'ABSURD' U.S. Rejects Italy Journalist's Claims

WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House on Monday said it was "absurd" for a former hostage in Iraq to charge that U.S. military forces may have deliberately targeted her car as she was being rushed to freedom.

White House press secretary Scott McClellan said the car carrying Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena was traveling on one of the most dangerous roads in Iraq, to the Baghdad airport, when it was fired upon. An Italian intelligence officer in the car was shot and killed.

Responding to Sgrena's statement that the car may have been deliberately targeted, McClellan said. "It's absurd to make any such suggestion, that our men and women in uniform would deliberately target innocent civilians.

"That's just absurd," McClellan repeated.

Littlegreenfootballs is reporting...

Italian Communist Says She Was "Ambushed"

Italian communist Giuliana Sgrena is now explicitly claiming she was deliberately targeted by the US military: Italy Rejects U.S. Version of Iraq Shooting.

ROME (Reuters) - Italian hostage Giuliana Sgrena, shot and wounded after being freed in Iraq, said Sunday U.S. forces may have deliberately targeted her because Washington opposed Italy’s policy of dealing with kidnappers.

She offered no evidence for her claim, but the sentiment reflected growing anger in Italy over the conduct of the war, which has claimed more than 20 Italian lives, including the secret agent who rescued her moments before being killed.

She doesn’t have any explanation for the fact that she is still alive—because if the soldiers at that checkpoint had really been trying to kill her and her companions, there would be nothing left of her car. Or her.

CNN blandly identifies her newspaper as “left leaning,” when it is a hard-core Leninist journal: Shot hostage disputes U.S. account. (Hat tip: Nancy.)

Il Manifesto, a left-leaning newspaper that has long opposed the Iraq war, even accused U.S. forces on Saturday of “assassinating” Nicola Calipari, who was killed protecting Sgrena from U.S. gunfire.

Sgrena’s “partner” is quoted saying that the soldiers were either evil monsters or “imbeciles:”

Sgrena’s partner, Pierre Scolari, blamed the shooting on the U.S. government, even suggesting the incident was intentional.

“I hope the Italian government does something because either this was an ambush, as I think, or we are dealing with imbeciles or terrorized kids who shoot at anyone,” he said, according to Reuters.

And CNN doesn’t think it’s important to tell you that Pierre Scolari is also a reporter for the same communist newspaper.

Mainstream media is beyond disgusting on this one. They are doing everything possible to indict our troops based on the words of dissembling anti-war Italian communists.

Today's Washington Times is reporting...

Italians kept U.S. forces in dark

Italian agents likely withheld information from U.S. counterparts about a cash-for-freedom deal with gunmen holding an Italian hostage for fear that Americans might block the trade, Italian news reports said.

Gee, if you're going to spring one of your guys you might want to let the US Forces in on your little secret so they can provide safe passage.