U.S. Fires on Car Carrying Freed Hostage

U.S.-led coalition forces fired on a car carrying a freed Italian hostage as it approached a checkpoint in Baghdad Friday, wounding the former captive and killing another person in her car, a U.S. military spokesman said.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, an ally of the United States who has kept troops in Iraq (news - web sites) despite public opposition at home, said an Italian intelligence officer was killed. He asked the U.S. ambassador for an explanation of the shooting.

"Given that the fire came from an American source I called in the American ambassador," Berlusconi told reporters before the U.S. statement acknowledging that coalition forces shot at the vehicle. "I believe we must have an explanation for such a serious incident, for which someone must take the responsibility."


OK, we need to get one thing perfectly clear here. The United States is resolutely against letting terrorists engage in indiscriminate killing. Only WE should be allowed to engage in indiscriminate killing. Got it?