Italians Should Come to U.S. and Arrest CIA

MILAN - An Egyptian cleric allegedly kidnapped from a Milan street in 2003 as part of the CIA's extraordinary rendition program on Wednesday asked for 10 million euros (nearly $15 million) in damages from the American and Italian defendants charged in his abduction.

www.msnbc.msn.com...

International arrest warrants
A lawyer for Nasr's wife, Ghali Nabila, also is seeking 5 million euros for her suffering during years of not knowing her husband's whereabouts and for the deterioration of her husband's physical and mental health. Nabila did not know her husband's fate for more than a year after his abduction. He contacted her in April 2004 during a brief release from Egyptian custody, before being put back in prison until his eventual release in February 2007.

Twenty-six Americans, all but one believed to be CIA agents, are on trial in absentia, accused of kidnapping Nasr as part of the CIA program. All are considered fugitives, and have international arrest warrants issued against them. Seven Italians also are charged.

Human rights advocates say renditions were the CIA's way of outsourcing the torture of suspected terrorists to countries where it was practiced. The CIA hasn't commented on the case, the first in any country to scrutinize extraordinary renditions.

Prosecutors have demanded prison sentences ranging from 10 to 13 years for the American defendants. The trial continues with closing arguments by the defense, and a verdict is expected next month.

So, we have Americans, with International Arrest Warrants issued for them, being tried in absentia in Italy for some pretty serious crimes.

My question....what gives the US the 'right' to go snatch people from other countries, but thumb their nose when it comes to accountability for THEIR actions?

I think the Italians ought to do like the CIA did...fly a couple dozen people over here, snatch whoever it is they want and do whatever they want to them. If it's good enough for the US, it ought to be ok for everyone else, right?

Has God given us the right to do whatever we want to the people of the world? I guess I missed that memo.

The rest of the world needs to abide by OUR laws and give up people when the US asks, but when Italy is trying OUR people, we don't cooperate? Why are these fine men and women, who have nothing to hide, NOT in Italy facing their charges?

Originally posted by KSPigpen
Has God given us the right to do whatever we want to the people of the world? I guess I missed that memo.

The rest of the world needs to abide by OUR laws and give up people when the US asks, but when Italy is trying OUR people, we don't cooperate? Why are these fine men and women, who have nothing to hide, NOT in Italy facing their charges?

Interestingly, there's a thread - started by an American - on the go that asks similar things called What Gives the US Special Status?

However, if you're too much of a big meany with the responses threads like Too much anti U.S sentiment and "anti" period appear.

Since reading the responses of people who wish to punish the Uk hacker who embaressed the US government. I wonder how they stand on this side of the fence when it is Americans who will be trialed in a foreign court.

Is this where we see the hypocrisy come out of the woodwork?>?

Has God given us the right to do whatever we want to the people of the world? I guess I missed that memo.

I miss a whole bunch of those types of memo's myself

Great thread! The US is the world fat kid that runs around being a bully and beating up all the other kids for their lunch money.

That's nothing to be proud of.

S&F

It is a lot better than the Roman approach. We could just destroy their empires and sew the earth with salt. Rendition sems like a good option in comparison.

Maybe I missed it.

Has the Italian government asked for the extradition of the people they are trying in absence?

If so, what has been the US response?

reply to post by jam321


Good catch, Jam. That was a bit of an assumption on my part. My apologies world of Internet inhabitants.

The prosecutor's office that is handling the trial was being stonewalled by a pro-us governement. It is pretty evident at this point that although the prosecutor WANTS it, the Italian government is not going to seek the extradition.

An interesting thing about this to me is that Italy is going out of their way to deny any involvement in the exercises.

MILAN, Italy (AFP) — The former head of Italian military intelligence Wednesday denied at a landmark trial any role in the CIA kidnapping of an Egyptian imam from a Milan street six years ago.

[JURIST] Milan prosecutor Armando Spataro [JURIST news archive] said Tuesday that his office is once again pressing for the extradition of 26 Americans for their role in the alleged 2003 CIA kidnapping [JURIST news archive; WP timeline] of Egyptian cleric Moustafa Hassan Nasr [Wikipedia profile] from Italy. Spataro was previously stonewalled [JURIST report] by the conservative and strongly pro-US government of former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi. He has filed a request to renew the investigation with the new center-left administration of Prime Minister Romano Prodi.

jurist.law.pitt.edu...

Successive Italian governments have declined to seek the extradition of the American defendants in the case, who include the former CIA substation chief in Milan, Robert Seldon Lady.

www.google.com...

So, the Italians should just save some time and send a couple dozen intelligence operatives over here and do a snatch and grab on each of the CIA folks involved. Sounds fair.

who do you think the cia originated from? italy. the vatican. they are just another enforcement agency for the vatican bankers.

what makes you think they even have a right to do anything to the US... they don't ...until the annointed one actually and formally sells out our sovereignity to the UN.....

but in the mean time.... screw em.... they have no jurisdiction even under international law to come and take someone away on these type of charges.... and if this govt. were to turn them over... i can guarentee the agency will shut it down and then allow what ever happens to this nation to happen... and guess what happens to the annointed one..... he is toast and he would be assasinated... count on it...