According to an Italian paper....

....the US was not informed of the details of Sgrena's rescue. In fact an Italian general in Iraq, with responsibility to liase with US leadership, claims even he wasn't aware of the rescue.

US forces might not have known that slain Italian secret agent Nicola Calipari was in Iraq to secure a hostage's freedom, Italian papers say.

Calipari was killed by US troops' fire while escorting journalist Giuliana Sgrena by car to Baghdad airport.

But the press quotes an Italian general who liaised between US forces and Italian intelligence as saying he did not know Calipari was on a rescue bid.

His report is now in the hands of Rome prosecutors investigating the killing.

I don't know the reasons for keeping the mission secret, but it was obviously a mistake — a tragic mistake. Only the remaining living agent can explain why the Americans weren't warned that they would be coming down that road, headed to the airport.

UPDATE: LGF reports that Italian authorities aren't very happy with Sgrena and wish she would shut up.