BUENOS AIRES, Argentina Citing a lack of progress and growing internal opposition, Argentine President Cristina Fernndez de Kirchner has said that she will abrogatethe pact signed with Iran with an alternative plan to be implemented in its place.Fernndez de Kirchner made the comments as she spoke to the nations Congress about the legislative year ahead, which usually spans from March to March. In addition to speaking about her political opposition, the crisis in Venezuela and the economy, she mentioned the pact made with Iran last year.
The wheels were set in motion last month when the Delegacin de Asociaciones Israelitas Argentinas (DAIA), an umbrella organization of Argentine Jews, made yet another plea for the government to cancel their cooperation with Iran in the case.
Dr. Julio Schlosser, the President of DAIA, met with Argentinas Foreign Minister, Hctor Timerman, to discuss the investigation. Timerman has been involved with the Iran pact since its inception, and Dr. Schlosser decided to finally make another push against the pact when Timerman, a Jew himself, admitted that there was very little progress made with Iran.
Dr. Schlosser said that it is crucial that the government recognises this lack of progress because from day one, we have said that Tehran is not an appropriate intermediary, and also from that day, we have always said that we disagree with the Truth Commission.
In January of 2013, the governments of Argentina and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a Truth Commission, intended to investigate the bombing cooperatively within the legal framework of both countries. The memorandum was approved by the Congress of Argentina but in the first sign of friction, took nearly a year to be ratified by the Iranian parliament.
Fernndez de Kirchner had repeatedly expressed her frustration at the lack of developments within the agreement, especially in recent weeks, and Timerman further revealed that dialogue with Iran has been at a standstill since early December of 2013. At the same time, opposition lawmakers in the Argentine Senate have also pledged to do all they can to have the agreement with Iran canceled.
All of these factors contributed to Fernndez de Kirchners most recent comments made at the hearing on legislative plans. She said that she challenges Argentine Jewish institutions and opposition politicians and blocs to work on an alternative project in order to find justice.
The incident in question dates back to July 18, 1994 when a catastrophic bomb attack destroyed the the AMIA building in Buenos Aires, killing 85 people and injuring well over 300 more. The building housed the Asociacin Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA), a Jewish organization and community center. It is thought that Hezbollah was behind the attack at the behest of the Iranian government, an allegation that Iran has repeatedly denied.
In December, the President recalled, I met with Hctor (Timerman) and the leaders of the AMIA Jewish Center, and I respectfully asked them to prepare an alternative, one that is different from the current Memorandum of Understanding and Truth Commission plans, to finding the facts.
This will have to be done, of course, within the margins of international law and due judicial process, she added.
The Argentine leader concluded by making a promise that as President, I pledge to terminate the current agreement with Iran and carry out and implement what they (Timerman and AMIA officials) propose. Memory, truth and justice should not just be a slogan in Argentina, she said, referring to the public holiday held every March 24th in the country with the aim of remembering the victims of the Dirty War (1976-1983).
For its part, the DAIA said that they welcome the words of Fernndez de Kirchner, confirming that they are, indeed, working on other alternatives. First, however, it is necessary that the memorandum with Iran is abolished, and if it is not, we will launch a national campaign to negate the Memorandum of Understanding as we feel this is the step needed to advance, said Waldo Wolff, DAIAs Vice-President.
The AMIA attack came two years after the March 1992 bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires that killed 29 and wounded nearly 250 people. A high-ranking official of the ruling Netanyahu administration is set to travel to Buenos Aires later this month to mark the anniversary, and the news of deteriorating relations with Iran should serve as a boon to Argentine-Israeli relations, which have been steadily warming.
Dr. Alberto Nisman, the Argentine prosecutor charged with leading the investigation into AMIA, also welcomed the Presidents words. Dr. Nisman was always against involving Iran directly in the investigations, and urged Argentinas Supreme Court to declare the memorandum signed with Tehran unconstitutional.
Nstor Kirchner, former President of Argentina (2003-2007), declared the initial investigation of the bombing a national disgrace, and issued a decree that, among other things, placed more importance on the case and within a year (2005), the respective judicial teams of Argentina, Israel, and the US concluded that Hezbollah was behind the bombings at the behest of the Iranian government.
In Argentinas civic society, which holds the largest Jewish community in the Americas after the United States at over 300,000 people, there was always apathy, mistrust and mockery toward the agreement from local and international Jewish groups.
By In Serbia News
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