An Italian judge has issued arrest warrants for three CIA Agents and a U.S. military official for allegedly kidnapping Osama Nasr Mostafa.
An Italian judge has issued arrest warrants for four Americans — three CIA agents and a U.S. military official — in connection with the investigation into the alleged kidnapping of an Egyptian-born Muslim cleric in Milan in 2003.
Judge Enrico Manzi told CNN he also issued arrest warrants for two Italians, who are members of the Italian military intelligence service Sismi.
The warrants against the four Americans are in addition to warrants issued in December for 22 other Americans alleged to have been involved in the purported abduction.
The case revolves around the alleged kidnapping of Osama Nasr Mostafa Hassan, also known as Abu Omar, in February 2003.
At the time of his disappearance, Milan prosecutors were investigating him for alleged links to terrorism.
Prosecutors allege that a CIA team seized him, flew him to Egypt, and used torture as part of an interrogation there.
These allegations are troubling, if true. If the CIA actually kidnapped someone on Italian soil against the wishes or without the knowledge of the Italian government, then that would be a startling breach of the national sovereignty of an ally. What cause would any ally of ours have to trust us if we treat them like vassal states rather than partners? Stay tuned on this one, because even if the allegations are false, the investigation might turn up even more allegations of wrongdoing, which would tarnish America’s reputation in Europe even further.
If the allegations are true, it may well be that other allegations of active U.S. operations in Europe without authorization are true, also. Such operations in the sovereign territories of our allies might even be considered an act of war. It’s certainly an act of contempt for the valid legal considerations of our allies. If it turns out that we are behaving in this way, what’s to stop other countries from treating our sovereignty with equal contempt?
