Italian hostage freed... only to be shot by US troops

[griffinn]

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117...-26618,00.html

ITALIAN hostage Giuliana Sgrena was freed from her Iraqi captors today only to be shot and wounded by US troops firing at the convoy carrying her to safety, Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said.

An Italian secret service agent who helped secure Ms Sgrena's release was killed when he threw himself in front of her to protect her from the incoming bullets.

Mr Berlusconi said his government had called in the US ambassador to Rome, Mel Sembler, to explain the shooting.

The US military confirmed the incident, but said the Italian convoy, speeding towards a checkpoint manned by US forces near Baghdad airport, ignored signals to slow down and stop.

It looks like there's some twisted humour in this somewhere, but to laugh would be politically incorrect.