VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #0302/01 0461932
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 151932Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7297
INFO RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 0186
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 5790
RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 5940
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 6180
RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 5941
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000302 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
USDOJ FOR AAG ALICE FISHER AND DAG BRUCE SWARTZ 
 
E.O. 12958:N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER SNAR SCUL AR
 
SUBJECT:  AG GONZALES'S MEETING WITH MINISTER OF JUSTICE IRIBARNE 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The Attorney General (AG), senior USDOJ officials, 
and the Ambassador met with the Minister of Justice and Human Rights 
Alberto Iribarne and Secretary of Justice Marcela Losardo on 
February 7 to exchange views on USG and GOA efforts to combat 
transnational crime, such as terrorism financing, money-laundering 
and human trafficking.  The Minister also outlined GOA judicial 
reform efforts, and the AG offered technical assistance to bolster 
Argentine prosecutors' trial advocacy skills.  They also discussed 
ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation under the Mutual Legal 
Assistance Treaty.  Finally, the Minister raised the case of an 
Argentine citizen on death row in Texas, and the AG assured the 
Minister that he would relay those concerns to Texan officials.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
GOA EFFORTS TO COMBAT MONEY-LAUNDERING/TERRORISM FINANCING 
 
¶2. (SBU) On February 7, the Attorney General (AG), Assistant AG 
Alice Fisher, and other senior USDOJ officials and the Ambassador 
met with the Minister of Justice and Human Rights Alberto Iribarne 
and Secretary of Justice Marcela Losardo.  The Minister began by 
highlighting recent GOA efforts to combat terrorism financing and 
money laundering.  He noted that the Kirchner administration had 
recently submitted draft legislation that would criminalize 
terrorism financing, and predicted that the bill would pass within 
the next few months.  The MOJ has also spearheaded the effort to 
develop a multi-pronged plan that would unite and coordinate the 
efforts of twenty different government agencies to fight money 
laundering. The GOA is also in the midst of restructuring and 
streamlining the agency responsible of investigating 
money-laundering activities.  The Minister also thanked the 
Ambassador for his letter praising his selection of a new chief of 
the financial crimes investigation unit (FIU). 
 
TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS 
 
¶3. (SBU) Turning to a discussion on trafficking in persons, the AG 
noted that the President has a personal interest in fighting human 
trafficking.  The Minister asserted that the GOA was also very 
concerned about this issue.  Several bills have been introduced in 
the Argentine Congress to criminalize trafficking in persons, and 
the Minister stated that he expected a bill to pass both houses 
soon.  The Minister stressed that the issue needs to be addressed 
regionally and stated that he had discussed the issue at a recent 
regional Ministerial meeting.  The AG stressed the importance of 
providing assistance to victims who are almost always undocumented 
immigrants.  The Minister stated that the GOA shares this concern. 
 
AG OFFERS ASSISTANCE FOR GOA JUDICIAL REFORM EFFORTS 
 
¶4. (SBU) Judicial reform is the Minister's highest priority project 
a key GOA objective, the Minister asserted, noting that the GOA is 
currently transitioning from an inquisitorial to an accusatorial 
judicial system.  The AG stated that the USG remains committed to 
assisting the GOA in its legal reform efforts and offered to train 
Argentine prosecutors in trial advocacy for complex prosecutions and 
in prosecuting intellectual property crimes.  The Minister thanked 
the AG for the assistance.  The Minister also told the AG about the 
Kirchner administration's efforts to gradually downsize the 
Argentine Supreme Court from nine to five justices.  The 
administration has plans ready for a broader set of judicial 
reforms; however, the issue got bogged down in a general debate 
about crime and the need for comprehensive reforms of Argentina's 
legal code, especially sensitive in an election year.  Despite these 
setbacks, there is widespread agreement on the need for, and the 
desired direction, of legal and judicial reform, the Minister 
maintained. 
 
¶5. (SBU) The AG then asked whether Argentina had significant 
problems with prison overcrowding and prison gangs.  The Minister 
responded that Argentina does not have a significant problem with 
prison gangs yet, but that the problem is growing.  Argentina's 
primary gang problem is related to narco-traffickers, the Minister 
stated. 
 
VICTOR SALDANO: ARGENTINE CITIZEN ON DEATH ROW IN TEXAS 
¶6. (SBU) In addition to discussing these issues of shared concern, 
the Minister stressed the Argentine government's concern regarding 
the situation of Victor Hugo Saldano, an Argentine citizen sitting 
on death row in a Texas prison.  The AG told the Minister that he 
was aware of the case and personally familiar with the Texan system 
for dealing with capital punishment.  He assured the Minister that 
he would relay the GOA's concerns to state officials in Texas. 
 
AG OFFERS MLAT CONSULTATIONS AND OTHER TRAINING ASSISTANCE 
 
¶7. (SBU) The AG, the Ambassador, and the Minister also explored ways 
to improve bilateral cooperation under the Mutual Legal Assistance 
Treaty.  LEGATT noted that the GOA currently has over 600 requests 
for legal assistance while the USG only has 60. While both sides 
agreed that the system was generally working well, the AG stated 
that the USG wants to strengthen bilateral cooperation on MLAT 
issues.  To that end, the AG offered to send an official from 
USDOJ's Office of International Affairs for MLAT consultations as 
well as organize a workshop to train GOA officials on how to prepare 
MLAT applications and extradition requests.  The Minister expressed 
appreciation. 
 
¶8.  (U) The Attorney General has not cleared on the language of this 
cable. 
 
WAYNE