Reuters: Rome court adjourns U.S. soldier shooting case

[Eugene]

Rome court adjourns U.S. soldier shooting case
29 Nov 2006 12:27:39 GMT
Source: Reuters

(Releads with case adjourned)

By Phil Stewart

ROME, Nov 29 (Reuters) - A Rome judge has suspended until February a hearing
on whether to try a U.S. soldier for shooting dead an Italian intelligence agent
in Iraq last year while he was escorting a freed hostage to safety.

The hearing, which began on Wednesday, was adjourned until Feb. 7 to give the
judge and state-appointed defence attorney time to review documents, Alessandra
Bruni, a lawyer acting for the prime minister's office, told Reuters.

Italian magistrates have accused Mario Lozano of the U.S. Army's 69th Infantry
Regiment of "voluntary homicide" for shooting agent Nicola Calipari at a checkpoint
in March 2005 while his car was heading for the airport.

Calipari was killed after helping free Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena, who had been
held by militants. The incident strained relations between Rome and Washington and
strengthened calls from Italy's anti-war lobby to pull out of Iraq.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L29413851.htm