Iraq, Italy to honor slain journalist in Athens

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Both Iraqi and Italian players were planning to wear black armbands on their uniforms during their Olympic soccer bronze medal Friday in honor of an Italian journalist killed in Iraq.

The International Olympic Committee approved Iraq's request and the Italian delegation said they were formulating their proposal.

Militants in Iraq killed freelance journalist Enzo Baldoni, after kidnapping and threatening to execute him if Italy did not withdraw its 3,000 troops from Iraq.

Arab broadcaster Al-Jazeera said it had video of the killing but did not show it, out of sensitivity to its viewers. The Italian ambassador to Qatar, where the news station is based, watched the video, however, and informed Rome, an Italian government official said early Friday.

There will be a minute's silence before the bronze medal match in the northern city of Thessaloniki, said Mick Michels, a member of the FIFA media committee.

Iraq's coach, Adnan Hamad, made an appeal for the journalist's release after his team's semifinal loss to Paraguay on Tuesday.

"I want to tell them to let him go back to his family and to his country to be free," he said.

Italy said it would ask the IOC for permission for each of its teams in competition Friday to wear a black sign of mourning on their uniforms in honor of Baldoni. Besides the soccer team, three other men's teams were competing for Italy on Friday in water polo, volleyball and basketball.

"We hope the pain will unite us," Italian Olympic Committee spokesman Massimo Fabricini said.