Panama arrests former CIA station chief sought by Italy in rendition case

Panama arrests former CIA station chief sought by Italy in rendition case

www.csmonitor.com...

A former CIA operative detained in Panama this week at the request of Italian authorities over his conviction in the 2003 kidnapping of a Muslim cleric in Milan was released Friday and had boarded a flight to the United States, U.S. officials said.

Robert Seldon Lady’s release from Panama appeared to avert the possibility that he would be extradited to Italy, where he faces a sentence of up to nine years in prison for his role in the CIA capture of a terrorism suspect who was secretly snatched off a street in Milan and transported to Egypt.

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Panama releases ex-CIA operative

Abu Omar case

The Abu Omar Case (or Imam rapito affair – "kidnapped Imam affair") refers to the abduction and transfer to Egypt of the Imam of Milan Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr, also known as Abu Omar. The case was picked by the international media as one of the better-documented cases of extraordinary rendition carried out by the United States' Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in the context of the "global war on terrorism" declared by the Bush administration.

Abu Omar was abducted on February 17, 2003, in Milan by the CIA.[1] and transported to the Aviano Air Base, from which he was transferred to Egypt, where he was secluded, interrogated and allegedly tortured and abused.[2] The CIA operation interrupted a surveillance programme that was being carried out by Italian authorities into Nasr's alleged participation in Islamist organizations. Hassan Nasr was released by an Egyptian court in February 2007, which ruled that his detention was "unfounded". He has been indicted for international terrorism offenses in Italy since 2005.[3]

The War on Terror is a great excuse for the US Gov't to continue to do whatever it wants where ever it wants. Allies aren't respected rather they are spied on and walked all over by the rogue criminal element of the US Govt.

The Italian government originally denied having played any role in the abduction. However Italian prosecutors Armando Spataro and Ferdinand Enrico Pomarici indicted 26 CIA agents, including the Rome station chief and head of CIA in Italy until 2003, Jeffrey W. Castelli, and Milan station chief Robert Seldon Lady, as well as SISMI head General Nicolò Pollari, his second Marco Mancini and station chiefs Raffaele Ditroia, Luciano Di Gregori and Giuseppe Ciorra.[4] Referring to the Italian military intelligence agency, the Italian press has talked of a "CIA-SISMI concerted operation." The prosecutors sent extradition requests for the indicted American citizens to the Italian Ministry of Justice, then headed by Roberto Castelli, for onward transmission to Washington. However Castelli refused to forward the demand for extradition.

On November 4, 2009, an Italian judge convicted 22 suspected or known CIA agents, a U.S. Air Force (USAF) colonel and two Italian secret agents of the kidnap, delivering the first legal convictions in the world against people involved in the CIA's extraordinary renditions program.[38][39][40] Former Milan CIA station chief Robert Seldon Lady received eight years in prison. The rest of the Americans, including former Milan U.S. consular official Sabrina De Sousa, and USAF Lieutenant Colonel Joseph L. Romano, at the time of conviction commander of the 37th Training Group at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, got five years each.[38][41] The convicts were also ordered to each pay €1 million to Nasr and €500,000 to his wife.[42] Three Americans, including the then-Rome CIA station chief Jeffrey Castelli and two other diplomats formerly assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Rome, as well as the former head of Italian military intelligence Nicolo Pollari and four other Italian secret service agents were acquitted due to diplomatic immunity.[43]

Italy clearly hasn't forgiven the people directly involved in the operation but what have they done to go after our political leaders, like the Bush administration? Why does no one ever demand our political leaders take responsibility for actions they not only knew about but authorized?

Gee I wonder...

www.csmonitor.com...

Originally posted by Swills

The War on Terror is a great excuse for the US Gov't to continue to do whatever it wants where ever it wants. Allies aren't respected rather they are spied on and walked all over by the rogue criminal element of the US Govt.

If the US was serious about the war on terror, it would be fighting against itself.

One country in Central/LatAm down for asylum safety and proof of allegiance.

If Europe is serious it will drop the lying. German BND will come clean after Spiegel reported that it knew about it under XKeyscore program

Swedish FRA now is essentially proven that it spies on Russia for NSA

I wonder then if French and Nederland territories in caribbean or Nordic and French islands in Indian/Atlantic will be used to help transit if Cuba is considered risky

www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/panama-releases-former-cia-operative-wanted-by-italy/2013/07/19/c73ebc12-f083-11e2-a1f9-ea873b7e04 24_story.html

Panama could have proven some degree of autonomy after NK ship of Cuban military cargo just days ago.

