Italian gov't report blames agent's killing on "inexperienced" US troops

ROME (AFP) — The government blamed the killing of a senior Italian intelligence agent in Baghdad on the "inexperience" of US troops acting under stress and without proper rules of engagement.

The much-awaited report on the March 4 incident differed markedly from the US account issued Saturday, which exonerated the American troops who opened fire on agent Nicola Calipari near Baghdad airport as he was escorting a freed Italian hostage to safety.

The Italian report said the US road block near the airport had not been properly signalled and that "the soldiers in the American patrol opened fire out of inexperience and because of the tension."

It rejected the US suggestion that the automobile driven by Calipari was traveling too fast. The speed "cannot be placed in question," it said.

"The driver of the the automobile was not traveling fast because the airport road was wet, because he knew ...