A US military investigation has cleared the soldiers who shot dead a high-ranking Italian intelligence agent last month in Iraq. The intelligence agent, Nicola Calipari, died on March 4 after US troops opened fire on the car that was also carrying Giuliana Sgrena–the Italian journalist who just been freed from captivity. Sgrena and the Italian government have disputed U.S. claims that the shooting was justified. In a front-page editorial in her newspaper Il Manifesto Sgrena wrote today “After the apologies comes the slap in the face.” Sgrena criticized the U.S. investigators for failing to take into account her testimony as to what happened. The Italian government has refused to endorse the U.S. Army’s findings. Italy maintains that that car carrying Calipari and Sgrena had been driving slowly, received no warning and that Italy had advised U.S. authorities of their mission to evacuate Sgrena from Iraq.