La Stampa says Mr Berlusconi has dispatched his diplomaticadviser Gianni Castellaneta to Iraq to co-ordinate efforts to have the other hostages released.
"Enforcing a court order against a diplomat, restricting his freedom of movement, that could cause a problem, " said Narinder Singh, a diplomatic law expert and former legal adviser to India's foreign ministry.
Deputy National Security Adviser Denis McDonough said the diplomatic push, informally called Plan A by government officials, is still the only game plan for Syria.