The rebuttal to and strong support for Snowden's asylum, showing hypocrisy came fast,,, and many already have used it, on twitter feeds from many.

We, the USA, just kind of do whatever we want with no consequences. We kidnap people, spy on our citizens, kill our own citizens, spy on our allies, start wars for no reason. We're worse than any of the colonial powers back in the day. Heck, we're worse than the communists we used to fear back then too. We're out of control. Do our citizens care though? Nope. Good on Panama for arresting him though. Sometimes little things like this start bigger things. We can only hope.

Originally posted by moniker

Originally posted by Swills

The War on Terror is a great excuse for the US Gov't to continue to do whatever it wants where ever it wants. Allies aren't respected rather they are spied on and walked all over by the rogue criminal element of the US Govt.

If the US was serious about the war on terror, it would be fighting against itself.

Exactly.

2nd line.

Originally posted by moniker

Originally posted by Swills

The War on Terror is a great excuse for the US Gov't to continue to do whatever it wants where ever it wants. Allies aren't respected rather they are spied on and walked all over by the rogue criminal element of the US Govt.

If the US was serious about the war on terror, it would be fighting against itself.

Every time one of our drones bombs a village 20 new extremists are hatched.

The largest terrorist training camp in the world is a few trailers on an Air Force base outside of Las Vegas.

reply to post by moniker


If only... if only we could root out the evil, criminal presence within our Gov't and then go after their cronies in industry.

The good news is more people are becoming informed and realizing all is not what it seems. The criminal elements will want our attention away from Syria & Egypt.

reply to post by amazing


I agree. Our freedoms have slowly been eroded away and we now we no longer have privacy, but since we cannot see our peeping Toms it doesn't affect us. Plus, the majority of us (like 99.9%) are not terrorists and or planning on causing mass causalities so we begin to accept the idea it's okay that these invisible Tom's are data logging everything we do (plus snail mail) because I got nothing to hid (well, in respect to being a terrorist). The US Gov't loves to label their enemies as terrorists now and domestic terrorists is one of their favorites, cyber terrorist too!

Do people honestly think those in position of knowing what every single person in America, nay the world, is doing won't use that power to their advantage? How clear does it have to be before people accept that those who are influencing and running the show are not good people who are quick to engage and support war and heinous crimes against humanity? The Bush admin should have been the final straw but apparently it wasn't and now Obama and his admin are pushing the envelope even further! You give an inch they will take the world.

Panama released the CIA criminal and sent him on a plane back to the US. Gave some lame excuse as to why they did and Italy acknowledged it but gave no comment. They're pissed I'd say.

reply to post by wujotvowujotvowujotvo


It's safe to assume that everyone is spying on everyone no matter if they're enemies or allies. There is no such thing as privacy anymore in our electronic world. It's only getting easier to know just about everything there is to know about what a person does day in and day out. Love my smart phone but also hate it. Screw microchips, they gave us smart phones instead. The old bait and switch!

reply to post by AGWskeptic


I agree. There was a great article on Wired.com about the drone war in Pakistan. It really talked about the realities of these drone operations from the intel the strike is based on to the after math. Intelligence isn't always right, the world isn't like a James Bond film as seen in 2003 with the Iraq invasion, and a lot of strikes did indeed miss their target. But even if they did hit their target they at times will never know and that's because they never get confirmation after the deed is done. The US AF does not call the local Pakistan gov't, police, hospital, or morgue about the identities of those killed.

Once the strike is done that's it, moving on to the next mission. With that, lets look at these strikes from a Pakistani's point of view. They get no apologies for the death of their children, parents, friends, and they definitely don't get any compensation for damages caused, whether emotional/mental, physical, and or property. And you'd think with the, what 2 billion in aid we give to Pakistan the families of innocent causalities would get a lil something, you know?

But the President can't be concerned with such petty things, he's got Trayvon to comment on. Too bad for the Pakistan people Obama looks nothing like them. Maybe they should start wearing hoodies?

Not Even the White House Knows the Drones’ Body Count | Wired

Originally posted by Swills
The War on Terror is a great excuse for the US Gov't to continue to do whatever it wants where ever it wants. Allies aren't respected rather they are spied on and walked all over by the rogue criminal element of the US Govt.

So are you equally outraged at the countries who voluntarily assisted in the rendition programs or just at the US?

