Extraordinary Arrest Warrants Issued Against CIA

http://www.int-int.co.uk/
images/espionage_photo.jpg

CIA Arrest Warrants Issued in Italy
C. L. Cook
June 25, 2005


The CIA is experiencing more "blowback," as a result of America's "Extraordinary Rendition" policy. ER is the unilateral authority granted the Agency by the Bush administration to kidnap anyone, anywhere deemed a threat to U.S. national security. Two years ago, the CIA exercised that "authority" when it snatched a prominent Muslim cleric living in Italy. Now, the Italians have issued warrants for 13 CIA agents involved in the abduction.

CIA Arrest Warrants Issued in Italy
C. L. Cook
Pej.org
June 25, 2005

The Italian government has formally requested "judicial assistance" from the U.S. government in identifying 13 CIA agents who grabbed an outspoken Islamic cleric as he walked to his mosque in Milan two years ago. The Italians have extensive evidence implicating the American agents, but currently only possess Noms de Guerre, left on a trail of receipts that outline the operation.

The Italians have yet to file for the extradition of the law-breakers and, given Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's intimate relationship with George Bush, may be unlikely to do so. But, there is clear evidence of a criminal conspiracy to kidnap Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr, also known as Abu Omar.

The "radical" cleric was spirited out of Italy to a U.S. military base, before being delivered to Egyptian security officials in Cairo. As in the infamous case of Canadian engineer Maher Arar, Nasr was subsequently tortured in custody.

The charges are the first filed against American agents for alleged crimes commited overseas while prosecuting the self-declared "War on Terror."

The warrants were approved by an Italian judge Thursday and come following a two year investigation by Milan police and the prosecutor's office. The American agents involved are not believed to be in Italy, but Italian government requests for assistance are seen as a first step in a case Italian counterterrorism officials have expressed frustration over; Nasr, a purported participant in military training camps in both Bosnia and Afghanistan, had been under surveillance when taken in the CIA operation without the Italian's knowledge.

Among records making up the paper trail left by the kidnappers are bills for more than US$100,000 for stays in luxury hotels in Milan, Florence, and Venice. In addition to the hotel bills, Italian prosecutors also have cell phone records, car rental receipts, highway toll booth records, and "other" documents that detail what they believe to be the movements of 19 people involved in the plot to take Nasr. The Milan prosecutor's office say the documents are enough to convince them to "attribute the kidnapping with certainty to the CIA."

Though most of the 19 names have proven aliases, at least three are identifiably those of American government employees stationed overseas, while another's listed address in the States led to a post box held under the name of a man listed as an officer of Premier Executive Transport Services, a company known to lease aircraft dedicated to past "extraordinary rendition" cases.

Investigations into to similar "renditions" in Germany and Sweden are also currently in progress.

The CIA and the U.S. Embassy in Rome refuse comment on the case, but State Department spokesperson, J. Adam Ereli said any extradition requests would be handled through the U.S. Justice Department.


Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, a weekly public affairs program, broad/webcast from the University of Victoria, Canada. He's also a contributing editor at PEJ.org. Check out the GR blog here.