Home > Programs
> Democracy
Now! > Tue., July 11, 2006
Democracy Now!
ATTN: ALL STATIONS
From: Democracy Now!
Re: Rundown 7-11-06
PRSS Channel: A67.7
Italian Probe of CIA Abduction Broadens to Domestic Spying
Scandal and "Black Propaganda" Misinformation Campaign
by Italy Intel
Iraqi Journalist Details Family Accounts of Iraq Rape, Killings
Mother of Sexually Harassed Soldier Recounts Ordeal as Daughter
Remains Confined to Base
Italian Probe of CIA Abduction Broadens to Domestic
Spying Scandal and "Black Propaganda" Misinformation
Campaign by Italy Intel
Two Italian intelligence officers have been arrested on
charges they helped CIA agents abduct a Muslim cleric off
the streets off Milan three years ago. Italian investigators
are now widening their probe into whether Italian intelligence
agents were engaged in illegal domestic spying and a "black
propaganda campaign of misinformation.
We turn now to Italy where two high-ranking intelligence
officers have been arrested on charges they helped CIA agents
abduct a Muslim cleric off the streets of Milan three years
ago.
Mauro Mancini, the deputy head of Italy's military intelligence
service, has been jailed. His predecessor, Gustavo Pignero,
is under house arrest. The arrests marked the first time Italian
officials have been linked to the abduction of Hassan Osama
Nasr, also known as Abu Omar. Nasr was seized as he walked
from his home to a local mosque. He was taken to a joint U.S.-Italian
base and eventually flown to Egypt. There, Nasr says he was
beaten and given electrical shocks on his genitals. He was
never charged with a crime and has never appeared in a court
of law. Meanwhile, Italian prosecutors say they've obtained
new warrants for three CIA agents and one employee of the
local US air base. The new warrants bring to twenty-six the
number of Americans charged in the case since last year.
In a new development in the case, investigators are now widening
their probe into whether Italian intelligence agents were
engaged in illegal domestic spying. Police uncovered what
appeared to be a massive secret archive of surveillance on
journalists, judges and businesspeople in Italy. Police also
found evidence to suggest that the intelligence agency - known
as Sismi - had been recruiting some Italian journalists and
illegally wiretapping others as a way of keeping track of
the investigation into Nasr's abduction.
- Stephen Grey, British journalist who been closely following
the story. He joins us on the line from London where he
recently returned from Milan.
Iraqi Journalist Details Family Accounts of Iraq
Rape, Killings
The U.S. military has identified the four soldiers charged
with raping an Iraqi teenager and murdering her and three
family members. We go to Baghdad to speak with an Iraqi journalist
with the Los Angeles Times who interviewed the cousin of the
family, Abu Firas Janabi - he says he was the first person
to enter the house after the attack.
The U.S. military has identified the four soldiers charged
with raping an Iraqi teenager and murdering her and three
family members. A military official named them on Monday as
Sergeant Paul Cortez, Specialist James Barker and Privates
First Class Jesse Spielman and Bryan Howard. A fifth soldier,
Sergeant Anthony Yribe was also charged with dereliction of
duty for failing to report the crime.
Prosecutors say the troops conspired with Steven Green, who
was arrested last week and charged as a civilian with rape
and murder. Green was honorably discharged from the Army after
being diagnosed with a "personality disorder."
The Iraqi government has called for an independent inquiry
and Iraq's human rights minister said Monday he will ask the
United Nations to stop granting U.S. troops immunity from
local prosecution.
The details of the case that have emerged so far paint a
harrowing picture of premeditated brutality by US soldiers
in Iraq.
According to an affidavit based on sworn statements from
several members of Green's infantry unit, the soldiers planned
the attack after noticing the girl, Abeer Qasim Hamza, at
a US checkpoint in the town of Mahmudiyah. On March 12th,
the soldiers broke into her family's home. Some of them had
been drinking and all but one had disguised themselves in
dark clothing.
Green herded Abeer's mother, Fakhriya Taha Muhsen; her father,
Kasim Hamza Rasheed; and her five-year old sister Hadel into
a room and shot them with an AK-47 rifle. Green and another
soldier then raped Abeer, shot her, and set her body on fire
in an apparent effort to cover up the crime. Abeer had reportedly
expressed concerns to her mother because the soldiers had
made advances towards her. A newly-released copy of her identity
card shows that she was fourteen years old. For more than
a week since the killings came to light US officials have
claimed she was twenty.
The military initially believed insurgents carried out the
attack until at least two soldiers discussed it during counseling
sessions following the abduction and slaying of two members
of their platoon.
Mother of Sexually Harassed Soldier Recounts Ordeal
as Daughter Remains Confined to Base
We speak with Sara Rich, the mother of Army Specialist Suzanne
Swift. Swift has been arrested and confined to base for going
AWOL after her charges of sexual harassment and assault went
un-addressed by the military. She turns 22 years old on Saturday.
[includes rush
transcript]
We move now from a case of U.S soldiers raping and killing
an Iraqi teenager and her family to a case of U.S officers
preying on their own. Last month, Army Specialist Suzanne
Swift was arrested in Eugene, Oregon for refusing to return
to fight in Iraq. Swift served in Iraq for a year but decided
she could not return and went AWOL. Swift said her superiors
repeatedly sexually harassed her while serving in Iraq.
Suzanne Swift remained AWOL until early June. Then on June
11th, the Eugene police knocked on her mother's front door
and Suzanne was arrested and taken to the county jail. She
has since been transferred to Fort Lewis Washington where
she is confined to her base. So far, no charges have been
filed against Suzanne for deserting and Fort Lewis officials
have said they will assign an independent investigator to
look into her charges of sexual harassment. Suzanne Swift
turns twenty-two this weekend.
Last weekend I was at the Oregon Country Fair in Veneta and
I sat down with Suzanne Swift's mother, Sara Rich. I asked
her to go back to the beginning and tell us the story about
how her daughter Suzanne was recruited, how she went to Iraq
and what happened. This is her story.
For a copy of today’s program, call 1 (800) 881 2359.
Our website is www.democracynow.org.
Our email address is mail@democracynow.org.
Democracy Now! is produced by Mike Burke, Sharif Abdel Kouddous,
Ana Nogueira, Elizabeth Press, Jeremy Scahill and Parvez Sharma.
Mike Di Filippo is our engineer.
Thanks also to Uri Galed, Angela Alston, Orlando Richards,
Simba Russeau, Johnny Sender, Rich Kim, Joe Murgio, John Randolph,
Chris Zucker, Karen Ranucci, Denis Moynihan, Eric Rweyemamu,
Jenny Filipazzo and Isis Phillips.
|
Listen
to the show
Help
whole
show
