Italy Convicts 23 Americans for CIA Kidnapping of Cleric

An Italian judge convicted a base chief and 22 other Americans, almost all CIA operatives, for kidnapping a Muslim cleric from the streets of Milan in 2003, the New York Times reported Monday. The case was a victory for Italian prosecutors and for critics of the Bush administration's terrorism-fighting tactics, which included the illegal kidnapping-and-interrogation routine known as extraordinary rendition.

All 23 Americans were convicted in absentia and given sentences ranging from five to eight years. The defendants pleaded not guilty through their court-appointed defense lawyers, and the U.S. government has refused extradition requests. Three other Americans were given diplomatic immunity in the case; the others will be considered fugitives.