MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Seized cargo incident: US government “has no reason to apologize” to Argentina

US Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs Philip Crowley (Photo AFP)

US Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs Philip Crowley assured that the US government “has no reason to apologize” to Argentina in the case of the “sensitive materials” that were seized in a US Air Force plane by the local government last week, amid accusations of “attempting to smuggle surveillance and communications equipment.”

“There’s no reason for us to make up any excuses. We’re still talking to Argentina and working as best as we can in order to solve this conflict,” Mr. Crowley explained in a press conference.
The secretary assured that both countries “share a history of close cooperation,” so the US government is still “surprised and concerned about the local government’s reaction.”

Earlier Wednesday, Cabinet Chief Aníbal Fernández defended decisions regarding the ‘customs mistake’ committed after the United States Air Force aircraft’s ‘sensitive material’ was impounded, by stating 'Argentina obeys sovereignty laws.'

Fernández explained that ‘there is an Argentine law to be obeyed within the frame of national sovereignty, stating that we respect our country’s laws as we respect those of other countries”.

The Cabinet Chief was referring to articles 954 and 977 of the Customs Code therein stating that, ‘if something is brought in undeclared, Customs are to take possession of the articles, up to destroying them if deemed necessary”.

Fernandez in earlier statements called on the Pentagon to “oblige” Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for the Western Hemisphere Frank Mora “to personally apologize” to Argentina’s Foreign Affairs minister for having described him as a “liar”.

“Mora even dared to call our Foreign Secretary (Hector Timerman) a liar. I expect the US Defence Department will call on him to apologize because we have documents that show there was a deliberate attempt to introduce into Argentina undeclared materials and equipments”, said Fernandez.

Buenos Aires analysts agree the Globemaster confiscated cargo incident has blown out of all proportion but also believe Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and her foreign affairs secretary Timerman are frustrated and furious with the fact that US President Barack Obama is visiting neighbouring Chile and Brazil and not Argentina.

Furthermore Mrs. Kirchner can’t forget the incident with a suitcase stuffed with almost a million US dollars which was caught by Customs in the Buenos Aires airport (allegedly funds from Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez for her presidential campaign). The Argentine leader is convinced it was a setup to derail her campaign and that Washington was behind the affair which had a great impact in the US political establishment.