Public prosecutors in Italy have called on the government to request the extradition of 22 CIA agents from the United States. The agents are believed to be involved in the kidnapping of an Egyptian imam suspected of terrorism. The man was abducted from a street in Milan in 2003 and taken to Egypt, where he is said to have been tortured by members of the secret service. It is believed that he is still being held by the Egyptian authorities.

The 22 CIA agents are all thought to be stationed outside Italy at present. The Italian Justice Ministry has yet to decide whether to make a formal extradition request to the United States.

(rnw.nl)

Yeah, like the US would hand over them. :rolleyes:

First they need to come up with some solid proof of those accusations, because statements like "the agents are believed to have kidnapped" don't sound very convincing. After that there's plenty of time for the US to flip them the finger. :D

<font color=skyblue>Isn't that why Bush would not join the thing about the international court? That he'd never consent to handing over a US citizen to another nation for judgement, rather the US would try their own people...</font>

The problem with that method of course being when they're not tried at all.

This was poorly handled IMO - proper courtesy demands that the Americans simply ask the Italian secret service to pick them up instead.

Can you imagine the uproar if the French secret service swiped someone off an American street? Arrogance, arrogance, arrogance!

Yet the US constatly requests us to hand over own citizens, who apparantly rarely seem to get fair trials on the other side of the atlantic. And since the Americans have denied (by my knowledge) every request for the extradition of American criminals, it makes you wonder what the point of our extradition treaty is.

<font color=skyblue>You're right. It is hypocritical. I can't think of a better word to express it. It makes me feel...icky.</font>

That's why i believe that the "no" to the international court is mainly to protect his own ass. :D

Some questions.
Has the Italian government officially requested the extradition of the CIA agents, or are these public prosecutors just trying to make a name for themselves by standing up to the big bad Americans? What evidence do these prosecutors have that any Americans were involved? Are the alleged agents wanted for questioning or are the prosecutors planning on pressing charges?

<font color = lightgreen>That's nice. I'm sure they do want CIA agents extradited to Italy. That will probably happen just after the Sun goes nova. [img]graemlins/petard.gif[/img] </font>