American soldiers accused of intentionally attacking an Italian hostage and killing her secret service protector have been cleared of wrongdoing.

Giuliana Sgrena, an Italian reporter for the Communist daily Il Manifesto, was taken hostage in Iraq on February 4. On the night of March 4, U.S. troops fired at a speeding car approaching their checkpoint en route to Baghdad International Airport , killing Major General Nicola Calipari, an Italian military intelligence operative, and wounding Sgrena and the driver. Calipari had successfully negotiated Sgrena’s release earlier that day and was escorting her to safety. The world was abuzz with rumors that Italy would be withdrawing its troops serving with the Multi-National Force in Iraq , and calls for investigations dominated news coverage as yet another potential scandal raised its head.

The U.S. Army’s investigation has vindicated the soldiers involved, concluding that the soldier who was responsible for firing “spotlighted the car before it reached the Alert Line, fired warning shots as it reached the Warning Line, and fired on the vehicle in an attempt to disable it immediately after it crossed the Warning Line.” The soldier responsible was Specialist Mario Lozano of the New York National Guard. The report found that he complied with the Rules of Engagement. After operating the spotlight, and perceiving the on-coming vehicle as a threat, he fired to disable it and did not intend to harm anyone in the vehicle.” This finding contradicts Sgrena’s earlier statement: “There was no bright light, no signal.” Another initial allegation was that 300-400 rounds were fired by U.S. troops at the car; the Army report found “there were no more than 40 additional rounds that could have been fired. The investigation also concluded that neither the US Embassy or the Multi-National Force were aware of the rescue operation.

This is not to say that the report puts full blame on the Italians, who “did not know the soldiers were at the on-ramp, and were not expecting any such roadblocks.” Further, the driver was “dealing with multiple distractions,” including “driving on a wet road” and a phone conversation.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has since reiterated his nation’s commitment to Iraqi reconstruction and stabilization, vowing not to withdraw troops at this time.