Answer: They were lying, after all.
Who is John Negroponte? What is special about John Negroponte? Answer: He is the ambassador to Honduras who organized the Honduran death squads for Ronald Reagan. What sickening term did we learn in the days of Ronald Reagan? "Plausible deniability." Get used to it again, or if you are younger get used to it for the first time.
John Negroponte sent a death squad to kill Giuliana Sgrena. They fired off as many rounds as they believed they could afford without losing "plausible deniability." Ms. Sgrena was saved from death by Nicola Calipari, who shielded her.