The Hindu : International : Berlusconi asks U.S. to explain intelligence official's killing

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Friday, Mar 11, 2005

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International

Berlusconi asks U.S. to explain intelligence official's killing

By Ian Fisher

ROME, MARCH 10. The Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, on Wednesday repeated his strong demand that the United States more fully explain the shooting death of an Italian intelligence agent in Iraq, even as he himself categorised it as a tragic case of ``friendly fire.''

Public outcry

``The case of friendly fire is certainly the most painful to bear,'' Mr. Berlusconi said in a 10-minute address in the Senate chamber, his first major speech since the shooting last Friday. ``It feels like an injustice beyond any sentiment. It's something unreasonable.''

Mr. Berlusconi, one of the U.S. President, George W. Bush's few firm friends in Europe, has faced a public and political outcry since U.S. soldiers fatally shot Nicola Calipari, the intelligence agent, as he drove to the Baghdad airport with an Italian journalist, Giuliana Sgrena, whose released he had just secured after a month held captive by militants.

But the uproar shows some signs of diminishing: Mr. Berlusconi received a standing ovation from opponents and supporters alike after his speech in the Senate. And Washington has made moves to lower the heat in a nation whose support it values: On Wednesday, Mr. Bush sent a letter to the Italian President, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, calling the incident a ``terrible tragedy'' and restating his promise for a quick and full investigation.

The U.S. has also said that an Italian military official will take part in the investigation — a move portrayed by Mr. Berlusconi's supporters as a U.S. concession that will make Italy's concerns more likely to be acted on.

Still, politically, the shooting has forced Mr. Berlusconi into a delicate balancing act: the need to express outrage and demand responsibility from the U.S. Polls show that most Italians oppose the presence of 3,000 Italian troops there, and calls for their return have grown louder since Calipari's death.

Striking a balance

In his carefully worded speech, Mr. Berlusconi sought to strike that balance. On the one hand, he said a full explanation was the only way to restore now-strained relations between Italy and Washington, as he challenged the American version of what happened. ``We demand the maximum collaboration,'' he said. ``Only a frank and reciprocal recognition of eventual responsibility is the condition for closure of the incident which was so irrational and that caused so much sorrow.''

Repeating the details of the event given by the Foreign Minister, Mr. Berlusconi said specifically that Italian intelligence agents had coordinated with U.S. military officials for permission to enter the airport and travel on the road to it from Baghdad.

-- New York Times News Service.

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