ITALY: The Italian Prime Minister, Mr Silvio Berlusconi, yesterday reiterated his determination to keep Italy's 2,700 strong military force in Iraq writes Paddy Agnew in Rome.
His statement followed the killing of Italian journalist and Red Cross volunteer Enzo Baldoni, who was executed by a group calling itself "The Islamic Army In Iraq".
"There are no words for an act lacking any humanity and which at a stroke cancels out centuries of civilisation and takes us back to the dark ages of barbarity," said Mr Berlusconi. Mr Baldoni (56), a freelance reporter who had been in Iraq less than one month, went missing on Thursday last week, between Baghdad and Najaf, shortly after accompanying an Italian Red Cross convoy to Najaf. Concern about him was heightened when the body of his driver was found last Saturday near Najaf.
Earlier this week Arabic language TV channel al-Jazeera broadcast a video of Mr Baldoni, apparently with his captors. Although the audio could not be heard, the video was accompanied by an ultimatum: that Mr Baldoni's "safety could not be guaranteed" unless Italy withdrew its troops from Iraq within 48 hours.
Early yesterday morning al- Jazeera announced it had received another video showing the execution of Mr Baldoni. However, it did not air the footage out of respect for his family. The Italian ambassador to Qatar, Mr Giuseppe Grimaldi, subsequently saw the video and confirmed to Rome that the dead man was Mr Baldoni. The ambassador later told reporters the footage contained "horrifying images".
Mr Baldoni was a restless individual who had worked as a bricklayer, a stevedore, a photographer, an interpreter and a PE teacher before founding a successful PR agency. He took up journalism almost by chance after spending time in Mexico with the Chiapas rebel leader Sub-commander Marcos.
He had been working in Iraq for the weekly magazine Diario and for a website, www.bloghdad.splinder.com. He is the second Italian hostage to be killed in Iraq: private security guard Fabrizio Quattrocchi was murdered in April.
Italian athletes competing at the Athens Olympics yesterday wore black armbands as a mark of respect for Mr Baldoni. Ironically, Italy were meeting Iraq in the football competition in a play-off for the bronze medal.