I beg you, put an end to the occupation. I beg the Italian government and the Italian people to put pressure on the government to pull out.

How a kidnapping ends depends to a large degree on who the kidnappers are.

I was set free because the negotiations were successful, because there were people lobbying for my freedom, and because hundreds of thousands took to the streets in Rome for my freedom.

One thing is clear: My life is completely different than it was before the kidnapping.

These people don't want foreigners here, nobody should come to Iraq at this time. Not even journalists. Nobody.

It wasn't a checkpoint but a patrol which immediately opened fire after they trained their light on us.

Do you know in what conditions such video are made? Do you think I was free to say what I wanted? To be a hostage means one is not free to talk freely in a video. Yes, they gave me food, drink and medicine, but I was captive, without light, without nothing. But do you think I was free to say the kidnappers didn't treat me well?

Our car was driving slowly ... the Americans fired without motive.

kept on talking and talking, you couldn't contain him, an avalanche of friendly phrases and jokes. I finally felt an almost physical consolation, warmth that I had forgotten for some time.