Comments on: Do US Soldiers Need Better Weapons Training?

By: karl

karl — Tue, 15 Mar 2005 23:16:26 +0000

Might I dare suggest that Sgrena didn’t really view her “rescuer” as a comrade. After all, he was a military intelligence officer, hardly someone that a proper Communist could consider a comrade. Certainly not! Clearly he was nothing more than a useful idiot, but then of course isn’t that the case with all fellow travellers and those dumb enough to involve themselves in a multi-million dollar ransom? So spare me the crocodile tears please.

By: jdragon

jdragon — Sun, 13 Mar 2005 01:16:19 +0000

I heard they even used an apache on this commi. Some how, the hellfire missiles missed!!!

By: Something... and Half of Something

Something... and Half of Something — Sat, 12 Mar 2005 02:39:08 +0000

Seeing is Believing

March 9, 2005 Update: The Jawa Report Below are the AP pictures of Giuliana Sgrena’s car, the very same car that she claims was shot at “300 or 400 times.” Jeepers! Three or four hundred shots by the elite and…

By: Something... and Half of Something

Something... and Half of Something — Wed, 09 Mar 2005 20:08:00 +0000

Seeing is Believing

By: Something... and Half of Something

Something... and Half of Something — Wed, 09 Mar 2005 14:21:01 +0000

Seeing is Believing

Below are the AP pictures of Giuliana Sgrena’s car, the very same car that she claims was shot at “300 or 400 times.” Jeepers! Three or four hundred shots by the elite and expert 3rd Infantry Division, and you have…

By: bsp

bsp — Wed, 09 Mar 2005 13:48:42 +0000

Laurence Simon offers a proposed additional question for the driver’s licensing exam in Italy:

You are approaching a checkpoint where there are armed troops waving flashlights and firing warning shots over your vehicle. You:

a) Stop
b) Speed up
c) Immediately make a U-turn and head for the nearest cafe for expresso and gelato
d) Crap your pants

to which I add:

e) Scream and waive like an Arab terrorist to further get the Americans’ attention
f) Proceed upwind from checkpoint, throw up hands to surrender and wait for U.S. troops to pass out
g) Surrender to anyone on road prior to hitting checkpoint, explaining that Italy has a fine tradition of surrendering in modern times commencing with Ethiopia in 1896
h) Play “My Way” by Frank Sinatra on car horn as you approach
i) Put on sunglasses to cut down the glare from the flashlights

…..you are free to add to the list

By: Something... and Half of Something

Something... and Half of Something — Wed, 09 Mar 2005 13:26:21 +0000

Seeing is Believing

By: Luca

Luca — Wed, 09 Mar 2005 04:03:15 +0000

There's another side to this coin. The U.S. command claims that they waved at the car, then fired shots in the air, then fired shots in front of the car, and then finally fired directly at the car. The car was driven by an officer of the Italian military police with a lot of experience in Iraq, and the Italian secret service agent who died shielding Ms. Sgrena with his own body had already negotiated the release of other hostages in Iraq.

Who broke the "rules of engagement" here? Were the two Italian officers crazy and suicidal, not stopping after so many warnings? Or is this a case of coverup of utter disregard for human life and lack of preparedness, with some U.S. kid in uniform getting a little over-excited?

Accidents happen. People make mistakes - especially when under the pressure of risking their lives every day. But a coverup like this is stupid and insulting - for the people who died or got wounded, for our allies, for the citizens of this country.

By: The Jawa Report

The Jawa Report — Wed, 09 Mar 2005 02:59:49 +0000

Images of Sgrena’s Car (Updated)

UPDATE: Clearer images via AP (hat tip: House of Wheels) Italian television station Tg1 is running images of a car purported to be the one used by Giuliana Sgrena. If this is the car then it would contradict earlier reports…