Originally posted by Swills
Italy clearly hasn't forgiven the people directly involved in the operation but what have they done to go after our political leaders, like the Bush administration? Why does no one ever demand our political leaders take responsibility for actions they not only knew about but authorized?

Gee I wonder...

Apparently Italy has forgiven people directly involved, namely the Italians involved in the process since they were all acquitted because of..... wait for it....

Italian laws covering state secrets.

The court also ordered new appeals trials for five Italian intelligence agents, including the former head of military intelligence, Nicolo Pollari. They had been acquitted by lower courts because of state secrets.

Ironic really...

So out of curiosity, where is your outrage at the Italian government? A government that declined to take this matter up through several administrations?

Or is this just another lets ignore all other countries involved and HATE the US thread? If its that, please use one of the many threads on this sitre already dedicated to hatred of anything US.

As for the article and Panama releasing the person good on Panama.

reply to post by Xcathdra


My outrage will always be at my own Gov't first and foremost but make no mistake I'm not a fan of any Gov't out there, Italy included.

What are your thoughts about this case? How do you feel about the US Gov't?

reply to post by Swills


Xcathdra so condemned Manning leaking State Department diplomatic cables to WikiLeaks as treason, yet it contains proof the US sabotaged Italy's judiciary.

ALL readers are recommended to read the feed of l'Espresso reporter Stefania Maurizi, sourcing the very leaked cables.

twitter.com/SMaurizi

Manning is a Traitor there is no two ways about it. He gave out state secrets end of story. Italy is doing what Italy does best. Covering their own ass, while airing the United States. No big deal here, they are trying to cover up that they knew about it and actively participated in the matter.

This is not big news, or even news. This is just one idiot caught red handed trying to point the finger at the other idiot who got caught. Countries all the time, at least first world ones, do black bagging. Russia did it, the U.K, Mossad, pretty much every country does it. It's a matter of weather or not they get caught is the trick.

People really need to get over this, unless you are shady and do some thing that gets big brother to look at you. I don't see the C.I.A black bagging you any time soon.

reply to post by Reaper2137


Traitor?

Sabotaging Italy's judiciary reported extensively by twitter.com/SMaurizi and now working on Kazakhstan's own PRISM, that led to family feud presidential coup

Dyncorp promoting the Afghan culture of underage male same sex relations

State Department as EXTORTIONIST for Monsanto, blackmailing and economic terrorism on France because it resisted GM crops.

There are long list of crimes Manning leak of SD cables show. This traitor rubbish should end.

Originally posted by amazing

Originally posted by moniker

Originally posted by Swills

The War on Terror is a great excuse for the US Gov't to continue to do whatever it wants where ever it wants. Allies aren't respected rather they are spied on and walked all over by the rogue criminal element of the US Govt.

If the US was serious about the war on terror, it would be fighting against itself.

Exactly.

2nd line.

I prefer the acronym for - The War Against Terror

This is the cable of Dyncorp pedophilia culture promotion disgrace.

McKinney GRILLED govt in congress about it. YET NOTHING WAS DONE AND IT CONTINUED

www.guardian.co.uk/world/us-embassy-cables-documents/213720
US embassy cables: Afghan government asks US to quash 'dancing boys' scandal

, Thursday 2 December 2010 21.30 GMT

Wednesday, 24 June 2009, 11:37
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 KABUL 001651

S/F, OP.
I just saw an article (and made a thread here) about a veteran who has just resigned from a huge contracting firm doing the US War Machine's 'industrial' work...
A Foot Soldier Throws Down His Gun

More people are becoming aware and saying "I will no longer participate in this," which I applaud.

The governments all over the world that are allowing "JSOC" forces to be in their countries planning assassinations, renditions, etc. are in collusion, in my opinion. It's a horrible mess.

Originally posted by wildtimes
S/F, OP.
I just saw an article (and made a thread here) about a veteran who has just resigned from a huge contracting firm doing the US War Machine's 'industrial' work...
A Foot Soldier Throws Down His Gun

More people are becoming aware and saying "I will no longer participate in this," which I applaud.

The governments all over the world that are allowing "JSOC" forces to be in their countries planning assassinations, renditions, etc. are in collusion, in my opinion. It's a horrible mess.

edit on 21-7-2013 by wildtimes because: (no reason given)

anybody wonder why Monsanto bought former blackwater security (Xe)??
naturalrevolution.org...
they must really want to make deadly sure nobody upsets any of their contracts....gives a whole new meaning to their tagline "improving agriculture, improving lives"