CIA Agents Convicted For Renditions In Italy

Judge Oscar Magi convicted 23 Americans of kidnapping in the 2003 abduction of a Muslim cleric on Wednesday in Milan. Alessandro Garofalo/Reuters

Italy Convicts 23 Americans for C.I.A. Renditions -- New York Times

MILAN — In a landmark ruling on Wednesday, an Italian judge convicted a C.I.A. station chief and 22 other Americans accused of being C.I.A. agents of kidnapping in the 2003 abduction of a Muslim cleric from the streets of Milan.

An enormous symbolic victory for Italian prosecutors, the case was the first ever to contest the United States practice of rendition, in which terrorism suspects are captured in one country and taken for questioning in another, presumably one more open to coercive interrogation techniques. The case was widely seen as an implicit indictment of the measures the Bush administration relied on to fight terrorism.

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More News On These CIA Convictions

Italian Judge Convicts 23 in CIA Kidnap Case -- Voice of America
CIA agents guilty of Italy kidnap -- BBC
Italy convicts 'U.S. agents' in CIA kidnap trial -- CNN
Judge in Italy convicts 23 Americans in 2003 CIA kidnapping of Egyptian cleric -- L.A. Times
Rendition trial ends with Milan CIA chief given eight years -- The Guardian
Italian court sentences 23 CIA agents over rendition flight -- Times Online
US 'disappointed' at Italy verdict in CIA case -- AFP
US disappointed in Italian verdict on CIA kidnap -- AP
U.S. 'disappointed' over rendition convictions -- Reuters
Italy Convicts 23 Americans In CIA Terrorist Kidnapping Case -- Huffington Post
Italy, the CIA and rendition -- Global Post

My Comment: The problem still sits with the reluctance of many countries in Europe to appreciate the fact that some of their citizens are very dangerous. While the mass majority of Europeans are law abiding citizens, there are some who are not. If the CIA should retrieve evidence that indicates terror connections among some of these targets (for example) in Italy, the blow back from this recent trial will be a reluctance among many in the CIA to work with intelligence agencies from Europe .... Italy included.

Does this make us safe .... no. Does this make countries like Italy safe .... no. Should these CIA agents be punished for exceeding their authority .... if that is the case the answer is yes. But where we are right now is in a no mans land in which what was OK 7 years ago .... it is not OK today. As a CIA officer .... this is the worse position to be in. But unfortunately .... this is where our politicians want our intelligence agencies to be in.