Italy disputes US hostage account:
Italy's PM Silvio Berlusconi says an agent's account of a hostage negotiator's death contradicts US reports.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has said the car carrying an Italian agent killed by US fire had stopped immediately a light flashed.His statement contradicts US accounts of the incident in Iraq in which Nicola Calipari was shot taking freed hostage Giuliana Sgrena to Baghdad airport.
Mr Berlusconi said the US must accept responsibility to restore relations.
He said his government had demanded “maximum collaboration” from the US, and a joint inquiry had been promised.
I wonder why? Did Berlusconi look into the soul of Bush or something?
The prime minister said the US military had authorised the Italian journey to the airport. An agent travelling in the car with Mr Calipari had given an account of events which conflicted with the version given by the US military, he added.“A light was flashed at the vehicle from 10m away,” Mr Berlusconi said. “The driver at this point stopped the car immediately and at the same time there was gunfire for about 10 or 15 seconds.
”A few shots reached the vehicle and another one reached and killed Mr Calipari,“ he said.
”This reconstruction of events has been made according to what has been witnessed by another agent who was with Mr Calipari and does not coincide totally with what has been communicated so far by the US authorities.“
