MILAN, Italy, Dec. 6 (UPI) -- Italian prosecutors are forging ahead with kidnapping charges against 22 CIA agents, claiming they took a Muslim cleric to Egypt and ruined an investigation.
The incident dates to March 2003, when cleric Abu Omar vanished in Milan. He had been under surveillance by Italian anti-terror authorities, who said in court they were close to making an arrest.
At the time, the CIA advised their Italian counterparts Abu Omar had fled into the Balkans, The Washington Post said. But now, Italian prosecutors allege that was a lie and that the CIA had taken the suspect to two U.S. military bases in succession and then flew him to Egypt, where he was interrogated and allegedly tortured by Egyptian security agents before being released to house arrest.
Prosecutors and judges are seeking to compel the United States to extradite the alleged CIA operatives, but Justice Minister Roberto Castelli has so far not given his approval in what is usually a formality.
