[JURIST] The Italian cabinet met Monday to relieve the head of Italy's intelligence agency of his duties, a move prompted by suspicions that he was involved in the alleged 2003 CIA kidnapping [JURIST news archive; WP timeline] of Egyptian cleric Moustafa Hassan Nasr [Wikipedia profile]. Nicolo Pollari, now the former head of the Italian Intelligence and Security Services (SISMI) [official website], has testified before parliamentary committees, denying the allegations [JURIST report] that he assisted the CIA with the alleged extraordinary rendition.

Prosecutors said last month that they had completed their investigation [JURIST report] into the incident and are once again pressing for the extradition of 26 Americans [JURIST report] believed to be involved in the alleged extraordinary rendition [JURIST news archive]. Nasr was reportedly seized by CIA agents with the help of SISMI on the streets of Milan in 2003 before being taken to an American airbase and on to Egypt. AP has more.