Italy set to seek extradition of CIA officers over kidnap

ITALY is preparing to request the extradition of 13 purported CIA officers accused of kidnapping a terrorism suspect and secretly transporting him to Egypt, an Italian court official said yesterday.

Prosecutors have also asked for the help of Interpol in tracking down the suspects, all identified as United States citizens, said the official.

In announcing the arrest warrants, the Milan prosecutor's office said it will ask for American and Egyptian assistance in the case.

The terrorist suspect, an Egyptian preacher known as Abu Omar, was spirited away in 2003, allegedly as part of the CIA's "extraordinary rendition" programme in which terror suspects are transferred to third countries without court approval, subjecting them to possible torture.

The order for the arrests in the transfer of the cleric was a rare public objection to the practice by a close US ally. It brought renewed calls yesterday by left-wing opposition parties for the government to answer questions in parliament on whether Italian officials were involved.

One of the suspects described as playing a key role was named in the judge's order as the former Milan CIA station chief, Robert Seldon Lady.