CIA convictions

MILAN, Italy, Nov. 5 (UPI) -- CIA operatives have been sentenced by an Italian court to serve prison terms for their roles in the "extraordinary rendition" of a Muslim cleric.

twenty-three Americans, most affiliated with the CIA, were found to have kidnapped terror-suspect Osama Moustafa Hassan Nasr from a street in Milan, Italy, in February 2003 and sent him to Egypt where he said he was tortured.

Italian Judge Oscar Magi Wednesday said the CIA's former lead operative in Milan should serve eight years in prison for his part in Nasr's abduction and 22 other Americans were given five-year jail terms. All of the Americans, who pleaded innocent to the charges, were tried in absentia and aren't expected to serve prison time.

The case was symbolic in that it was the first instance of the Bush administration-approved policy being subject to legal condemnation. "Extraordinary rendition" allowed for people with suspected ties to terror groups to be taken prisoner and sent for interrogation to third countries where, it is believed, the suspects could be tortured by agents of the third-party country.

Nasr was suspected of recruiting Muslims to go to Iraq to fight an expected U.S. invasion. He has filed lawsuits seeking about $14 million in damages from the defendants in the Italian case.