In 2005, a group of American soldiers mistakenly fired on and killed an Italian agent while escorting hostages in Iraq. This incident resulted in a diplomatic crisis between the two countries. Giuliana Sgrena, a reporter for the Italian left-wing daily Il Manifesto, was kidnapped in February 2005 while covering the US-led coalition’s invasion of Iraq. The coalition had arrived in March 2003 and brought about the collapse of the Saddam Hussein regime just over a month later.
Following her release from captivity after more than a month, tensions escalated when Italian military intelligence agents Nicola Calipari and Andrea Carpani were dispatched to escort hostages back home. On March 4th, 2005, their car carrying Sgrena was attacked at a checkpoint on their way to Baghdad International Airport. Calipari shielded Sgrena and was killed in the attack, with both he and Carpani sustaining injuries.
The shooting led to increased tension between Italy and the United States, with Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi summoning the US ambassador to demand an investigation into what happened. The US military claimed that the shooting was accidental and stated that its soldiers followed proper rules of engagement. However, Italian investigators accused US officials of not providing enough information about the incident and criticized how it was handled at the scene. While some American officials concluded that it was an accident in a war zone, Italian media broadcasted recordings from the kidnapping group accusing the CIA of targeting Sgrena specifically.
Calipari became an iconic figure for Italians as he risked his life to protect Sgrena during her kidnapping ordeal. He was posthumously awarded Italy’s highest medal of bravery following his death from injuries sustained during this tragic event.