US Soldier Charged in Killing of Italian Journalist in Iraq

by Jordan Yerman | February 7, 2007 at 09:15 am

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This case has taken quite some time to make it through Italy's court system, but there is a massive political element to it as well. Whilst a case could be made that the accused was just doing his job, the US Army's cover-up of the incident casts aspersions on their official story.

An Italian judge has ordered a US soldier to face trial over the death of an Italian intelligence agent in a car at a checkpoint in Baghdad.

Nicola Calipari, 51, was shot in March 2005 as he escorted Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena to the airport after securing her release from kidnappers.

The soldier, Mario Lozano, will face a charge of murder in a case that put serious strain on US-Italian relations.

He will probably be tried in absentia as he has been cleared in the US.

Spc Lozano, of the New York-based 69th Infantry Regiment, is indicted for murder and attempted murder.

A second Italian agent, who was driving the car, and Ms Sgrena were wounded.

Mr Calipari's widow, Rosa, said: "This looks to me like the first step on a long road toward truth and justice, and I hope justice will come in the end."

Ms Sgrena said: "We don't want to make Mario Lozano the scapegoat, but we want to find out who was responsible and have justice."