Italy in row with US over shot spyItalian investigators have clashed with Americans over plans to absolve US soldiers of any blame for the death of the Italian secret service agent Nicola Calipari, killed while escorting an Italian hostage out of Iraq last month.
The Italians are also unhappy that the US will not let them examine the car in which Mr Calipari was travelling when shot. The joint investigation is deadlocked and the dispute is holding up the final report on the incident.
GuardianFuneral for Italian shot in IraqItaly's president, prime minister and senior intelligence officials have attended the funeral of an intelligence agent shot dead by US forces in Iraq.
Nicola Calipari was killed by US troops as he escorted a released hostage, reporter Giuliana Sgrena, to freedom.
Thousands of Italians crowded into Santa Maria degli Angeli church in Rome for his full state funeral.
The US dismissed as "absurd" Ms Sgrena's suggestion that the US troops may have deliberately targeted her car.
"It's absurd to make any such suggestion, that our men and women in uniform would target individual citizens," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan.
BBChardly an absurd suggestion