scribe for a newspaper that opposes Italy's involvement in the war, was abducted by gunmen on Feb. 4 outside Baghdad University. She was released for a ransom reported to be $6 million.

Soldiers opened fire on the vehicle near a checkpoint. They say they had no idea who was in the car, that it was speeding and that it did not heed warnings to slow down as it approached. Sgrena was wounded; a revered Italian intelligence official who shielded her died.

Sgrena and her driver dispute the U.S. account. She first alleged her entourage was targeted because the United States opposes negotiating for hostages (for obvious reasons). She later backpedaled, calling what happened "unacceptable" -- even if the attack were based on a lack of information.

That lack of information is the more likely scenario, the newspaper La Stampa reported. Thus, the Italians should blame only themselves: Fearing the U.S. would block such a trade if they had full details, they apparently withheld some. And that's a deadly game to play in a live war zone.