Given that we now know what really happened in the death of Pat Tillman in Afghanistan, is it any wonder the Italians dispute the U.S. government’s version of how Nicola Calipari died in Iraq?

Calipari was an Italian intelligence agent, a hero to many Italians. He was shot and killed at a roadblock by American soldiers after having negotiated the release of kidnapped journalist Giuliana Sgrena.

Sgrena was injured and claims Calipari took a bullet saving her. The U.S. government claims their Toyota sedan was speeding on a Baghdad road and that troops acted appropriately, though the outcome was unfortunate.

Sgrena said their car wasn’t speeding and that U.S. troops fired without warning. Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi endorsed an Italian report issued last week that disputes an earlier U.S. report exonerating the troops.

This is a serious matter, not a he-said she-said petty dispute. Not only are international relations at odds over this, but the troops involved in this incident could face criminal charges in Italy.

Things would not be so bad if the Bush administration hadn’t a history of misleading Americans and others about the war. Starting with the false premise for military intervention in Iraq — the weapons of mass destruction ruse — a crisis of credibility has plagued U.S. foreign policy for more than four years.

Now the trail of lies, deceit and misinformation from Washington has crossed the Atlantic and landed on doorsteps in Rome, where Italians are pressuring Berlusconi to withdraw troops from the multinational force in protest.

Domestic support for this unnecessary war is also being strained by the Army’s desire to shield itself — and the White House — from criticism, especially about wrongdoing by troops or accidental shootings and bombings.

Army Ranger Pat Tillman was a victim of an accidental shooting by his fellow Americans. His family was told he was a casualty of enemy fire. It was a lie. As reported by The Washington Post this month, the Army withheld from Tillman’s family and the public the truth about the friendly fire killing in 2004.

More was learned when The Post reported on Army documents that spoke to “gross negligence” by Tillman’s fellow Rangers. The newspaper also reported that an Army investigator quickly determined the cause of death as friendly fire, but that high-ranking Army officials kept this from his family, including a brother who was also a Ranger. The truth about what happened to Tillman a year ago in April was kept secret for weeks. Why?

Take a wild guess.

Tillman was a celebrity. He left a multimillion-dollar job with the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He enlisted in the so-called war on terror. So did his brother, another Ranger.

Cpl. Tillman was a true believer, a poster boy for the Bushvolk and their propagandized war machine.

Had it been learned early on that he was a fratricide victim, support for Bush’s war in an election year would have eroded.

So the Pentagon — and presumably the administration — sat on the truth for weeks. They waited until after the memorial service, long after much of the news media had moved on to other stories, to come clean.

Something you should know: This Army report didn’t just happen. Tillman’s family would not accept the explanation the government gave about enemy fire. The Army, pressured also by Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, was forced to go back and tell it again, this time the way it really was.

The report was prepared by Brig. Gen. Gary M. Jones. “Nothing has contributed more to an atmosphere of suspicion by the family than the failure to tell the family that Cpl. Pat Tillman’s death was the result of suspected friendly fire, as soon at that information became known within military channels,” he said.

According to The Post , the report claims that top Army officials, including theater commander Gen. John P. Abizaid, were told days before the memorial service that Tillman died from friendly fire.

The report also claims that troops involved in the incident were told shortly after to keep mum “to prevent rumors” from spreading and to keep journalists at bay. Tillman’s body armor was burned along with his uniform. Why?

Tillman’s death appears to have been accidental and the report indicates considerable remorse among his killers, who were unidentified but reprimanded. There was no good reason to mislead his family or the public about this. This family had given two sons to this war. It deserved better. So do other families whose loved ones have died under questionable circumstances.

Tillman was awarded a posthumous Silver Star. But more than this precious medal, his family probably values the honest truth. So, I’m guessing, do the Italians.