Scott Taylor, publisher of Esprit d'Corps magazine and a former Iraq hostage himself, throws cold water on the notion the U.S. could have deliberately targeted Italian journalist Guiliana Sgrena.
It's, uh, more that they would target anybody on the roads late at night, so she shouldn't take it personally. :)
Some excerpts from his commentary on aljazeera.net:
There can be little doubt that the US authorities and the interim Iraqi government would be displeased over the fact that Sgrena's release was secured through a reported ransom payment of $6-8 million.
However, it is unfathomable to think that the Pentagon would have ordered a deliberate assassination of a Western reporter under such high-profile circumstances.
While the idea of the Italian government funding the insurgency and further supporting the new cottage industry of kidnapping runs counter to US policy in Iraq, in this instance the money had apparently already been paid.
In other words, there was nothing to be gained by attacking the Italian rescue vehicle.
And as events have proven, in terms of public relations and international politics, the Americans stood to lose everything by doing so since Italy is one of the few European members of US President George Bush's "coalition of the willing" with a tangible troop commitment of some 3000 soldiers in Iraq.
However, Taylor also goes on to say:
... In the wake of recent suicide bombings against coalition forces and Iraqi police, the Americans have once again modified their rules of engagement. All that is necessary now for US troops to legally employ deadly force is that they feel threatened in any given circumstance.
As there are very few foreigners operating outside US protected Green Zones in Iraq and even fewer travelling on the roads at night, international reports of incidents such as the Sgrena shooting have been rare.
However, for local Iraqi citizens, being gunned down by jumpy Americans has become all too common an occurrence.
I've saw a reference to such shootings as "Baghdad speeding tickets." :(