Italian PM rejects US story

2005-03-10 08:01

Rome - Disputing Washington's version of events, Italy's premier said that an Italian intelligence agent who was shot to death by United States troops in Baghdad had informed the proper authorities that he was heading to the airport with a freed hostage.

Premier Silvio Berlusconi also told lawmakers that the car carrying agent Nicola Calipari and a just-liberated hostage was travelling slowly and stopped immediately when a light was flashed at a checkpoint, before US troops fired on the car.

Though the US and Italian versions of what happened on Friday do not match up, "I'm sure that in a very short time every aspect of this will be clarified," Berlusconi said.

The idea that Calipari was killed by friendly fire is painful to accept, the premier said. But he reassured lawmakers: "The United States has no intention of evading the truth."

Big supporter

Berlusconi is a staunch supporter of US President George W Bush and the US-led campaign, and has been struggling to balance his decision to keep 3 000 troops in Iraq against heavy anti-war sentiment in Italy.

The premier said Calipari had notified an Italian liaison officer, waiting at the Baghdad airport along with an American officer, that he was on his way with the freed hostage, journalist Giuliana Sgrena.

However, the top US general in Iraq has said he had no indication that Italian officials gave advance notice of the route the Italians' car was taking. In a statement released after the shooting, the US Army's 3rd Infantry Division, which controls Baghdad, said the vehicle was speeding and refused to stop.

The statement also said a US patrol tried to warn a driver with hand and arm signals, by flashing white lights and firing shots in front of the car.

Berlusconi's 20-minute address did not mention whether ransom was paid to win Sgrena's release. Some Italian officials have suggested a ransom was paid, but there has been no official confirmation. Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini denied on Wednesday that ransoms were paid for any Italian hostages.

Berlusconi once again urged Italians in Iraq to leave.

Photos aired by RAI, state TV's main evening news programme, showed the light grey Toyota Corolla that Calipari and Sgrena were riding in, which is still in Iraq in the hands of the US military.

The body of the car appeared to have little or no damage on its left side and front, including the lights. A few bullet holes are visible on the right side - near the wheel and the front door.

Inside, the seats appear to be covered in glass, although the photos of the interior are grainy. A bullet hole also is evident in the back seat on the left side, where Sgrena reportedly was sitting.

US officials have said American troops fired at the car's engine to stop it.

- AP