Il Manifesto founder Luciana Castellina was interviewed by Amy Goodman on Democracy Now!

Here are some excerpts:

AMY GOODMAN: We're talking to Luciana Castellina about the death of the military intelligence chief who saved the life of Giuliana Sgrena by throwing his body on top of hers in a car as U.S. troops opened fire. You had said that you don't think that she was targeted, but Giuliana Sgrena herself has raised serious questions about this in interviews and in her writing. You have spoken to Giuliana?

LUCIANA CASTELLINA: Yes, of course, I have spoken with Giuliana, of course. Giuliana herself she says, I don't know. She only -- I mean, what is important of what Giuliana said, that they were not at the checkpoint, that they were not going fast, that they were already within the area of the airport, and that then there is another agent of the secret services which was with Giuliana in the same car and who said the same thing, and he confirmed that the American authorities had been perfectly informed. By the way, it would have been impossible otherwise. So, again, I come back, it doesn't mean that it was deliberate, but it means that it was -- that there are shootings against human beings made like that without thinking twice. You see? This is a terrible thing. We know now about Giuliana, because she was Italian, because we had an important man of the secret services which had been killed. But how many others have been killed in the same conditions? How many? Hundreds or thousands, perhaps. That is what comes out from this, what happened.

AMY GOODMAN: Luciana Castellina, what about the ransom that is reportedly paid? Also in the case of the Simonas, when they were released this issue was raised with officials in Italy anonymously saying, yes, we think they were worth it.

LUCIANA CASTELLINA: Well, I hear you very badly, so I don't know if I am answering your questions, because it's very -- your voice is very far, but anyway, you mean what about those who kidnapped them?

AMY GOODMAN: The issue of Italy paying ransom.

LUCIANA CASTELLINA: Oh, yes, if it’s worth. Well, you see, I think first of all, it was -- to pay a ransom and save lives in the conditions of that war, it's correct. You have to do it. If the journalists -- I mean, you have to protect the life of journalists who are going and speaking to the people. Otherwise, the result would be that we wouldn't have any journalists anymore or only the embedded journalists. We want people to stay there and go and talk to people and give information about them. We have to guarantee them, I mean, their life and the freedom to do their job, which is so important for democracy. So, I think that it was worthwhile paying the ransom, and you always have to do it when lives are in danger, you know, and in a situation like that one, of course, I think -- and this, I think it's also the popular feeling that people think that this was correct to do so in both cases.