MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Jewish organization rejects Argentina/Iran deal to resolve 1994 bombing

AMIA president Borger, Iran can’t be trusted; they deny the holocaust and “my mother has the concentration camp stamped in her arm”

Argentina’s leading Jewish organization, AMIA, contrary to a few days ago when meeting Foreign minister Hector Timerman, rejected the deal signed by the government of President Cristina Fernandez and Iran to create an independent international ‘truth commission” to investigate the 1994 terrorist attack on AMIA and demanded the redrafting of a new accord.

AMIA president Guillermo Borger confirmed rejection of the deal which was also seriously questioned by Israel and the United States, particularly those chapters referred to the questioning of Iranian officials allegedly involved directly or indirectly in Argentina’s bloodiest terrorist attack.

“We are sure that the Argentine Government will approve this decision of a new accord, excluding the commission and a more active role for Argentine courts, because we see their good will to solve the attack, and the AMIA is making everything it can to get to the truth,” Borger assured.

“Creating a new commission, a truth commission, doesn't count with our approval because of the situation the case is in now, it is not necessary to create it when there are pending testimonies and we count with the will of the Argentine judiciary to go to Iran,” he continued.

Minister Timerman met last Tuesday with the heads of AMIA, DAIA and victims' families to explain the agreement signed with Iran to create the “truth commission,” which allows Argentine Judges to question Iran's suspects in Teheran.

Although, at first it seemed that they had agreed with what the minister explained to them, they later showed their concern to the authorities, particularly all the investigation advances by Argentine prosecutors, which “could finally be annulled” since several terms of the deal “are unconstitutional under Argentine rule of the law” .

During the bombing of the AMIA headquarters in downtown Buenos Aires, 85 people were killed and hundreds injured. The several stories building was flattened.

However DAIA and AMIA seem to be divided on the issue. “In 72 hours they have changed their minds three times. It seems internal politics are involved”, said Waldo Wolff, DAIA vice-president.

The two organizations originally had rejected the announcement, then after meeting with Timerman they requested for an annex and now they have rejected the full document.

“We need to re-draft the document, we need a new one, even when it takes time” insisted Borger who described the current deal as untimely and done without consulting the Jewish organizations, victims of the attacks.

“After 19 years and with the evidence collected by prosecutor Alberto Nisman it all seems not to the true. This is unacceptable, and Timerman admitted it could have been a mistake. There is sufficient evidence and suspects must be interrogated by Argentine judges in Argentina”, insisted Borger.

“Iran is theocratic, unreliable, can’t be trusted, fundamentalist and denies the Holocaust. My mother has the concentration camp number stamped in her arm, so they can’t tell me the holocaust never existed. We do not accept Iran as a partner to trust, and much less when it comes to signing deals”, added Borger.

The AMIA president said he was convinced Iran would never hand over any of the suspects, which includes the current Defence minister Ahmad Vahidi. “Timerman told us he has the word from the Iranian government if that was the case, but that statement does not figure in the memorandum”.