Report: Germany won't chase CIA suspects

BERLIN, Sept. 22 (UPI) -- Germany reportedly will not pursue extradition of 13 U.S. intelligence operatives who may have kidnapped a German terrorism suspect.

The German magazine Der Spiegel will report Monday that Berlin decided to drop its effort after the CIA indicated it would not cooperate.

Arrest warrants for the agents were issued last winter in the investigation into the alleged illegal detention of Khaled el Masri, a Lebanese-born German national, in Macedonia in 2003. Masri said he was spirited off to Afghanistan where he was tortured by U.S. goons.

Masri was eventually cleared of any connection to terrorism.

Deutsche Welle reported Saturday that officials told the magazine the German government decided to drop its extradition efforts in order to avoid divisiveness within Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition government.