MILAN: Hours before President George W. Bush visited Italy, 26 US citizens went on trial in absentia in Milan on Friday accused of carrying out one of Washington s most controversial policies in its war on terrorism.

The US citizens, almost all believed to be CIA agents, have been charged with kidnapping a Muslim known as Abu Omar in Milan in 2003 who was on Washington s list of terrorist suspects and flying him to Egypt where he says he was tortured under interrogation.

Italian spies, including the former head of the SISMI intelligence agency, are accused of helping the US citizens carry out the so-called extraordinary rendition.