Italian newspapers are unhappy at the reported outcome of the US investigation into the killing of Italian secret agent Nicola Calipari at Baghdad airport during the freeing of former hostage Giuliana Sgrena.
"Without truth" sums up the headline in an editorial written by Ms Sgrena herself in the communist daily, Il Manifesto.
"The inquiry has achieved nothing," she says. "After the apologies comes the slap in the face."
"The greatest disappointment would be if our authorities were to accept this insult without reacting," Ms Sgrena adds. "All the words said about Calipari would turn into hypocrisy...and Nicola would have been our government's hero, just for one day."
The paper also prints a sardonic cartoon showing bullets piercing Mr Calipari's gravestone, under the caption "Friendly Fire 2".
In an interview with La Repubblica, Ms Sgrena describes the report's outcome as "incredible". "Calipari is being blamed for what happened," she says and urges public opinion to rally behind her view.
"It is important that the judges continue...we need pressure from public opinion," she says. "I know that there is already a demand for an independent international commission of investigation, there is an initiative of Euro MPs and Nobel prize winners who are urging the truth about what happened and what is happening to Iraqi civilians every day."
Rome to continue probe
Under the headline "Not guilty", the Turin-based La Stampa says that Rome does not accept the conclusions of the investigation.
"As far as Italy is concerned, we are not willing to sacrifice the truth about Nicola Calipari's death on the altar of political and diplomatic relations with our American ally," the paper says. "Perhaps the government's embarrassment and current silence are due to the awareness of having turned into a dead end."
The paper quotes Italian intelligence sources as saying that the US decision to announce the report's findings without consulting the Italian authorities could force Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to publicly oppose the US findings.
"The consequences could be devastating," an intelligence officer said.
Il Corriere della Sera thinks the Italian government may have been outwitted over the timing of the report's release. "The USA wrong-foots the Italian government and reveals the outcome of the investigation into the death of the 007 during the freeing of Giuliana Sgrena," it says.
"The Rome public prosecutor's office too, which is also investigating the case as a wilful murder but has yet to receive the names of the soldiers involved from Washington, has at the moment a version which differs with the American one," the paper adds.
In the event that the names are not revealed the prosecution has not ruled out "the possibility of continuing the process in absentia", the paper adds.
The report adds that the Toyota Corolla, in which Mr Calipari and Ms Sgrena were driving at the time of the shooting, is arriving in Rome on Tuesday.
"The car's arrival is a signal that...the Italian investigation continues," it says.
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An ongoing US military investigation into the death of the Italian intelligence agent Nicola Calipari cleared the US soldiers charged. A US official speaking anonymously stated, "The soldiers were all complying with the standard operating procedures for those checkpoints and therefore were not culpable of dereliction of duty in following their procedures," according to the Australian Special Broadcasting Service.

The Italian government has rejected the investigation's findings. Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi later apologised for "an unfortunate leak" that suggested the investigation was completed, and assured paliament that the investigation was not yet over.

Giuliana Sgrena, the journalist of Italian newspaper ''il Manifesto'' who was injured in the shooting, replied, "Unbelievable. They say soldiers followed only their rules of engagement. But if shooting on a machine that is moving, while USA were informed about it, is following rules of engagement, we must ask ourself what kind of rules they are." For Sgrena now "it's important that Italian Magistracy goes on. But all may suppose that its job will not be so easy".

The report was delayed so that disputes might be solved between the two governments. These disputes included disagreements on how fast the car was going as it approached the checkpoint and if US soldiers knew that the car and passengers would be passing through on that day. Italian officials who participated in the investigation are said to have disagreed with its findings.

US soldiers insisted that the car carrying Sgrena and Calipari to the Baghdad airport was traveling at a high speed and failed to heed warnings to stop. The Italian driver of the car denies he was speeding or that soldiers gave a warning. "It's enough to see the car," Sgrena wrote in ''il Manifesto''. "The front windshield is intact, while the side windows and the one behind are shattered."

=== See also ===
* Kidnapped Italian journalist refutes American government claims ''Wikinews'' March 25, 2005