After being freed from her Iraqi captors, Italian journalist
Giuliana Sgrena was shot by U.S. troops in an incident that
highlights the horrible repercussions of the war in Iraq and raises
questions about the training and accountability of U.S. troops.
The shooting left Sgrena wounded and Nicola Calipari, an Italian
secret service agent, dead. The U.S. military says the car was
speeding and its driver ignored flashing lights, hand signals and
warning shots. But Sgrena says bullets began hitting the car
without warning.
The incident is disturbingly similar to previous attacks in Iraq
““ and the media’s coverage of such incidents.
This is the latest and most politically damaging of several
incidents where U.S. troops have shot at journalists, unarmed
Iraqis and other nonthreatening targets. U.S. troops must protect
themselves, but it is time for a review of their training and rules
of engagement.
This case has received intense media attention because the car
was carrying Italians and a journalist. But the media has only
sporadically covered Iraqi civilian deaths, and follow-up stories
have been virtually nonexistent.
The military has a tough job in Iraq, but that does not mean
shooting incidents should pass without investigation or
punishment.