Italy summons U.S. ambassador over kidnapping by 13 CIA terrorists.
Concerns the Italian and Interpol arrest warrants for 13 CIA terrorists*:
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Italy summons U.S. ambassador over kidnapping by 13 CIA terrorists.
By Phil Stewart
ROME, June 30 (Reuters) - The Italian government denied on Thursday that it authorised an alleged CIA-led kidnapping of a terrorism suspect in Milan, and summoned the U.S. ambassador to discuss the 2003 abduction.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Carlo Giovanardi told the Senate that Rome had no prior knowledge of any such operation. He denied suggestions that authorities gave the CIA a green light to fly the Muslim cleric to Egypt, where prosecutors believe he was tortured.
"The prime minister has summoned the U.S. ambassador, who is currently off-base. As soon as he returns to Italy, probably tomorrow, he will go to Palazzo Chigi," Giovanardi said, referring to the prime minister's offices.
It was the first official comment by the Italian government since Milan Judge Chiara Nobili last week issued arrest warrants for 13 people who judicial sources say are linked to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.
The suspects, who prosecutors believe have left the country, are all tied to the kidnapping of cleric Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr, also known as Abu Omar.
Nasr was already under investigation in Italy for terrorism when he was grabbed off a Milan street on Feb. 17, 2003 and shoved into a white van.
The Italian prosecutors' office says evidence suggests he was then flown home to Egypt, handed over to authorities and subjected to "physical violence" meant to help interrogation.
His current whereabouts are not known, but a Milan Muslim community leader said Nasr was still being held in Egypt.
NO KNOWLEDGE
The Washington Post reported on Thursday that the CIA station chief in Rome had briefed and sought approval from his counterpart in Italy before Nasr's abduction, citing four CIA veterans, three with knowledge of the operation.
But Giovanardi told the Senate that the state had known nothing about the alleged kidnapping.
"The development of any such operation ... was never brought to the knowledge of the government of the republic or national institutions," he said.
"As a result, one cannot speculate that any operation of this type was authorised or that any Italian apparatus was involved."
It was the second time Italy has publicly called in U.S. ambassador Mel Sembler for talks this year. In March, Sembler was summoned by the government after U.S. troops in Iraq shot dead an Italian intelligence agent, Nicola Calipari.
But while Calipari's death sparked anger in Rome, the government reaction to the Nasr kidnapping has been muted.
"Minister Giovanardi hasn't cleared up anything," said opposition Senator Tana de Zulueta, adding that the government was "proceeding with its 'see nothing, hear nothing' code".
The names of the 13 individuals allegedly involved in the kidnapping have been published in the Italian press and opposition politicians have demanded to know whether the Italian government allowed them to slip in and out of the country.
"Regarding the supposed secret presence of individuals belonging to foreign intelligence agencies, there is no specific information before the state," Giovanardi said. [enditem]
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FPF-Url.: http://tinyurl.com/7byr6
Italy summons U.S. ambassador over kidnapping by 13 CIA terrorists.
By Phil Stewart
ROME, June 30 (Reuters) - The Italian government denied on Thursday that it authorised an alleged CIA-led kidnapping of a terrorism suspect in Milan, and summoned the U.S. ambassador to discuss the 2003 abduction.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Carlo Giovanardi told the Senate that Rome had no prior knowledge of any such operation. He denied suggestions that authorities gave the CIA a green light to fly the Muslim cleric to Egypt, where prosecutors believe he was tortured.
"The prime minister has summoned the U.S. ambassador, who is currently off-base. As soon as he returns to Italy, probably tomorrow, he will go to Palazzo Chigi," Giovanardi said, referring to the prime minister's offices.
It was the first official comment by the Italian government since Milan Judge Chiara Nobili last week issued arrest warrants for 13 people who judicial sources say are linked to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.
The suspects, who prosecutors believe have left the country, are all tied to the kidnapping of cleric Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr, also known as Abu Omar.
Nasr was already under investigation in Italy for terrorism when he was grabbed off a Milan street on Feb. 17, 2003 and shoved into a white van.
The Italian prosecutors' office says evidence suggests he was then flown home to Egypt, handed over to authorities and subjected to "physical violence" meant to help interrogation.
His current whereabouts are not known, but a Milan Muslim community leader said Nasr was still being held in Egypt.
NO KNOWLEDGE
The Washington Post reported on Thursday that the CIA station chief in Rome had briefed and sought approval from his counterpart in Italy before Nasr's abduction, citing four CIA veterans, three with knowledge of the operation.
But Giovanardi told the Senate that the state had known nothing about the alleged kidnapping.
"The development of any such operation ... was never brought to the knowledge of the government of the republic or national institutions," he said.
"As a result, one cannot speculate that any operation of this type was authorised or that any Italian apparatus was involved."
It was the second time Italy has publicly called in U.S. ambassador Mel Sembler for talks this year. In March, Sembler was summoned by the government after U.S. troops in Iraq shot dead an Italian intelligence agent, Nicola Calipari.
But while Calipari's death sparked anger in Rome, the government reaction to the Nasr kidnapping has been muted.
"Minister Giovanardi hasn't cleared up anything," said opposition Senator Tana de Zulueta, adding that the government was "proceeding with its 'see nothing, hear nothing' code".
The names of the 13 individuals allegedly involved in the kidnapping have been published in the Italian press and opposition politicians have demanded to know whether the Italian government allowed them to slip in and out of the country.
"Regarding the supposed secret presence of individuals belonging to foreign intelligence agencies, there is no specific information before the state," Giovanardi said. [enditem]
Original story by the international US information service Reuters at - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/draw2
Global Terror by Secret US Death Squads - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/5mlsy
Investigative journalist Seymour Hersh spills the secrets of the Iraq quagmire and the war on terror in this very interesting video - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/5wjwq
Fwd. by:
FOREIGN PRESS FOUNDATION
http://tinyurl.com/3tro9
Editor : Henk Ruyssenaars
http://tinyurl.com/amn3q
The Netherlands
FPF@Chello.nl
* Torture Court case against Rumsfeld moves on - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/clpbf
* Impeachbush.org is mobilizing a massive impeachment contingent at the huge September 24, 2005 anti-war March on Washington. Assemble at 12 noon at the White House. Sign up here to learn about the plans of the impeachment movement in the next month - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/cex28
*Help the troops come home! Url.: http://www.bringemhome.org - We need them badly to fight our so called 'governments' - Url.: http://www.bringthemhomenow.org/
FPF-COPYRIGHT NOTICE - In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. Section 107 - any copyrighted work in this message is distributed by the Foreign Press Foundation under fair use, without profit or payment, to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the information. Url.: http://liimirror.warwick.ac.uk/uscode/17/107.html
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