Italy told the United States toy to respect Italian sovereignty following the alleged CIA kidnapping of a Muslim terrorism suspect in Milan in 2003.
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi summoned US ambassador Mel Sembler for a nearly hour-long meeting after accusations the ally broke Italian law by seizing the cleric and taking him to Egypt, where prosecutors believe he was tortured.
Italy has denied prior knowledge of any kidnapping.
“Berlusconi received ... the United States ambassador, Mel Sembler, to whom he explained the indispensable demand that the United States fully respect Italian sovereignty,” the prime minister's office said in a statement.
The US embassy, which has declined to comment on the case, said Mr Sembler told Mr Berlusconi that the US policy was to always respect Italy's sovereignty.
Prosecutors believe Muslim cleric Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr, also known as Abu Omar, was grabbed off the street in Milan on Feb. 17, 2003, and secretly flown to Egypt. They said evidence showed he was tortured by Egyptian authorities during questioning.
A Milan judge last week issued arrest warrants for 13 people for the kidnapping of Nasr. Judicial sources say all 13 are linked to the US Central Intelligence Agency.
Italian media reported today that prosecutors were seeking arrest orders for an additional “six CIA agents” which the judge initially denied.
It was the second time that Italy publicly summoned Sembler this year. In March, the US ambassador was called in after US troops killed an Italian intelligence agent in Iraq, provoking a national outcry.
No disciplinary action was taken against the US soldiers.
Nasr's disappearance was a loss to investigators eyeing his alleged role in recruiting Islamic militants.