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Two suspects of the Buenos Aires AMIA bombing, presidential candidate in Iran

Friday, May 24th 2013 - 06:46 UTC
Full article 4 comments
Defence minister General Ahmed Vahidi is another suspect of the terrorist attack Defence minister General Ahmed Vahidi is another suspect of the terrorist attack

Two suspects in the bombing of the AMIA Jewish centre in Buenos Aires are candidates in Iran’s presidential election. Mohsen Rezai and Ali Akbar Velayati, who are believed to have planned the 1994 attack, were among the eight candidates approved for the June 14 election by Iran’s Guardian Council to succeed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The Iranian constitution bars Ahmadinejad from seeking re-election.

Rezai is under an international arrest warrant, or red notice, from the Interpol international police agency.

Argentina has accused the Iranian government of masterminding and directing the bombing, which killed 85 and injured 300, and the Lebanon-based terror group Hezbollah of carrying it out. No arrests have been made in the case.

Six Iranians have been on Interpol’s most wanted list since 2007 in connection with the bombing, including the current defence minister, Gen. Ahmed Vahidi.
 

Meanwhile, the Argentine Foreign Ministry said Tuesday in a statement that Argentina has received “no formal notification” about Iran’s official approval of an agreement for the two countries to jointly probe the AMIA attack.

Iran’s business commissioner to Buenos Aires, Ali Pakdaman, had said a day earlier that Ahmadinejad officially approved the agreement to create a Truth Commission investigating the bombing.

The statement issued by the office headed by Foreign Minister Hector Timerman said that only when the formal notification is received by the foreign ministries of Argentina and Iran will “the deal be put into operation”.

Iran also is believed to be behind the 1992 car bombing that destroyed the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires, killing 29 and injuring 242.

Contrary to Argentina where the controversial memorandum strongly rejected by the Jewish community, was passed by congress after a long acrimonious debate, in Iran it only carried the approval signature of a much discredited Ahmadinejad.

 

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  • GFace

    I think we all knew what that memorandum of responsibility between Iran and Argentina was really about. Ironic that this story sits close to the one on the Ford executives getting their comeuppance years late and an unthinkable number of inflated pesos short. Of the very few places where I'm sympathetic to the Kirchnerites was their alleged intent balancing the ledgers from the Dirty War despite de facto amnesty of all the dirty war criminals and their toadies making it an intractable problem. It's hard to look at one and the the other and think that all of it is just for show.

    May 24th, 2013 - 07:43 am 0
  • Optimus_Princeps

    @1 I'm glad that those who played key roles in the Dirty War are being held accountable. However, I tell you that it has more to do with what is convenient for the K's and not what is right.

    It will help their credibility, but they selectively choose cases that do this. Remember that atrocities are happening today. There is a new “Dirty War”. The morally depraved (many of which are unemployed and collecting welfare) freely commit crimes such as rape, murder, theft and animal abuse without any worry of repercussions. In fact, many of them are being set free to participate in CFK's rallies.

    They may not be the military, but they are just as dangerous, and unlikely to be held accountable. Many have been jailed for defending themselves. What does that tell you?

    May 24th, 2013 - 11:51 am 0
  • Pete Bog

    Argentina will still talk to the guy if he becomes Iranian president, as they prefer regimes such as Syria Iran Cuba etc.

    All the nations the USA adores.....

    May 24th, 2013 - 09:54 pm 0
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