Italian Lawyers Seek Rice Testimony in Egyptian Kidnapping Case

MILAN, Italy — Lawyers for a former Italian intelligence chief want to call Secretary of State Rice as a witness in the trial of 26 Americans charged in the alleged kidnapping of an Egyptian cleric.

The request filed yesterday by a defense lawyer, Nicolo Madia, is based on testimony saying Ms. Rice was in charge of the CIA's extraordinary rendition program.

A former military intelligence director, Nicolo Pollari, is among several Italians also charged in the 2003 abduction of Osama Moustafa Hassan Nasr from Milan.

The cleric later surfaced in Egypt, where he says he was tortured. Mr. Nasr was suspected of recruiting terrorists.

Judge Oscar Magi will decide on the request at the end of the trial's evidence phase.