Giuliana Sgrena is the topic on The Laura Flanders Show right now. Fabio Sermonti (Italian journalist) is on to discuss the situation.
Sermonti: Italian government is . . . facing an undprecedented mass movement. There is an emotion in a way. Everyone is involved in this story. . . . Everyone is in the streets. Thousands of people went to Rome today to pay respects to Nicola Calipari . . . Everybody wants to pay respects to the man and they want an answer. . . . What we know for now, . . . this car was speeding in the night and stuff like that is not, is not what can be accepted.
Laura Flanders asked, "Whether the US forces occupation near the airport had reason to know that the car . . . [with] Sgrena was headed to the airport . . . ?"
Sermonti: Obviously you know that in Baghdad people, when they operate there, the group who was led by Calipari had badges, permision to carry weapons. It's not as if anyone can get in, bring their own weapons . . . They [American forces] knew, they had to. The flight . . . that leave Baghdad airports [are scheduled].
[Inside the car] They were on the phone, when the shooting happened, they were on the phone with Rome. They were on the phone with the prime minister's office. You can't imagine that the Americans . . . are not monitoring everything.
[. . .]
They [the Italian prime minister's office] heard live the shots. They heard everything. On the phone.
Flanders: Fabio Sermonti, what is the next step? People are obviously calling for [Prime Minister] Silvio Berlusconi to recall the troops from Iraq . . . Do you think we'll see massive demonstrations . . .?
Sermonti: There is an opposition . . . but now what we've seen today in Rome, families, families with kids, what you say the normal people . . . they were all out there. Today we had football, in Italy football is a big event. There was a moment of silence before each game today . . . Even Berlusconi . . . is feeling the pressure. . . .
Danny Schechter is on now and saying that Giuliana Sgrena broke the story on Napalm use in Falluja. He's also noting the cover up going on here, "First there was a checkpoint. Then there wasn't. . . . 300 bullets in the car. . . Now I'm seeing stuff on the right wing blogs that "this was all a hoax . . . She's a communist . . ."
Please note, there may be mistakes above, if so they're mine. I'm not the world's fastest typist to begin with and I've got scars on the fingertips of one hand from last week's heater incident.
Check the archives at Air America Place (hopefully tonight's show will be up by Monday).
Remember to that the main page for Air America Radio offers highlights from shows.
Currently, they offer this from The Laura Flanders Show:
The Laura Flanders Show (March 5th, 2005)
Laura Flanders Fabio Sermonti, an Italian correspondent with the British news organization titled, Independent Television News. Fabio tells Laura how Italians are responding to the killing of the secret agent, Nicola Calipari in Iraq. Listen here.
The Laura Flanders Show (February 26th, 2005)
Laura Flanders speaks with whistleblower Sibel Edmonds about her 9-11 related case and how the Justice Department wants to stop it coming to court. Listen here.
Those are two strong segments. So please check them out.
[Note: Post corrected for "Fabio Fabio Sermonti." I stammered at the top. Also remember to check Air America Place for an archive of the broadcast Sunday. Saturday's is up.]
