Italy Convicts 23 Americans In CIA Terrorist Kidnapping Case

MILAN — An Italian judge found 23 Americans and two Italians guilty Wednesday in the kidnapping of an Egyptian terror suspect, delivering the first legal convictions anywhere in the world against people involved in the CIA's extraordinary renditions program.

I know that there are a lot of differing opinions about the rendition, indefinite detention and Gulag practices of the George W. Bush administration, some of which are sadly being continued under the current Obama administration.


A few selective quotes follow.

The Americans, who were tried in absentia, now cannot travel to Europe without risking arrest as long as the verdicts remains in place.

Former Milan CIA station chief Robert Seldon Lady received the top sentence of eight years in prison. The other 22 convicted American defendants, including a former Milan consular official, Sabrina De Sousa and Air Force Lt. Col. Joseph Romano, each received a five-year sentence. Two Italians got three years each as accessories.

For some reason, given the recent cases brought in Spain, and this Italian conviction, I doubt that this will be the last.

Source

reply to post by Rhetoric

some of which are sadly being continued under the current Obama administration.

Explain to me again how you think Obama is any different than Bush, Clinton, Bush Sr., Reagan, Carter? etc etc etc

We are EMPIRE.

The ENDISNIGHE and you better wake up people.

reply to post by Rhetoric
Great find,OP s&f for you! I don't expect this story to get much attention in the MSN I'm sure we will hear from the former CIA station chief's lawyer about how this is all a huge misunderstanding or how the Italians are being good allies in the fight against terrorism.

reply to post by endisnighe

originally posted by endisnighe

Explain to me again how you think Obama is any different than Bush, Clinton, Bush Sr., Reagan, Carter? etc etc etc

This thread is neither a condemnation nor an endorsement of either, this was an informational thread about what I think is significant and overlooked by the MSM.

Not everything is about Bush or Obama.

maybe the fact that you didn't have Obama trying to defend these guys, and negotiate a deal to get them back to america, shows that he doesn't like this crap. those CIA guys dug there own hole, violated laws, and it sounds like they are not going to be helped by our president. sometimes what is not done is more instructive than what is done.

oh and by the way, the stimulus bill stopped alot of fiscal bloodshed, that could have snowballed into something much bigger. i think people should do a little more research on the economic conditions of the states and localities, before the stimulus. but, that would give credit to Obama, and we can't have that in any discussions, because that would be going against the tide.

[edit on 5-11-2009 by jimmyx]

reply to post by jimmyx

originally posted by jimmyx

maybe the fact that you didn't have Obama trying to defend these guys, and negotiate a deal to get them back to america, shows that he doesn't like this crap.

Did you read the story jimmy? What do you mean "get them back to America"? They were tried in absentia, that means that the defendants were not present for the trial.

UPDATE:

One of the 23 Americans convicted today by an Italian court says the United States "broke the law" in the CIA kidnapping of a Muslim cleric Abu Omar in Milan in 2003.

A confession from one of the convicted CIA agents. Not something you see every day, that much is clear.

"And we are paying for the mistakes right now, whoever authorized and approved this," said former CIA officer Sabrina deSousa in an interview to be broadcast tonight on ABC's World News with Charles Gibson.

Now, I believe this admission of guilt is a sort of "sour grapes" result, but still significant in my opinion.

It's an interesting follow up to the OP, worth a read.

Follow up story

Sounds like she and her team are gonna pay for trying to bring their Mission Impossible fantasies to life.Sorry Ms.deSousa but the days of just randomly kidnapping people just because the government disagrees with them are over.Yes,Obama has expressed his "disappointment." but I think we can read behind the lines these guys are on their own.

Originally posted by jimmyx
maybe the fact that you didn't have Obama trying to defend these guys, and negotiate a deal to get them back to america, shows that he doesn't like this crap. those CIA guys dug there own hole, violated laws, and it sounds like they are not going to be helped by our president. sometimes what is not done is more instructive than what is done.

oh and by the way, the stimulus bill stopped alot of fiscal bloodshed, that could have snowballed into something much bigger. i think people should do a little more research on the economic conditions of the states and localities, before the stimulus. but, that would give credit to Obama, and we can't have that in any discussions, because that would be going against the tide.

[edit on 5-11-2009 by jimmyx]

What a big lie. Do you even know how much of it has been spent? Hardly any. Bush did the first stimulus as you know.

Both were a scam and you have drunk the kool aid like the good puppy you are. Obama is the worst president since carter, and will ruin this country more than bush. Do some real research before you say stupid things. Obama has created hardly any jobs, and the data is either an outright lie or fudged to appear as more jobs. LOL you.

Perhaps the trials will free the world from the freedom that
Bush and Obama intend to give to the world.

In the 40s the US had to build up armies to fight the armies
built up in Nazi Germany.

US armed forces are now stationed around the world with
their local commanders as the Romans and British Empire and
Nazis at one time.

Giving the world its freedom back is not an option.
The only other sad result of the this internazi takeover
is the loss of Tesla technology that would truly free the world
but no has a clue with all the paid agents to keep the world
locked up in every way.