WP: Italy Opens Its Own Probe of Agent's Slaying in Iraq

ROME, April 27 -- Dissatisfied with the results of a joint investigation with the United States, Italy on Wednesday began its own probe into the March 4 killing of one of its intelligence agents by U.S. troops in Baghdad.

Italian officials said Rome prosecutors were looking for evidence of homicide in the case of Nicola Calipari, who was transporting a rescued Italian hostage to the Baghdad airport when U.S. soldiers opened fire on their car. The bullet-scarred Toyota Corolla was brought to Rome on Tuesday.

The prosecutors have demanded the names of the soldiers who were involved, but the Pentagon has denied the request, Italian officials said.

The Italian move follows the release this week of partial findings from the joint American-Italian investigation. The Americans concluded that their soldiers were not at fault and had observed the proper rules of engagement for firing at a suspicious vehicle, according to unnamed Pentagon officials. Two Italian investigators who took part in the probe have so far refused to sign on to the findings.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/27/AR2005042701980.html

"How would you like to suddenly find yourself 3,000 Italian troops short, monkey boy? The only thing I have left to lose is my job security!"

:headbang:
rocknation

Italy may not endorse a US report believed to exonerate US troops from the killing of an Italian agent in Iraq, says the Italian prime minister.

Silvio Berlusconi said his government would not "sign off on anything that does not convince us".

A report exonerating the soldiers involved in the shooting could prove inflammatory in Italy, and damaging to Mr Berlusconi, correspondents say.

Mr Calipari was hailed as a national hero after he was shot while trying to protect Ms Sgrena from gunfire

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4494689.stm

report says that the US didn't know about the rescue...oh, sure, the plane was waiting at the airport to take off and voila ...no Americans knew.