ROME - Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi voiced satisfaction on Tuesday with the announcement of an American inquiry into the fatal shooting of an Italian secret service officer in Iraq.
"Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has voiced the Italian government's satisfaction with this inquiry," a government statement said.
The US government had accepted the request by the Italian prime minister to have Italian representatives involved in the inquiry which is expected to take three to four weeks, the text added.
US General George Casey, commander of multinational forces in Iraq, announced Tuesday in Washington a joint investigation by US and Italian authorities into the fatal shooting of Italian secret service agent Nicola Calipari and the wounding of Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena.
US troops fired on the car carrying Sgrena and Calipari, on Friday near Baghdad airport, just after Sgrena was released following a month-long abduction.
03/08/2005 18:53 GMT