Berlusconi says US will not evade truth over agent's death

The US must take responsibility for the killing of Italian agent Nicola Calipari, Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi told parliament, in his first official pronouncement on the shooting.

"Only a frank and reciprocal recognition of eventual responsibility is the condition for closure of the incident," he told the Senate yesterday.

He contradicted American accounts of events, saying the car carrying Mr Calipari, and freed hostage Giulian Sgrena, had stopped immediately after a light was flashed at it on the road to Baghdad airport.

"A light was flashed at the vehicle from 10m away," he said. "At this point the driver stopped the car."

A staunch ally of US-led war in Iraq, Mr Berlusconi sounded a conciliatory note saying he was certain Washington had "no intention of evading the truth".

The traumatic fallout of the killing, which sent Italy into mourning and strained relations between the two allies, appears to have brought an end to the Italian policy of negotiating with hostage-takers.

"The Italian government is in a position to guarantee the security only of those ... who operate in close co-operation and under the protection of our military contingent," Mr Berlusconi said.

"It is not possible to do so for those who venture ... in other regions of Iraq where the presence of terrorists is still high."

Since the abduction of four Italian security guards last year, one of whom was murdered but three of whom were later released unharmed, Italy has pursued the bold and lonely strategy of negotiation and allegedly paying huge ransoms.

The policy has been directed by Mr Berlusconi working directly with military intelligence and has paid dividends in terms of his popularity. Its finest moment came last September when two voluntary workers in Baghdad, Simona Torretta and Simona Pari, were brought home after three weeks in captivity, to a tumultuous welcome.

But the friendly fire killing of Italy's chief kidnap negotiator, Mr Calipari, has brought home to the Italians the hazards and political costs of the policy. Italy avoided sharing sensitive information about any of its hostage negotiations with the Americans in case the latter decided to intervene.

Likewise, the need for discretion meant Mr Calipari and his secret service colleagues were obliged to move around Baghdad in an unprotected car with Iraqi number plates, and without an armed escort.

As confirmed by Mr Berlusconi yesterday, the inquiry into Mr Calipari's killing by the US will be completed within four weeks, led by an American brigadier-general.

And in what the Prime Minister called an "unprecedented" concession, the US has invited high-level participation in the inquiry from the Italian armed forces and diplomatic service. Mr Berlusconi told the Senate: "Italy has never submitted to political blackmail by the hostage-takers."

In other words, it had refused the frequent demand that Italy withdraw its troops. Italy's success in freeing hostages, he said, was because "the government activated all channels, political, diplomatic and intelligence".

He was unable to admit that Italy has been paying huge ransoms, up to US$8m, it is claimed, for the freedom last week of Ms Sgrena, a communist journalist on La Reppublica, because as his justice minister pointed out on Tuesday, paying ransom is a criminal offence in Italy.

- INDEPENDENT