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Italy 'sacks' spy over CIA kidnap Italian spy shake-up amid probe
(1 day later)
The Italian government has replaced its military intelligence chief amid an inquiry into his role in an alleged CIA abduction of an Egyptian, reports say. The Italian government has named an admiral to be the country's military intelligence chief, replacing a man allegedly linked to a CIA abduction.
The head of the country's civilian intelligence agency was also sacked, although he is not being investigated. Nicolo Pollari is among several Italian agents facing an inquiry into the alleged kidnapping of an Egyptian cleric by the US spy agency in 2003.
Nicolo Pollari is among several Italian agents facing an inquiry into the alleged kidnapping of an Egyptian cleric by the US agency in 2003. The Italian navy's fleet commander, Admiral Bruno Branciforte, will now head the Sismi secret service.
He has denied any wrongdoing, but has yet to comment on the latest reports. The heads of two other Italian intelligence bodies were also replaced.
He was replaced by Admiral Bruno Branciforte after a special cabinet meeting, reports say. Franco Gabrielli will head the Sisde civilian secret service and Giuseppe Cucchi will head the national intelligence coordinating committee Cesis.
The chief of the co-ordinating agency, Emilio del Mese, was also sacked as well as Gen Mario Mori - head of the civilian intelligence agency. Prime Minister Romano Prodi, who took office in May, described it as a "natural rotation" of intelligence service chiefs.
Neither of these two men are under investigation for the alleged abduction. Covert operation
'Electric shocks' Mr Pollari faced calls for his resignation after prosecutors alleged that he and other top Sismi officials worked with the Americans to abduct cleric Osama Mustafa Hassan, who says he was taken to Egypt and tortured.
Mr Hassan, also known as Abu Omar, is believed to have been abducted from a Milan street on 17 February 2003, and flown out of the country from Aviano air base north of Venice. Prosecutors say Mr Hassan was abducted from a Milan street on 17 February 2003, and flown out of the country from Aviano air base north of Venice.
The cleric says he was taken to Egypt for interrogation, where he was tortured with electric shocks and detained under suspicion of having terrorist links. The operation was allegedly part of the CIA's "extraordinary rendition" programme for transferring terror suspects to third countries for interrogation.
The Italian government has said it had no prior knowledge of the kidnap plot. It has yet to respond to an extradition request for 26 US citizens named in the case. The Italian government has said it had no prior knowledge of the kidnap plot. It has yet to respond to a request that it ask the US to extradite 26 US citizens named in the case.
Mr Pollari has denied any wrongdoing and insisted that Italian intelligence had no role in Mr Hassan's disappearance.
Mr Hassan is believed to have arrived in Italy in 1997, where he was granted refugee status.Mr Hassan is believed to have arrived in Italy in 1997, where he was granted refugee status.
Mr Pollari had earlier denied any role in passing bogus documents to the US claiming Saddam Hussein's Iraq had tried to buy uranium from Niger.
The claim was used by US President George Bush to help justify the March 2003 invasion of Iraq.
The Italian daily La Repubblica had alleged that Sismi had circulated the Niger dossier, knowing it to be fake.