Berlusconi warns U.S. on agent's killing
{{date|April 28, 2005}}
<!--[[Image:Giuliana Sgrena.jpg|thumb|right|175px|Ms. Sgrena, a hostage in February]]-->
__NOTOC__
In an escalating controversy that has contributed to Italian Prime Minister [[:w:Silvio Berlusconi|Silvio Berlusconi's]] political problems and created a national uproar in [[:w:Italy|Italy]], Italian prosecutors began their own independent probe on Wednesday of the death of [[:w:Nicola Calipari|Nicola Calipari]]. The premier has put his government's prestige on the line with assurances to the nation that full light would be shed on the shooting.

Calipari, one of the top intelligence agents in Italy, had negotiated a settlement with hostage takers in [[:w:Baghdad|Baghdad]] and was rescuing journalist [[:w:Giuliana Sgrena|Giuliana Sgrena]] from them when American soldiers fired on the car they were in. Calipari became a national hero for Italians after he bravely threw his own body across hers as the firing continued, killing him and seriously injuring Sgrena with a few bullets in her back. She is still recovering.

Meanwhile, Americans released a document, now described as incomplete, which says the U.S. Army, in a joint inquiry with Italian officials, cleared its own soldiers of any responsibility in the tragic events of March 4.
=== Demands for troops to leave Iraq from former president ===
The Prime Minister has put his reputation on the line says [[:w:Francesco Cossiga|Francesco Cossiga]], an ex president of Italy. He was quoted by the Italian news agency ANSA, saying he thinks Berlusconi would have no choice but to withdraw Italy’s 3000 troops from Iraq if the U.S. soldiers are cleared without further investigation, called by the U.S. a “friendly fire” incident. Cossiga is demanding the U.S. release them to Italian officials for trial or make the commitment to put them before an American court martial.

Berlusconi said that Italy would "never endorse" a report on the shooting by US soldiers of an Italian intelligence agent if it was unconvincing.

"If there are differences, they will emerge. But certainly, we will never endorse things that do not convince us," Mr. Berlusconi told reporters.

An international group of journalists, “Reporters without borders” ([[:w:Reporters Without Borders|Reporters sans frontières]]), said they were “very surprised” at Tuesday’s report released by the U.S. Army.

“We are not convinced that everything possible has been done to establish what happened in this tragedy or to determine the responsibility of all those involved, and we reiterate our appeal for an independent international enquiry by US and Italian authorities," the press freedom organization said.

They had asked for a United Nations investigation immediately after the shooting. They also commented on the fact that the two Italian investigators disagreed with the findings of the U.S. Army and refused to sign the finished reports.

"We will see then what official reaction comes from the Italian government, which has a right to demand sanctions," it said.

=== Former hostage and attack survivor Giuliana Sgrena very critical of report ===
Ms. Sgrena again today described the Army’s announcement as a "slap in the face for the Italian government." U.S. investigators were satisfied, according to the report, that "the procedures were followed to the letter" by the soldiers involved. Ms. Sgrena repeated her statement that the car in which she, Calipari and another agent, the driver, were travelling had “no warning signal…no warning shot” and "the searchlight was turned on after the shots were fired."

The position of the U.S. high command, that soldiers had followed procedures, has remained unchanged since they first asserted this shortly after the incident occurred.

U.S. Secretary of Defense, [[:w:Donald Rumsfeld|Donald Rumsfeld]] said of the report and its investigators, "My latest information is that they [the Americans and Italians] have not come to a final agreement on a joint report...It's an investigation, it was done together, intimately, and I think that we'll just have to wait and see what they come out with."

=== Related news ===
*[http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Kidnapped_Italian_journalist_refutes_American_government_claims Kidnapped Italian journalist refutes American government claims] ''Wikinews'' March 25, 2005

== Sources ==
*{{source|url= http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/27/AR2005042701980.html|title= Italy Opens Its Own Probe of Agent's Slaying in Iraq |author= Daniel Williams |pub= Washington Post Foreign Service
|date=April 28, 2005}}
*{{source|url= http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=4471852 |title= Berlusconi to Face Second Vote of Confidence
|author=Staff |pub= Scotsman.com News |date=April 28, 2005}}
*{{source|url=http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/articles/18233057?source=Evening%20Standard |title= Senate test for Berlusconi|author= Paul Sims|pub= Evening Standard|date=April 28, 2005}}
*{{source|url=http://www.theadvertiser.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,15121058%255E1702,00.html |title= Berlusconi warns US on friendly fire |author=Staff |pub= The Advertiser|date=April 28, 2005}}
*{{source|url=http://italy.peacelink.org/conflitti/articles/art_10859.html
|title= Reporters sans frontiers esprime sorpresa perchè i soldati USA non hanno chiarito i fatti che hanno portato all'uccisione di Calipari
|author= Reporters sans frontiers |pub=Peacelink.Org|date=April 28, 2005}}
*''AP Wire''-- {{source|url= http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0428iraq-usitaly28.html
|title= Italian ex-chief adds push for withdrawal |author= Frances D'Emilio |pub= Arizona Republic |date=April 28, 2005}}

