U.S. will not extradite CIA agents to Italy

[maddezmom]

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- The United States will refuse any Italian extradition request for CIA agents indicted in the alleged abduction of an Egyptian cleric in Milan, a senior U.S. official says.

"We've not got an extradition request from Italy. If we got an extradition request from Italy, we would not extradite U.S. officials to Italy," John Bellinger, legal adviser to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told reporters Wednesday after meeting legal advisers to EU governments.

Milan prosecutors want the Italian government to forward their request for the extradition of the 26 Americans, mostly CIA agents. The previous government in Rome -- led by Silvio Berlusconi -- refused, and Premier Romano Prodi's center-left government has indicated it would not press Washington on the issue.

The 26 are accused in the abduction of Osama Moustafa Hassan Nasr from a Milan street on February 17, 2003. Nasr allegedly was taken to Aviano Air Base near Venice, Ramstein Air Base in southern Germany, and then to Egypt, where he was held for four years and, according to his lawyer, tortured. He was freed by an Egyptian court that ruled his detention was "unfounded."

more: http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/02/28/italy.cia.trial.ap/index.html?section=cnn_latest

[mainer]

1. CIA officers have a get-out-of-jail card

From the article:

"Bellinger criticized Italy for wanting to try Americans in absentia.

"It's ironic that the U.S. has been criticized for trying al Qaeda detainees without their being present at their trial and yet Europeans seem to be comfortable to try American officials in absentia," he said."
--------------------

It's pretty hard to try them any other way but in absentia, if the CIA agents refuse to be present!
But I suppose that never again being able to visit lovely Italy, for the rest of your life, is a punishment.

[Greeby]

2. Doesn't a conviction in absentia mean you also

Can't go to any country which has an extradition treaty with the country which made the conviction? :shrug:

[Crayson]

3. I think so...

I'd say so, yes.
Which in that case would be pretty much whole Europe and many more.

If they issue an international arrest warrant.

[atreides1]

6. Not only Italy

Any member country of the EU would be legally bound to hand over these people if they are found guilty!

So, that means these CIA agents won't be pulling duty in Europe, which means that as covert agents they will be limited to where they can be assigned.

[muriel_volestrangler]

10. So Bellinger regards the CIA and al Qaeda as equivalents, then?

Both organisations that refuse to submit to the rule of law. I guess that's ironic, too.

[MGD]

4. OMG, I'm shocked. Who could have guessed?

[Roland99]

9. I am Jack's complete lack of surprise

[MGD]

12. That's funny.

[Benhurst]

5. The Evil Empire:

Where there is still honor among thieves.

[depakid]

7. I reckon those 26 can forget about a European vacation

Oh well, there's always South America and the Middle East....

[saigon68]

8. They can go on a spring break to Saudi

oops I gues they can't

LOL

[EST]

11. O.K., sure.

This informs me that any claims to operate under rule of Law is just so much window dressing.

That tells me that, in any question of even heinous crimes, friendship is more important than rule of law.
If my neighbor is known to be a murderer and torturer, but we are friends, it's ok if to conceal my knowledge and refuse to cooperate with the FBI, because, after all, we're friends and I wouldn't want to do anything to upset that.

It's no longer important that I try to secure the greatest good for the greatest number but it is important that I protect my friendships. I wonder how this is going to play in this nation's courts when it starts being used as a precedent.

[krispos42]

13. It would be justice if they are...

grabbed in the middle of the night by Italian agents and whisked out of America and brought to Italy. Kidnapped, if you will.

[denverbill]

14. Maybe Dog the bounty hunter will get on that.

Of course, then whoever kidnaps them will be in trouble too.

[goforit]

15. LOL!!! Chicken!!!

[kestrel91316]

16. What Italy needs to do is "extraordinarily rendition" their sorry

a--es back to Italy.

Somehow I think that's not going to be allowed to happen.

[Supersedeas]

17. Condi taking a stand on the viability of international law.

[Solly Mack]

18. duh...no one seriously thought America would did they?

America has a torture policy...implemented by the executive office, retro-actively protected by Congress with the Military Commissions Act of 2006

America is a war crime nation....the government isn't about to hold itself accountable.

[Demeter]

19. Let's See What Happens In 2008

We may all be vindicated, elated, and rescued. The crooks might end up geting justice.

And then again.....