Giuliana Sgrena incident

Now approximately 13 journalists killed by US forces

From an interview with the Director of the International News Safety Institute:

"The safety of news media in Iraq is again under the spotlight with calls for better investigation of recent journalist deaths in the war zone.

"Richard Aedy: We begin with Iraq. As you probably recall, last week an Italian intelligence officer was killed by US troops after securing the release of journalist Giuliana Sgrena from kidnappers. This tragedy has caused an understandable falling out between Italy and the US, and it’s also focused attention on the issue of the safety of news media in Iraq.

"Aidan White is head of the International Federation of Journalists, based in Brussels.

"Aidan White: One of the reasons why we were dismayed is because we see this as yet another incident of what appears to be very poor soldiering, and an incident involving a journalist where there’s no real clear explanation about the circumstances of why this attack happened.

"Richard Aedy: Because this certainly isn't the first time, is it, that there's been a death connected with a member of the news media and involving US forces?

"Aidan White: Far from it. And the sad truth is we've got around 13 incidents involving the killing of journalists at the hands of US soldiers, all of them since the invasion a couple of years ago, and I don't think in one of those cases has there been a satisfactory, exhaustive and independent investigation that has satisfied the victims' families of the victims’ colleagues and media. The problem is, is that in all of these cases, the US soldiers have essentially investigated themselves. What reports have been made have been pretty paltry, they’ve not been released in full, and they have all said exactly the same thing: there are a few words of regret, 'this was a sad incident', in most cases. But they exonerate themselves from any responsibility."
Source: The Media Report

"We had no signal. We were just on the way to the airport. They started to shoot at us without any light or signal. There was no block, there was nothing. It was so immediate. I didn't know how I was alive after all that attack."
Transcript: Giuliana Sgrena interview on BBC

Berlusconi: US Given Advance Notice of Sgrena Rescue