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The War Profiteers - War Crimes,
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February 13th,
2007 - Egypt: Muslim Cleric Promised to Keep Quiet About his CIA-Abduction |
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Egypt: Muslim
Cleric Promised to Keep Quiet About his CIA-Abduction ADN Kronos International February 13, 2007 Cairo - A Muslim cleric
allegedly abducted by CIA agents in Italy and then detained in Egypt was
released by Egyptian authorities on condition he did not reveal anything
about his kidnapping, independent Egyptian daily Al Masri al Yom reported on
Tuesday. Osama Mustafa Hassan Nasr, an Egyptian Muslim cleric also known as
Abu Omar, was allegedly kidnapped in February 2003 in Milan under the
so-called 'extraordinary renditions' - the secret transfer by the US of
terror suspects to detention centers around the world. The event sparked interest
and, from some quarters, outrage in Italy - where top Italian and US
intelligence officials are on trial for the abduction - but has raised very
little interest in Egypt, where Abu Omar was subsequently detained for four
years. Pro-government newspapers
gave very little attention to the news of the cleric's release from jail,
where he claims he was tortured. Indeed local authorities
have never officially admitted they were detaining him and Milan prosecutors
investigating his abduction asked Egypt twice in vain to question him from
October 2004 to mid 2006 without receiving a reply. Only Masri Al Yom on Tuesday
published an article on Abu Omar's case, reporting on his alleged abduction
and adding new details to his story. "According to our
sources, the imam was freed after signing a statement while he was detained
in the Torah prison in which he vowed not to leave his home and country to
testify in Italy at a trial against 23 people including many CIA agents
accused by magistrates of playing a role in his kidnapping," the paper
reported. Abu Omar also reportedly
promised not to speak to journalists on the issue, nor sue, as he had
promised, Italian government officials nor testify against US intelligence agents. The cleric's lawyer
Montasser al Zayat refused to either confirm or deny this report but said his
client would sue Italian opposition leader Silvio Berlusconi, who was premier
when Abu Omar was kidnapped, and ask for 10 million dollars in compensation. The cleric's family says
Egyptian police brought him back home on 11 February. Abu Omar has reportedly
since moved to a secret location known only to the cleric's family and
Egyptian authorities. External link: http://www.adnki.com/index_2Level_English.php?cat=Politics&loid=8.0.385755445&par= |