Italian Court Convicts 23 Americans In CIA Rendition Case

On Wednesday an Italian court convicted 22 C.I.A. agents and a U.S. Air Force Colonel for the extraordinary rendition of a Muslim cleric. The former head of the C.I.A. station in Milan, Robert Lady, was sentenced to 8 years for orchestrating the seizure. Most of the others tried were given 5 year sentences.

The cleric was flown to Egypt where he says he was tortured at the behest of the C.I.A. This is the first time C.I.A. agents have faced criminal trial for the practice of extraordinary rendition. The Americans were tried in absentia. The prosecutor says he will seek their extradition from the United States. Read more at The Guardian and Washington Post.

CIA adjusts Afghan population estimations

The CIA released a "significantly revised figure" for Afghanistan's population last week. The CIA's new number is 5.2 million lower than its previous estimates.

The inability of the United States to accurately gauge Afghanistan's demographics could contribute to further delay in President Obama's decision regarding troop escalation. General McChrystal's proposal focuses on the protection of civilians under a new counterinsurgency strategy- a task which could be difficult to achieve without an accurate tally of Afghanistan's population. The CIA Fact Book had regularly reported Afghanistan's population to be near 32 million, while other civilian sources were reporting the population to be closer to 27 million. Read more at the Washington Post.

Brother of Afghan Leader is Said to be on C.I.A. Payroll

Today, the NY Times report that Afghan President Hamid Karzai's brother, Ahmed Wali Karzai, has been receiving payments from the C.I.A. for the past 8 years. Ahmed Karzai is suspected to be a major player in the Afghanistan opium trade, which is the largest opium supplier in the world.

US officials said that Ahmed Karzai helps the C.I.A. operate the Kandahar Strike Force, a paramilitary force that is used in raids against insurgent groups; he is paid for allowing the C.I.A. and American Special Operations to rent a large compound outside of Kandahar; he also helps the C.I.A. communicate and meet with Afghan's loyal to the Taliban.

CIA's Continued Resistance to Document Release

Friday, the NYT reported on the CIA's continued resistance to revealing documents from 1963 related to Lee Harvey Oswald and a Cuban anti-Castro organization. The article highlights the tension between entrenched national security practices and the Freedom of Information Act.