Results 1 to 3 of 3

Thread: GI on trial for murder

  1. #1
    Old Texan
    This is an example of why civilians and the press in particular should not be allowed in hot zones. An intelligence officer had to be involved in getting the reporter out of danger and through poor judgement was killed. They make a fatal mistake and the soldiers are blamed. It's a hard enough job without having to deal with untrained civilians and non military personnel not understanding how things work and what the "rules" entail. A tragedy could have been prevented had the Italians used a full military escort and insisted their people follow the directions of the escort. Military would have known there was a checkpoint and not used their lack of knowledge as an excuse to blame soldiers performing their duties.
    The real crime is this soldier, Spc. Mario Lozano, being subjected to a trial.
    Soldier Says He Had No Choice but Fire
    Published: 4/9/07, 10:25 AM EDT
    NEW YORK (AP) - A U.S. soldier facing trial in the fatal shooting of an Italian intelligence officer at a checkpoint in Iraq said he had no choice but to fire, a newspaper reported Monday.
    Spc. Mario Lozano said the agent's vehicle kept approaching after he flashed a warning light signaling it to stop, the New York Post reported. Lozano said he shot first at the ground, and then at the vehicle's engine.
    "You have a warning line, you have a danger line, and you have a kill line," Lozano told the newspaper from a relative's New York apartment.
    "Anyone inside 100 meters is already in the danger zone ... and you gotta take them out," Lozano said. "If you hesitate, you come home in a box - and I didn't want to come home in a box. I did what any soldier would do in my position."
    Lozano is set to be tried in absentia this month on a murder charge in the March 2005 death of Nicola Calipari. The intelligence officer was shot on his way to the Baghdad airport, shortly after securing the release of a kidnapped Italian journalist. Another agent and the journalist, Giuliana Sgrena, were wounded.
    The Army said its representative handling the case was not available.
    The shooting strained relations between Italy and the United States, and the two countries have issued separate reports on it.
    The Italian government report blamed U.S. military authorities for failing to signal that there was a military checkpoint ahead on the road. It also contended that stress, inexperience and fatigue played a role.
    The American government said the car had been going fast enough to alarm the soldiers. The Italians said the vehicle was traveling slowly.

  2. #2
    SmokinLowriderSS
    The real crime is this soldier, Spc. Mario Lozano, being subjected to a trail.
    Agreed Tex.

  3. #3
    OKIE-JET
    Looks to me like the Italians need to find officers with more intelligence....to be intelligence officers. I'm not military, but I dont blame these young men for being a little apprehensive, it is after-all a war zone...geeeez. And believe me, I would do WHATEVER it took to NOT come home in a box.

Similar Threads

  1. A Local Murder Trial.....
    By DansBlown73Nordic in forum Sandbar
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 08-24-2007, 07:47 PM
  2. Trial Run
    By pebo in forum V-Drives
    Replies: 12
    Last Post: 04-08-2007, 10:37 PM
  3. Richard Hatch Wants New Tax Trial
    By RitcheyRch in forum Sandbar
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 03-09-2007, 10:21 AM
  4. Frenchie goes to trial!
    By LaveyJet in forum Sandbar
    Replies: 99
    Last Post: 06-27-2005, 04:08 PM
  5. Another One for the trial lawyers
    By carbonmarine in forum Sandbar
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 07-13-2004, 11:29 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •