Rome dismisses U.S. account of agent’s slaying

ROME — Italy yesterday rejected the U.S. version of the events that led to the killing of an Italian intelligence officer by American soldiers as Washington struggled to minimize the damage to its strong ties with Rome.

Faced with growing anti-U.S. sentiment among Italians, the Bush administration agreed to a joint inquiry into the slaying Friday night in Iraq.

“What we need now, and I think we and the Italians agree on this, is a complete and cooperative investigation, and we will be undertaking that with the Italians participating in the inquiry,” said State Department spokesman Richard Boucher.

“We will get to the bottom of this, together with the Italians,” he said.

Addressing the Italian parliament earlier, Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini rejected U.S. assertions that the vehicle carrying a freed hostage and two Italian secret service agents had been speeding and did not heed warnings for it to stop.

“It is our duty to demand truth and justice,” said Mr. Fini, who insisted that the car was traveling at no more than 25 mph.

He said that on their way to the airport after securing the release of reporter Giuliana Sgrena, the Italians left the lights on in the car to help identify themselves to U.S. checkpoints.

They slowed down as they approached the airport because the road was wet and the driver had to make a sharp turn, Mr. Fini said.

Halfway around the curve, he said, a searchlight picked out the car and guns opened fire for 10 to 15 seconds.

Mr. Fini said the intelligence officer who survived the shootout was forced to kneel on the road until the soldiers realized who he was. “Two young Americans approached our officer and, demoralized, repeatedly apologized for what had happened,” he said.

His account contradicted the version released by the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division immediately after the shooting. That report said the Italians’ vehicle had been “traveling at high speeds” and “refused to stop at a checkpoint.”

Mr. Fini demanded that the soldiers responsible be identified and punished, but he dismissed as “groundless” any suggestion that the shooting was calculated.

Miss Sgrena, who writes for the communist daily Il Manifesto, had suggested that she and Nicola Calipari, the intelligence agent who died, were targeted because U.S. forces disapproved of the operation, in which a large ransom is thought to have been paid.

Washington discourages such payments on the grounds that they encourage more kidnappings and help fund terror operations in Iraq. But a Pentagon official yesterday refused to criticize Italy, a loyal coalition member.

“It’s not helpful, but you won’t see a protest,” said the official, who declined to be identified.

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