U.S. Fires on Car Carrying Freed Hostage

BAGHDAD, Iraq — U.S.-led coalition forces fired on a car carrying a freed Italian hostage as it approached a checkpoint in Baghdad Friday, wounding the former captive and killing another person in her car, a U.S. military spokesman said.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, an ally of the United States who has kept troops in Iraq despite public opposition at home, said an Italian intelligence officer was killed. He asked the U.S. ambassador for an explanation of the shooting.

"Given that the fire came from an American source I called in the American ambassador," Berlusconi told reporters before the U.S. statement acknowledging that coalition forces shot at the vehicle. "I believe we must have an explanation for such a serious incident, for which someone must take the responsibility."

The freed hostage, journalist Giuliana Sgrena, was being treated by "coalition force medical personnel," an U.S. announcement said. The shooting came shortly after her release was confirmed. She had been held hostage for about a month.

"At approximately 8:55 p.m. tonight, coalition forces assigned to the multinational force Iraq fired on a vehicle that was approaching a coalition checkpoint in Baghdad at a high rate of speed," the U.S. announcement said. "The recently freed Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena was an occupant in the vehicle and was apparently injured."

The statement, given to The Associated Press in Baghdad by telephone, said that details of the incident were "unclear."

"It appears a second person in the automobile was killed," and that "Sgrena is being treated by coalition force medical personnel."

Sgrena was wounded by shrapnel, Berlusconi said.

U.S. troops took her to an American military hospital, where she had a minor operation on her left shoulder to remove a piece of shrapnel, the Italian prime minister said.

Sgrena, 56, who worked for the left-week Il Manifesto, was abducted Feb. 4 by gunmen who blocked her car outside Baghdad University. Last month, she was shown in a video pleading for her life and demanding that all foreign troops – including Italian forces – leave Iraq.

Bryan Whitman, a Pentagon spokesman, said a shooting incident occurred as the Italian woman was being brought into U.S. military control at Camp Victory, the U.S. military base near Baghdad International Airport.

He offered no other details, including whether anyone was killed or who did the shooting.

The editor of Il Manifesto, Gabriele Polo, said the Italian agent was killed when he threw himself over the freed hostage to protect her from U.S. fire, according to Apcom.

The press office of the U.S.-led coalition in Baghdad said they had no information about the incident.

The Italian government earlier had announced that Sgrena had been freed, prompting expressions of joy and relief from officials and her family.

Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini expressed "great joy and enormous satisfaction," the ANSA news agency said.

The reporter’s father was so overwhelmed by the news that he needed assistance from a doctor, ANSA said. "This is an exceptional day," Franco Sgrena was quoted as saying.

At Il Manifesto’s offices, reporters toasted the release with champagne.

Il Manifesto has fiercely criticized the war and Berlusconi’s decision to deploy 3,000 troops after the ouster of Saddam Hussein.

On Feb. 19, tens of thousands of demonstrators marched through Rome waving rainbow peace flags to press for Sgrena’s release. Il Manifesto and Sgrena’s companion, Pier Scolari, organized the march. Scolari actively has highlighted Sgrena’s pacifist conviction in hopes of aiding her release.

About 200 foreigners have been abducted in Iraq in the past year, and more than 30 of the hostages were killed.

Another European reporter, Florence Aubenas, a veteran war correspondent for France’s leftist daily Liberation, is still being held in Iraq. Aubenas and her interpreter, Hussein Hanoun al-Saadi, disappeared nearly two months ago.