Trial Opens Against CIA Agents
Friday June 8, 2007 12:31 PM
By COLLEEN BARRY
Associated Press Writer
MILAN, Italy (AP) - The first trial involving the CIA's extraordinary rendition program opened in Italy on Friday in the absence of all 26 American defendants accused of kidnapping an Egyptian terrorist suspect.
The trial, which has been an irritant in the historically robust U.S.-Italy relationship and coincides with the planned arrival in Rome of President Bush, was not expected to start in earnest, however.
The government has asked Italy's highest court to throw out indictments against 26 Americans - all but one of them believed to be CIA agents - accused of abducting Osama Moustafa Hassan Nasr, also known as Abu Omar, from a Milan street on Feb. 17, 2003.
The Constitutional Court is expected to consider that and another similar appeal in the autumn, and participants in the trial said they expected defense requests to postpone the trial until after the high court rules.
In addition to the Americans, seven Italians were also indicted in the case, including Nicolo Pollari, the former chief of military intelligence. Pollari, who was not present Friday, has denied any involvement by Italian intelligence in the abduction.
Pollari's lawyer, Titta Madia, said Friday he would ask for an immediate suspension of the proceedings pending the Constitutional Court ruling, so that both sides know which evidence can be used.
It is in our interest that the trial proceeds as quickly as possible,'' Madia told reporters before the hearing began. In general, Pollari would like to arrive at an acquittal as soon as possible, but we need to have certainty about which evidence we can use.''
A trial has the potential to publicly air details about the U.S. renditions - moving terrorism suspects from country to country without public legal proceedings - a consequence that has been heralded by critics of the practice. It also has the power to embarrass the intelligence community over the handling of a highly secret operation....
