Italian prosecutors have placed a U.S. Marine under formal investigation for his role in the death of an Italian intelligence agent at a checkpoint near Baghdad in March.
Prosecutors say the Marine, Mario Lozano, faces possible charges of voluntary homicide in the death of intelligence agent Nicola Calipari. The agent was killed March 4 when U.S. forces at a Baghdad checkpoint shot at a car carrying him and Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena, who had just been freed from being held hostage.
The incident strained relations between the United States and Italy, and the two countries issued conflicting reports about the deaths.
U.S. officials said the car had approached the checkpoint at high speed and ignored warnings to slow down. Italian authorities dispute that.
In Washington, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack called the situation tragic, but said the United States considers the matter closed.
Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.
