| Submit your comments on this article |
| Europe |
| NYT: In Italy, Anger at U.S. Tactics Colors Spy Case |
| 2005-06-26 |
| MILAN, June 25 - The extraordinary decision by an Italian judge to order the arrest of 13 people linked to the Central Intelligence Agency on charges of kidnapping a terrorism suspect here dramatizes a growing rift between American counterterrorism officials and their counterparts in Europe. European counterterrorism officials have pursued a policy of building criminal cases against terrorism suspects through surveillance, wire-taps, detective work and the criminal justice system. It's not a war, just a job for Colombo and Joe Friday. The United States, however, has frequently used other means since Sept. 11, 2001, including renditions - abducting terror suspects from foreign countries and transporting them for questioning to third countries, some of which are known to use torture. Maybe they're at war, eh? Those two approaches seem to have collided in the case of an Egyptian cleric, Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr, or Abu Omar, who led a militant mosque in Milan. By early 2003, the Italian secret police were aggressively pursuing a criminal terrorism case against Mr. Nasr, with the help of American intelligence officials. Italian investigators said they had told the Americans they had strong evidence that he was trying to build a terror recruitment network, possibly aimed for Iraq if the United States went forward with plans to topple Saddam Hussein. On Feb. 17, 2003, Mr. Nasr disappeared. When the Italians began investigating, they said, they were startled to find evidence that some of the C.I.A. officers who had been helping them investigate Mr. Nasr were involved in his abduction. "We do feel quite betrayed that this operation was carried out in our city," a senior Italian investigator said. "We supplied them information about Abu Omar, and then they used that information against us, undermining an entire operation against his terrorist network." He and other senior Italian officials in Milan's police and prosecutor's office were angry enough to answer detailed questions about the case, but insisted on anonymity because the investigation is continuing. snip. 1/3 of entire article. At least they feel like they have to explain using anonymous sources 'cause otherwise every one would think they made up the quote. |
| Posted by:Mrs. Davis |
| #11 the Olive Garden Chili is much better than Denny's (which is also quite good) |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-06-26 23:31 |
| #10 Uh oh. I like the Olive Garden.... and Ima fool for Denny's lunch menu. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-06-26 19:53 |
| #9 Excellent point, TGA. They shouldn't be arrested for the rendition. They should be arrested for making such a hash of it. 2b: The Olive Garden is the Denny's of Italian cooking. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2005-06-26 15:34 |
| #8 The farm, like most of the CIA is a joke nowadays. They don't teach real undercover agent work. It is a big obstacle course. whee... Look the to NSA for actual fieldwork. |
| Posted by: mmurray821 2005-06-26 13:39 |
| #7 Sorry folks but after reading the report in the Washington Post and Corriere de la Sera I must say that these CIA guys acted like bloody fools and deserve to be arrested. I won't comment on the practice of "extraordinary rendition" as such but if it's necessary and done, you don't leave a paper trail behind like this to embarrass your host country that (probably) looked away deliberately. A lavish life in luxury hotels, stupid cellphone use and leaving passport copies at car rentals: Excuse me but what the hell do they teach at the farm? |
| Posted by: True German Ally 2005-06-26 13:07 |
| #6 Yawn, some leftist/commie Italian Judge did this on his own, this isn'ty the italian government, the people of italy or anything else. It's just a fellow traveler of the NYT neo-communists acting on his own. Do us a favor "Beat up a Reporter for Jebus.®" |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet 0’ Doom 2005-06-26 12:03 |
| #5 Lol, Matt! What - no convenient chicken little quotes from unnamed sources? You're too kind, bro, lol! |
| Posted by: .com 2005-06-26 12:01 |
| #4 a senior Italian investigator said I wonder if that's how they talk around the NYT office. "Yo, embattled senior reporter! A junior reporter has been quoted as saying that you grabbed her ass in the elevator. Executives in the human resources department allege that you're going to be in a quagmire amid mounting doo-doo if that's true." |
| Posted by: Matt 2005-06-26 11:54 |
| #3 according to the NYT, everything dramatizes a growing rift between America and everyone else in the world. Tell me NYT, why should I get excited over this, when the fact that America is reponsible for McDonalds and the Olive Garden food chain is probably faarr more offensive to the Average Italian than this event? |
| Posted by: 2b 2005-06-26 09:01 |
| #2 Italian investigators said they had told the Americans they had strong evidence that he was trying to build a terror recruitment network, possibly aimed for Iraq if the United States went forward with plans to topple Saddam Hussein. On Feb. 17, 2003, Mr. Nasr disappeared. They seem to think that making one of the "boss" bad guys go away was a bad thing. |
| Posted by: Mike 2005-06-26 09:00 |
| #1 decision by an Italian judge to order the arrest of 13 people linked to the Central Intelligence Agency They can have a cell next to Oriana Fallaci. |
| Posted by: gromgorru 2005-06-26 08:24 |