Italy to charge US soldier in death of agent
ISN SECURITY WATCH (19/01/06) - Italian prosecutors said on Thursday that they had begun the process of charging a US soldier in the wrongful death of Italian agent Nicola Calipari and the injury of two other Italians in Iraq last March, an unusual case Italian officials say is going forward despite the fact the US’ refusal to cooperate.
The 52-year-old Calipari was killed on 4 March by soldiers at a US checkpoint near Baghdad Airport after Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena had been freed from her kidnappers. When the soldiers opened fire on their vehicle, Calipari shielded Sgrena with his body. He died immediately, and Sgrena and another agent in the car were injured.
At the time, the US claimed that the car’s driver had ignored repeated orders to slow down and that soldiers had fired on the vehicle because it was unclear that it did not represent a threat.
Italy has denied those charges, claiming that the car was traveling at a normal sleep and was clearly identified as Italian. Italy says the US soldiers acted irresponsibly because of inexperience, stress, and fatigue.
In a 4,000-word article published in her left-wing newspaper Il Manifesto just after the shooting, Sgrena claimed that she was the target of an assignation attempt by US soldiers under orders. She said the US had been angered by her anti-war articles and because Italy paid a reported US$10 million to free her. The US has a strong policy against paying ransoms in hostage situations.
“What we know is that the circumstances around what happened are not clear,” Italian Minister of Justice Roberto Castelli said in a television interview on TG5. “More information is needed.”
According to Italian prosecutors, the US has not been helpful in obtaining that information. A US-led probe into the events of 4 March has yielded inconclusive results, and Rome-based prosecutor Erminio Amelio has indicated that US officials have repeatedly ignored requests for even the most basic information, such as the name and home town of the soldier who fired on the Italian vehicle.
Through other channels, Amelio said the soldier had been identified as Mario Lozano, a 24-year-old US citizen of Italian origins.
“The US never answered any request from us,” local media quoted Amelio as saying. “We did not receive any cooperation. They never answered us and I don’t think they ever will.”
A clerk in Amelio’s office confirmed that statement when contacted by ISN Security Watch, adding that the lack of cooperation surprised those looking into the case.
“We made at least 20 official requests and have not even received a confirmation that they were received,” the clerk said, asking not to be named. “We are surprised to be treated like an opponent when we are an ally simply looking for the truth.”
The US embassy in Rome declined to comment on the events when contacted by ISN Security Watch, citing US privacy laws.
Amelio said the US soldier would be located so he could be informed at the end of the investigation and so that he could be served notice if the investigation got as far as charging him with murder and attempted murder. The US soldier has already been appointed an attorney in Italy and if he can not be located, will be tried in absentia.
Italy decided to reopen its investigation into the events and move toward charging the US soldier after the results of a preliminary probe from last year. That investigation, which was conducted by police and ballistics experts, showed that the car was traveling slower than the US claimed. It also showed that only one of the four soldiers at the checkpoint fired on the vehicle.
The shooting has added to the arguments of Italian opponents to the war, who have called on Italy to withdraw its troops from Iraq. Italy has started to bring soldiers home, though on a more gradual time table than originally planned last year.
The case could also strain relations between the US and Italy, which have already been damaged by comments from Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who said he desperately tried to convince US President George Bush not to go to war in 2002. The US also reportedly lobbied Italy to leave its full contingent of troops in Iraq, but Italy would only agree to withdraw them over a longer period than originally planned.
(By Eric J. Lyman in Rome)
The 52-year-old Calipari was killed on 4 March by soldiers at a US checkpoint near Baghdad Airport after Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena had been freed from her kidnappers. When the soldiers opened fire on their vehicle, Calipari shielded Sgrena with his body. He died immediately, and Sgrena and another agent in the car were injured.
At the time, the US claimed that the car’s driver had ignored repeated orders to slow down and that soldiers had fired on the vehicle because it was unclear that it did not represent a threat.
Italy has denied those charges, claiming that the car was traveling at a normal sleep and was clearly identified as Italian. Italy says the US soldiers acted irresponsibly because of inexperience, stress, and fatigue.
In a 4,000-word article published in her left-wing newspaper Il Manifesto just after the shooting, Sgrena claimed that she was the target of an assignation attempt by US soldiers under orders. She said the US had been angered by her anti-war articles and because Italy paid a reported US$10 million to free her. The US has a strong policy against paying ransoms in hostage situations.
“What we know is that the circumstances around what happened are not clear,” Italian Minister of Justice Roberto Castelli said in a television interview on TG5. “More information is needed.”
According to Italian prosecutors, the US has not been helpful in obtaining that information. A US-led probe into the events of 4 March has yielded inconclusive results, and Rome-based prosecutor Erminio Amelio has indicated that US officials have repeatedly ignored requests for even the most basic information, such as the name and home town of the soldier who fired on the Italian vehicle.
Through other channels, Amelio said the soldier had been identified as Mario Lozano, a 24-year-old US citizen of Italian origins.
“The US never answered any request from us,” local media quoted Amelio as saying. “We did not receive any cooperation. They never answered us and I don’t think they ever will.”
A clerk in Amelio’s office confirmed that statement when contacted by ISN Security Watch, adding that the lack of cooperation surprised those looking into the case.
“We made at least 20 official requests and have not even received a confirmation that they were received,” the clerk said, asking not to be named. “We are surprised to be treated like an opponent when we are an ally simply looking for the truth.”
The US embassy in Rome declined to comment on the events when contacted by ISN Security Watch, citing US privacy laws.
Amelio said the US soldier would be located so he could be informed at the end of the investigation and so that he could be served notice if the investigation got as far as charging him with murder and attempted murder. The US soldier has already been appointed an attorney in Italy and if he can not be located, will be tried in absentia.
Italy decided to reopen its investigation into the events and move toward charging the US soldier after the results of a preliminary probe from last year. That investigation, which was conducted by police and ballistics experts, showed that the car was traveling slower than the US claimed. It also showed that only one of the four soldiers at the checkpoint fired on the vehicle.
The shooting has added to the arguments of Italian opponents to the war, who have called on Italy to withdraw its troops from Iraq. Italy has started to bring soldiers home, though on a more gradual time table than originally planned last year.
The case could also strain relations between the US and Italy, which have already been damaged by comments from Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who said he desperately tried to convince US President George Bush not to go to war in 2002. The US also reportedly lobbied Italy to leave its full contingent of troops in Iraq, but Italy would only agree to withdraw them over a longer period than originally planned.
(By Eric J. Lyman in Rome)
posted by Marko at 1/19/2006 08:30:00 AM
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