Italy investigates US marine over agent killing

Italian magistrates have placed a US marine under official investigation for murder over the killing of an Italian agent in Iraq in March. Intelligence officer Nicola Calipari was shot dead at an improvised checkpoint near Baghdad as he was accompanying freed hostage Giuliana Sgrena to safety. She was shot in the shoulder during the incident.

Italy and US authorities held a joint inquiry, but they failed to agree on a result and instead issued conflicting reports. While the US military exonerated its troops of any blame, Rome said nervous and inexperienced American soldiers and a badly executed road block were at the root of the shooting. In the meantime, Italy’s independent judiciary has pushed ahead with its own probe and has carried out forensic tests on the car Calipari was travelling in when he came under fire.

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