by Denis Barnett
ROME - Italy`s Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi insisted Wednesday on "maximum collaboration" from the United States in a joint probe into the friendly fire killing of an Italian agent in Iraq, but played down any notion of a rift between the allies.
"We have a duty to demand the maximum collaboration to obtain the truth and determine who is responsible," Berlusconi said in an address to the senate on the killing.
The overall tenor of Berlusconi`s address was conciliatory towards Italy`s key ally, however, following Washington`s decision to draw some of the sting from a burgeoning diplomatic spat by inviting Rome to participate in a joint inquiry.
Berlusconi, one of US President George W. Bush`s staunchest European allies, said that in allowing an Italian military officer and a diplomat to sit on the joint commission, Washington had shown it had no intention of hiding the truth.
"I have already expressed my satisfaction over this decision, which demonstrates that our allies have no intention of keeping us from the truth."
The prime minister characterised Washington`s decision as being "of the greatest importance", adding that Italy`s "attitude of firmness" in the aftermath of the shooting, had been vindicated.
"I believe that this attitude of firmness was the only one that the Italian government should and could adopt," he said.
But Berlusconi also hinted that for the first time since the shooting last Friday, Rome may be prepared to recognize some responsibility for the incident.
"Only a frank and reciprocal admission of eventual responsibilities can enable us to close an incident from which we are all suffering."
Italy and the United States have been embroiled in a diplomatic spat since the killing by US troops last Friday of its top intelligence officer in Iraq, Nicola Calipari, as he escorted released hostage Giuliana Sgrena to Baghdad airport.
Sgrena, released unharmed by her kidnappers, was wounded in the shoulder.
On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini dismissed Washington`s view that a lack of communication was responsible for Calipari`s death, and demanded that the United States "identify and punish" those responsible for the shooting.
An internal Pentagon memo published by US media on Tuesday said the Italians had failed to make arrangements for their safe passage to the airport, were travelling at high speed and failed to respond to "numerous warnings".
Berlusconi also signalled a change in Italy`s policy in Iraq, where it has come under fire from its allies for negotiating with kidnap gangs amid unconfirmed rumours that it has paid millions of euros in ransom payments.
"The Italian government is able to guarantee the security in Iraq only of those, humanitarian organisations in the first instance, who operate in close collaboration and under the protection of our military contingent," the prime minister said.
"It is not possible to do otherwise for those who venture, even for the most noble reasons, into other zones of Iraq where there is still a high terrorist presence and where there is a major risk of attack and kidnappings."
The shooting incident has fanned anti-American sentiment in Italy and renewed calls for a withdrawal of Italy`s 3,000-strong military contingent from Iraq.
03/09/2005 17:41 GMT