== Video link ==
*Amy Goodman [http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/04/27/1350235 "Giuliana Sgrena Blasts U.S. Cover Up, Calls for U.S. and Italy to Leave Iraq"] ''Democracy Now!'' April 27, 2005

==External links==
*{{source|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,7374-1586071,00.html
|title= Italian hostage outraged at 'clearing' of US soldiers |author= Philippe Naughton|pub= Times Online U.K.|date=April 26, 2005}}
*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4485839.stm |title= Papers reject Calipari death finding |author= BBC Monitoring|pub= BBC NEWS | Europe |date=April 26, 2005}}
*{{source|url=http://www9.sbs.com.au/theworldnews/region.php?id=110340&region=4
|title=Calipari shooters cleared
|pub=Special Broadcasting Service
|author=World News
|date=April 26, 2005}}
*{{source|url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4485429.stm
 |title= Italian hostage blasts US report |author=BBC.com |pub= BBC NEWS | Americas |date=April 26, 2005}}
*{{source|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2005/04/25/italy-iraq050425.html
|title=U.S. soldiers to be cleared in Italian's death
|pub=CBC News
|author=CBC News
|date=April 26, 2005}}
*[http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/04/26/iraq/main690935.shtml CBS News | US, Italy At Odds Over Shooting] April 26, 2005 10:30:09
*{{source|url=http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=15&ItemID=7544
|title=Giuliana Sgrena Sets The Record Straight, ''There Was No Checkpoint, There Was No Self-Defense''
|pub=ZMag
|author=Jeremy Scahill
|date=March 29, 2005}}

*[http://www.plenglish.com/Article.asp?ID=%7B3EDF9849-313C-4E95-A881-5B46153E55FE%7D&language=ENItalian Opposition and Hostage Slam US Report on Iraq Killing]''Prensa Latina'' April 26, 2005
*{{source|url=http://www.repubblica.it/2005/c/sezioni/esteri/niccal/sgrena/sgrena.html
|title=Sgrena: «Uno schiaffo inaccettabile, i giudici vadano avanti»
|pub=la Repubblica
|author=la Repubblica
|date=April 26, 2005}}
*{{source|url=http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/F30E85D2-7713-4C5C-A9D8-9941E9380970.htm
|title=Berlusconi: US-Italy inquiry not done
|pub=Aljazeera
|author=Agencies
|date=April 27, 2005}}

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[[Category:Crime and law]][[Category:Politics and conflicts]][[Category:Europe]][[Category:Italy]][[Category:United States]][[Category:Iraq]]
[[Category:Baghdad]]
[[Category:Reporters Without Borders]]
__NOTOC__
In an escalating controversy that has contributed to Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's political problems and created a national uproar in Italy, Italian prosecutors began their own independent probe on Wednesday of the death of Nicola Calipari. The premier has put his government's prestige on the line with assurances to the nation that full light would be shed on the shooting.

Calipari, one of the top intelligence agents in Italy, had negotiated a settlement with hostage takers in Baghdad and was rescuing journalist Giuliana Sgrena from them when American soldiers fired on the car they were in. Calipari became a national hero for Italians after he bravely threw his own body across hers as the firing continued, killing him and seriously injuring Sgrena with a few bullets in her back. She is still recovering.

Meanwhile, Americans released a document, now described as incomplete, which says the U.S. Army, in a joint inquiry with Italian officials, cleared its own soldiers of any responsibility in the tragic events of March 4.
Berlusconi said that Italy would "never endorse" a report on the shooting by US soldiers of an Italian intelligence agent if it was unconvincing.

"If there are differences, they will emerge. But certainly, we will never endorse things that do not convince us," Mr. Berlusconi told reporters.

An international group of journalists, “Reporters without borders” (Reporters sans frontières), said they were “very surprised” at Tuesday’s report released by the U.S. Army.

“We are not convinced that everything possible has been done to establish what happened in this tragedy or to determine the responsibility of all those involved, and we reiterate our appeal for an independent international enquiry by US and Italian authorities," the press freedom organization said.

They had asked for a United Nations investigation immediately after the shooting. They also commented on the fact that the two Italian investigators disagreed with the findings of the U.S. Army and refused to sign the finished reports.

"We will see then what official reaction comes from the Italian government, which has a right to demand sanctions," it said.

The position of the U.S. high command, that soldiers had followed procedures, has remained unchanged since they first asserted this shortly after the incident occurred.

U.S. Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld said of the report and its investigators, "My latest information is that they the Americans and Italians have not come to a final agreement on a joint report...It's an investigation, it was done together, intimately, and I think that we'll just have to wait and see what they come out with."

* Opposition and Hostage Slam US Report on Iraq KillingPrensa Latina April 26, 2005
*
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Crime and law Politics and conflicts Europe Italy United States Iraq Baghdad Reporters Without Borders