US clears soldiers in death of Italian in Iraq News
US clears soldiers in death of Italian in Iraq

[JURIST] A US investigation into the accidental shooting death of an Italian agent in Iraq by American soldiers has cleared the troops of the wrongdoing, an Army official said Monday. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official also said that the troops will not be disciplined in the matter, but that the Italian government disagrees with the findings and has thus far refused to endorse the report. Italian intelligence officer Nicola Calipari fell victim to friendly fire at a military checkpoint on March 4 [JURIST report] while escorting journalist Giuliana Sgrena, a recently-released hostage, to the airport. While expressing remorse over the incident, the US military official defended the soldiers actions, expressing the importance of following official procedure in Iraq. Reuters has more.