Bush 'regrets' journo shooting

2005-03-05 10:27

Washington - United States President George W Bush called Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to express his regrets after shots fired by US soldiers killed an Italian secret service agent outside Baghdad, the White House said on Friday.

Bush called Berlusconi from Air Force One "to express his regret about the incident that occurred earlier today," the White House said in a statement.

"The president assured prime minister Berlusconi that the incident will be fully investigated."

An Italian journalist, Giuliana Sgrena, was freed from her Iraqi captors on Friday only to be shot and wounded by US troops firing at the convoy carrying her to safety, Berlusconi earlier said in Rome. Her escort, Nicola Calipari, was killed.

Sgrena "was fired upon by coalition forces. Apparently there was the loss of one life, an Italian citizen, and she was also injured in the incident.

"We regret the loss of life, the Italian citizen who lost his life, and obviously she is in our thoughts and prayers as well," the statement said.

- AFP