MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Setback for Timerman: judge files case involving US Air Force aircraft

The loquacious Argentine Foreign Affairs minister Hector Timerman

A new delicate situation has emerged for Argentina’s Foreign Affairs minister Hector Timerman after a judge decided to file the case involving the seizing of allegedly “sensitive material” from a US Air Force aircraft that landed in Buenos Aires main airport last month.

“After carefully reviewing reports from the Customs agency, Judge Marcelo Aguinsky has decided to file the case involving the seizing of “sensitive material” from a US Air Force plane” said judicial sources quoted by the Buenos Aires media.

Sources confirmed that the Argentine Customs Agency provided a detailed report of all the seized material, after being ordered by court to submit it or run the risk of being fined with $10,000 Pesos for each day they fail to turn in the document. The judge ruled that no crime was committed.

The inspection operation was personally supervised by Foreign Minister Timerman, who ordered the authorities to seize hundreds of weapons, communication devices and expired medication. The aircraft arrived with equipment and personnel to help train Buenos Aires police following a long established agreement that has been on going for years.

Timerman at the time accused the aircraft to have ‘undeclared cargo” and said the US military personnel were going to teach Argentine police forces how “to torture”. He said it was most inappropriate for military personnel to train law enforcement officers.

The move sparked a diplomatic conflict with the US, since the Obama administration has repeated several times “they want their stuff back.”

“The facts are proving that the United States was right and hadn’t violated any law”, said US sources in Buenos Aires who are still ‘surprised’ by the whole incident and “how it was blown out of all proportions to an almost conflict”.

At first Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner elliptically supported her Foreign Affairs minister and several cabinet members were involved in a barrage of accusations and ironies.

Furthermore Argentina demanded the US government for “an official apology” over the incident because of the allegedly ‘undeclared’ material.

However during the last two weeks the conflict which erupted February 10 gradually slipped down from Buenos Aires media headlines.

What will the political consequences of the incident for Minister Timerman, if any, are yet to be seen.