The Rustlers

Riding on the range,
I've got my hat - on,
I've got my boots - dusty
I Wanna Be A Cowboy lyrics, Boys Don't Cry

Well, another of our long-term allies is taking legal action against U.S. illegal renditions. Italy has indicted 25 suspected CIA agents and a U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel Friday "in the kidnapping of an Egyptian cleric who had been under investigation for recruiting Islamist fighters."

Bear in mind that both Italy and Germany, which recently tried a similar case, are long-term NATO allies with real interests in defeating terrorism. Both nations have treaties and legal ties to American terrorism counteraction policies since the 1970's.

Both nations struggled with domestic terrorist groups (RAF and Red Brigade), and ultimately neutralized those groups within their borders. This was done through police and intelligence, and correct court procedure. Constitutional frameworks guided these efforts.

One example of following correct protocol when dealing with terrorists is the Red Brigade kidnapping of Brigadier General Dozier in 1982. The manhunt for Dozier was orchestrated by Italian police, and his subsequent rescue was achieved through an armed Italian police raid upon a Red Brigade safe house. All done with cooperation, legality and allied partnership acting in tandem. This was when America knew how to cooperate with allies and to uphold the rule of law.

Now we have a faux cowboy for president, and so cowboy tactics are de riguer. Unfortunately for America, cowboys do not understand international law regarding extradition protocol. You can't just rustle up a suspect off the street like so many wayward sheep.

It appears that an Italian court is about to teach us an old law that is clear and distinct to the rest of the world: kidnapping is not a legal option when dealing with suspected criminals, including terrorists. Even if you do affix the suffix "rendition," which has a legal definition, to the extraordinary prefix, it is kidnapping by any other name.

This is serious business, having paid government operatives acting outside of the purview of the rule of law. Last time this happened, our country underwent the resignation of a president. One must wonder why there is no congressional reaction to this illegal approach to the phony GWB war on terror.

One must further wonder: Why is America in NATO if our national leaders are unwilling to work with our allies?