5.11.2007

"Lights! Camera! Killing! Action!"

From Reuters yesterday, a story that just stuns me re: a soldier filming after a very controversial killing of an Italian intelligence agent during the freeing of an Italian journalist held hostage:

A U.S. soldier on trial in absentia in Italy for killing an Italian intelligence agent in Iraq two years ago filmed the scene moments after he opened fire, an Italian television channel said on Tuesday.

Mario Lozano's lawyer said the U.S. soldier, who denies any wrongdoing in firing at agent Nicola Calipari's car, gave the video to TG5 channel, apparently after recording an interview with him in the United States. Italian prosecutors investigating the case immediately seized the tape, judicial sources said.

Hazy footage of the video showed a white car with bright headlights stopped at the side of a road with an open door, while voices of U.S. soldiers could be heard in the background.

Lozano went on trial in absentia in Italy last month for firing at the car carrying Calipari and newly freed Italian hostage Giuliana Sgrena to Baghdad airport in March 2005.

The U.S. and Italian governments have said the shooting was an accident, but an Italian judge has charged Lozano with murder and two counts of attempted murder of those in the car.