Iraq killing report ‘insult’

ITALIAN opposition parties branded a report that cleared US soldiers of blame for the killing of an Italian agent in Iraq an insult and urged the government to press for a fuller investigation.

Nicola Calipari, a military intelligence officer, died in a hail of bullets at a US checkpoint on March 4 as he was driving to Baghdad airport with Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena after winning her release from kidnappers.

A US Army official, briefing reporters in Washington, said the soldiers had followed their rules of engagement and should therefore face no charges of dereliction of duty.