| Submit your comments on this article |
| Europe |
| Tidbits from the Italian Press on the Caliipari incident |
| 2005-03-08 |
| CALIPARI: MATTEOLI, HIS DEATH IS A LESSON (AGI) - Pescara, March 8 - Environment Minister Altero Matteoli defined Nicola Calipari's death as "a lesson". Speaking in Pescara on the sidelines of a National Alliance press conference, Mr Mattioli said that "I believe the government did everything in its power to free Mrs Sgrena. We were successful where other European governments failed, such as the French one. So far we've always managed to bring all Italian prisoners back home. Unfortunately, we all know what happened after the release. But as far as I know, PM Silvio Berlusconi and Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini have asked the US government for clarifications. The US have guaranteed they will set up an inquiry commission to clarify what really happened. But nobody will bring our hero back", he said referring to Nicola Calipari, "after he saved the life of our reporter and provided a lesson to all of us". FINI: NO AMBUSH BUT USA VERSION IS UNCONVINCING (AGI) - Rome, Italy, Mar 8 - No ambush, the hypothesis is "without grounds". Nicola Calipari was killed by American soldiers in an accident caused by "fatal causes". But it is true that the Italian version "does not completely agree" with the one offered by the US, therefore the "truth and clarity" is required, the responsibilities, if any, are to be ascertained and the guilty must be punished. Said Foreign Affairs Minister Gianfranco Fini in Cabinet and rebuilt the phases of Giuliana Sgrena's liberation until the tragic moment in which Calipari died in the so-called "friendly fire". Beyond categorically denying the hypothesis of an ambush, Fini underlines another important element: no error, he said, was done in the operation run by the officers of the Services, especially calipari. The Deputy Prime Minister explains why a bulletproof car was not used and why it was preferred not to immediately go to Baghdad's embassy: "The trip would have been longer" and "the risks greater". The decision of Calidari "considered apt by government" was to keep a "low profile". Fini specied that "Sismi acted respecting government's directives and making use of methods used in other circumstances" in an international collaboration. Calipari made no mistake: "He had the free movement pass and had taken all contacts with US authorities placed for airport security". SGRENA: FINI ON RANSOM: WE FOLLOWED DIPLOMATIC PATHS (AGI) - Rome, Italy, Mar 8 - When asked by journalists whether a ransom was paid for the liberation of Giuliana Sgrena, Foreign Affairs Minister Gianfranco Fini limited his reply to: "We followed diplomatic, political and intelligence ways, thoroughly assessing dozens and dozens of ways". |
| Posted by:Steve |