General George Casey, commander of multinational forces in Iraq , gestures during a news conference at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, March 8, 2005. Casey told reporters that the U.S. military is investigating the 'rules of engagement' at tense military checkpoints in Iraq, where innocent people have been accidentally killed or wounded by American troops. The comments by Casey followed the killing of an Italian intelligence officer and wounding of an Italian journalist by U.S. troops as they drove toward Baghdad airport last Friday after the reporter was freed from hostage takers. (REUTERS photo)

    

In this photo released Tuesday March 8, 2005 by the Italian RAI TG1 national television, network military personnel are seen near a car said to be that n which Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena was travelling with deceased secret service operative Nicola Calipari, during her release in Baghdad, Iraq , last Friday March 4, 2005. Sgrena returned to Italy but Calipari was killed in what appears to be a friendly fire incident by U.S. troops. (AP Photo)

    WASHINGTON, March 8 (Xinhuanet) -- The United States and Italy will jointly investigate the shooting of an Italian journalist in Baghdad last week and the probe will last three to four weeks, the US commander of multinational forces in Iraq said Tuesday.

    "My expectation is it will be a joint investigation" and "these investigations normally take three to four weeks to complete," General George Casey said at a press conference at the Pentagon.

    Casey, who was in Washington for meetings at the Pentagon and on Capitol Hill, said the investigation was headed by Brigadier General Peter Vangjel.

    The general said he had no information to indicate Italian officials had told US forces in advance that the Italian journalist, Giuliana Sgrena, had been released.

    "I personally do not have any indication of that, even on a preliminary basis," he said.

    

File photo of Italian intelligence agent Nicola Calipari (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Freed Italian hostage Giuliana Sgrena (AFP/File photo)

Sgrena, who was released last week after a month in captivity, was wounded last Friday when US soldiers fired at the car carryingher to the Baghdad airport, and an Italian intelligence officer, Nicola Calipari, who was also in the car, was killed in the incident.

    Sgrena has said it was possible that they were targeted deliberately because the United States opposes Italy's policy of negotiating with kidnappers, an accusation that the White House has denied.

    The US military has said its forces had warned the driver of Sgrena's car, which they said was traveling at high speed approaching a checkpoint, before they opened fire.

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