The Sgrena Hit: How They Did It and Why-Evidence of a Precision Ambush

[chlamor]

The Sgrena Hit: How They Did It, and Why
Evidence of a Precision Ambush

Fintan Dunne, Editor BreakForNews.com, Wagnews.blogspot.com



March 9th, 2005

By combining photo evidence and eyewitness accounts of the Baghdad airport shooting in which Giuliana Sgrena was wounded and Nicola Calipari killed, a compelling picture of a precision ambush emerges.

This analysis is sharpened by also considering the operational constraints upon any planned assassination of the troublesome Italian reporter. Such a killing would have to be palusibly deniable as a "mishap" and would have to avoid the slaughter of three intelligence agents in the vehicle.

<snip>

An account of events by Peter Popham in the UK Independent shows American authorities at Baghdad airport knew that the Italian intelligence team would likely be returning late Friday with Sgrena. They surely knew the model and number of the car Calipari had hired at the airport just before 4pm on Friday.

The optimum kill zone was the immediate area of the airport -under direct US control. That's a given. The optimum location is where road speed is minimized: just before or after a turn. No surprise then, that it was just after the car rounded a 90 degree turn in a single lane road at the airport, that the occupants came opon a US armoured vehicle:

"They passed two American checkpoints along the airport road without incident and were 700 metres or so from the airport building. The road narrowed to a single, one-way lane and took a 90-degree turn. The car was going slowly now... They found their progress baulked by an American tank."
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=617569


<snip>

The marksman must have known at that moment there was a 50-50 chance he had taken out the team leader in the back seat. Who knows how he responded. But in any event Calipari had slumped against Sgrena and rendered further clear shots unlikely.

The assassination bid was already a disaster.

As to those manning the patrol and the armored vehicle, they just did as they were instructed. "Block the road on receipt of the signal. Begin firing as soon as the car slows . Fire high at all times. Do NOT fire at the vehicle. After fifteen seconds approach the vehicle and mop up."

And that's how it may well have gone down.





Instead of a general peppering, we see a few precise individual shots. Two bullet holes in the front windscreen are low down and ahead of the driver. A third bullet hole is visible in the driver's side rear passenger window -high up. This was one of the head shots.


http://www.uruknet.info/?p=m10289

[Nothing Without Hope]

1. Excellent story, but a dupe

Original from yesterday here - check out the comments. Also, poster says they will also do another thread on "why".
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1651147

And the shooters were "special security" for Negroponte's -- Mr. Death Squad's -- vist:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1299174

But, if you watch enough of the Michael Jackson trial, you can believe it was all an unfortunate accident.

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[InternalDialogue]

3. MDs in Italy are also pollsters?

>"My sister's an MD in Italy and says most Italians don't tyhink Sgrena was ever kidnapped."

[Bridget Burke]

4. How many papers does Berlusconi own?

Could it be that he's got some influence on the media? Do you have a link to any of the stories?

It's always a good sign when somebody joins DU just to warn us OFF a story. It means the story is important. Thanks!

Edited to add: Tombstoned already! That was quick.

[MadHound]

5. You're leaving out a few things

Like the pictures showing how the tires were shot up. Plus there is Sgrena's own changing story, first it was a barrage of 3-4 hundred shots, now, as we can see, it is only a relative few shots. First, it was that the car was speeding along(verified by witnesses), now it is that the car was traveling at 25mph. First it was a hail of bullets, now, apparently there were tanks firing also.<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4324251.stm> First this occurred at a checkpoint, now, the deed was done by a patrol<http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&e=2&u=/nm/20050305/ts_nm/iraq_italy_shooting_dc>. You know what, this sounds exactly like the confusion that occurrs in a war zone. Even Sgrena isn't saying that this was a deliberate hit, and quite frankly, I think it was just a tragic mistake. The road that Sgrena was traveling on was notorious for the amount of hostile vehicles it carried, combine that with nervous soldiers and poor communications, and you wind up with this sort of tragedy. Doesn't make it any easier to take, but it probably wasn't a deliberate hit. If it was a deliberate hit, hell, why didn't the guys use that fine 20mm cannon they had with them? One shot, no fuss, no muss, everybody is dead. Instead, the deal went down about like any other FUBAR incident, confusion, poor communication and then the shots started ringing out.

Look, I'm probably about as much of a conspiracy theorist as anybody around here, but even I base my musings on solid facts. We've seen precious few of those, but what we have seen leads me to believe that this was a tragic mistake, of the kind that so often occurrs during wartime. If more evidence comes out that contradicts this scenario, then I will change my mind. But until then, I will stick to what the facts do say, that this was, as much as you would like to believe otherwise, a mistake. Not everything that happens in war is deliberate, sometimes shit, sad to say, just happens.

[chlamor]

6. Possibilties

We'll probably never know for sure as an honest investigation and cross examination of all involved will be blocked by Pentagon. My original thought was same as yours, but I am quite convinced it was a hit. We need to have a thorough investigation.

Of the many cars that went through those checkpoints that day her car was only one that received gun fire.

Is it possible that the numerous other gunshots were purposeful decoys? Who knows.


As to those manning the patrol and the armored vehicle, they just did as they were instructed. "Block the road on receipt of the signal. Begin firing as soon as the car slows . Fire high at all times. Do NOT fire at the vehicle. After fifteen seconds approach the vehicle and mop up."




A moving target shot is out of the question, so a way was found to bring the vehicle to a halt --and ensure it kept stationary in the kill zone. Blocking the road with another vehicle, then shooting out the front tyres the moment the car slows are the tried and trusted means of halting and holding a car.



http://www.uruknet.info/?p=m10289

[MadHound]

7. Oh, I think that the Italians will conduct a thourogh investigation

After all, these are their citizens there, and they are on the ground and have the ability to conduct this investigation, Pentagon or no. I'm fairly certain they'll get to the bottom of this, for if they don't, the people of Italy will take them out of power, if not lynch them.

I do find this quote of yours interesting, "Block the road on receipt of the signal. Begin firing as soon as the car slows . Fire high at all times. Do NOT fire at the vehicle. After fifteen seconds approach the vehicle and mop up." And yet fire down low on the vehicle they did. Yes, yes, I know, it is a good way to bring the car to a halt, whether your going to kill the driver or merely question him. But how to you reconcile this quote with what actually did happen? It is obivious from the various pictures around that the car indeed was shot down lower, in fact from the pictures I've seen, there are more bullets down low than up high. Seems to go against this so-called order. As does the command to "mop up". Instead of mopping up, ie getting rid of witnesses etc. they instead helped these people, and from witness accounts, at least a couple of soldiers were quite upset and saddened with what had occurred, near tears and apologizing profusely. Again, this sounds more like your standard FUBAR incident rather than a deliberate hit. And again, why not use that fine 20mm cannon they had available? One shot and there would be no need for a mop up.

I'll wait for the investigation to call this one.

[chlamor]

8. Not my quote

From article posted. Perhaps it was ambiguous as I funked up my post a bit. Hope you are right about full investigation.