Rome, Nov. 11 (Xinhuanet) -- Italian prosecutors have requested the extradition from the United States of 22 CIA agents accused of abducting an Egyptian cleric in the Milan city in 2003, Italian dailies reported on Friday.

    In line with normal procedure, Italian prosecutor Armando Spataro has forwarded the official request to the justice ministry in Rome, which is responsible for passing it on to the US authorities, Italian newspapers La Repubblica and Corriere della Sera said.

    Abu Omar, the former imam of Milan's main mosque, disappeared mysteriously on February 17, 2003. At the time the Egyptian national was being probed by Milan investigators, suspected of having links to international terrorism.

    Italian prosecutors believe he was abducted by the CIA as part of its programme in which suspected terrorists are transferred without court approval to third countries for interrogation.

    In June this year a Milan judge signed arrest warrants for 13 people that prosecutors say made up the CIA team which carried outthe kidnapping.

    The Italian government has repeatedly said it knew nothing of the abduction. Members of the Italian political opposition parties have voiced "perplexity" that such an operation could have been carried out without authorities knowing.

    If the Italian government forwards the extradition requests to Washington, then theoretically the United States would have to hand over 20 of the named agents. Two of them are believed to have diplomatic status, so would be untouchable.

    According to Italian investigators, Abu Omar was forced into a van in broad daylight as he walked to the Milan mosque. Either then,or some time later, he was taken to the United States air base at Aviano in northern Italy, they believe. Enditem