WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States said Wednesday it is "disappointed" with the convictions in Italy of 23 US and two Italian secret agents for the CIA's kidnapping of an Egyptian cleric in 2003.

"We are disappointed by the verdicts against the Americans and Italians charged in Milan for their alleged involvement in the case involving Egyptian cleric Abu Omar," State Department spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters.

He declined to comment further pending a written opinion from the judge. He expected the case to be appealed.

One of the defendants included a US military officer, and the Defense Department also said it was "disappointed" with the verdict.

"Our view is the Italian court has no jurisdiction over Lieutenant Colonel Romano and should have immediately dismissed the charges," Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters.

"Now that they have not, we will, of course, explore what options we have going forward."

Morrell said that the Italian justice ministry had agreed with the US government's view and had argued that the court did not have legal authority over the officer.

The CIA's Milan station chief at the time, Robert Seldon Lady, was sentenced to eight years in prison and the other Americans to five years, all in their absence in the landmark trial.

The two Italians were given three-year prison terms following the first trial involving the transfer of a "war on terror" suspect by CIA operatives thought to have sent scores of people to countries known to torture prisoners.

Osama Mustafa Hassan, an imam better known as Abu Omar, was snatched from a Milan street on February 17, 2003, in the operation coordinated by the CIA and the Italian military intelligence agency SISMI.

The radical Islamist opposition figure, who enjoyed political asylum in Italy, was allegedly taken to the US air force base in Aviano, northeastern Italy, then flown to the US base in Ramstein, Germany, and on to Cairo where he said he was tortured.

The "extraordinary rendition" program was set up by the administration of then-president George W. Bush following the September 11, 2001, terror attacks in the United States.

"The Milan court sent a powerful message: the CIA can't just abduct people off the streets. It's illegal, unacceptable, and unjustified," said Joanne Mariner, terrorism and counterterrorism program director at Human Rights Watch. "Both the Italian and US governments should now be on notice that justice authorities will not ignore crimes committed under the guise of fighting terrorism."