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FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9668
INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA IMMEDIATE 6552
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS IMMEDIATE 1574
RUEHMU/AMEMBASSY MANAGUA IMMEDIATE 0155
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO IMMEDIATE 1016
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO IMMEDIATE 6880
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RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO IMMEDIATE 0898
RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT IMMEDIATE 0032
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0186
RHMFISS/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RHMCSUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUENOS AIRES 002191 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FBI FOR EAD MIKE MASON AND AD TOM FUENTES 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/09/2017 
TAGS: PTER PREL AR IR BR
SUBJECT: REACTION IN ARGENTINA TO POSITIVE NOVEMBER 7 
INTERPOL VOTE ON AMIA TERROR CASE 
 
 
Classified By: DCM Tom Kelly for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (C) Summary:  Argentine officials, Jewish organizations, 
and private citizens lauded the Interpol 
General Assembly's (GA) overwhelming vote for the issuance of 
international capture notices for five current and former 
Iranian government officials and one Lebanese Hizballah 
member wanted in connection with the 1994 terrorist bombing 
of the Argentine-Israeli Mutual Association (AMIA).  The 
Foreign Ministry stated that "the decision confirms the 
overriding support shown by the international community in 
helping Argentina's Justice System shed light on this 
terrible crime."  Behind the scenes, the Argentine MFA went 
out of its way to thank the USG.  The Acting Foreign Minister 
called the Ambassador to express appreciation for U.S. 
assistance.  Ambassador Wayne's public comments, based on 
Washington-cleared guidance, received wide coverage. 
 
¶2. (C) As far as we are aware, the only other governments to 
issue statements in the wake of the vote are Israel and Iran. 
 While the country votes in the GA are secret, Brazil 
informed Argentina prior to the November 7 vote that it would 
abstain (reported in the press), angering the Argentines. 
Venezuela did not send a delegation to Marrakech, with press 
speculation here that this may have been to avoid having to 
choose between Iran and Argentina.  End Summary. 
 
Argentine MFA Euphoric, Grateful to USG 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Argentine official comments, press reports and 
statements from Jewish leaders and organizations uniformly 
applauded the decisive vote November 7 in Marrakech at the 
Interpol General Assembly to support the Executive 
Committee's decision to issue international capture notices 
for five current and former Iranian government officials and 
one senior Lebanese Hizballah member wanted in connection 
with the 1994 terrorist bombing of the Argentine-Israeli 
Mutual Association (AMIA).  The Foreign Ministry's public 
statement highlighted the strong GA vote in favor of issuing 
the capture notices -- 78 for, 14 against, 26 abstentions -- 
and noted that the decision reflected the strength of 
international support for Argentina on this issue.  AMIA's 
president, Aldo Donzis, characterized the vote as "one more 
step towards the truth." 
 
¶4. (C) Acting Foreign Minister Roberto Garcia Moritan called 
the Ambassador the day after the vote to express the deep 
appreciation of Minister Taiana (who is at the Ibero-American 
Summit in Chile) and himself for U.S. support.  "Without the 
help and friendship of the United States, things could easily 
have turned out much differently," he said.  On the same day, 
GOA Special Prosecutor Alberto Nisman called Legatt from 
Marrakech to convey a similarly appreciative message 
concerning the USG's support.  He was elated at the outcome, 
and attributed it to the support and guidance we provided 
over the past two years. 
 
GOA Fuming Over Brazil's Abstention 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (C) Even during their celebration, the Argentines were in 
high dudgeon about what they regard as Brazil's betrayal at 
the General Assembly.  MFA sources tell us that they received 
a diplomatic note from Brazil on the day of the vote 
announcing that the GOB would abstain.  The MFA's draft 
post-vote press release included a thinly veiled slap at 
Brazil, thanking "those countries that had understood the 
true impact and consequence of this sad situation, and had 
shown this by concrete action through their votes."  Foreign 
Minister Taiana deleted the line, MFA sources tell us. 
 
¶6. (SBU) But the MFA made sure that their displeasure became 
public.  They backgrounded the press about the diplomatic 
note to ensure that the story was widely reported.  The press 
articles contained speculation (which we have heard directly 
from GOA figures like Nisman) that the abstention reflected 
the GOB's supposed desire not to further entangle the 
 
triborder area (TBA) in the AMIA case. (The investigation 
shows that the suicide bomber traveled through the TBA, 
likely receiving material and logistical support from 
individuals there.)  In an email to the DCM, a well-connected 
MFA source wrote that "the position of Brazil on this issue 
really bothers us, especially considering its aspirations to 
represent us regionally in the UN." 
 
Few Statements by Other Countries, and Nothing More Expected 
--------------------------------------------- --------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) Israel and Iran are the only other governments that 
made statements after the vote, insofar as we are aware. 
Israel's ambassador to Argentina was quoted here voicing 
Israel's strong support for Argentina's cause, and noting 
that the Marrakech vote clearly identifies Iran as a state 
sponsor of terrorism.  The Iranian charge d'affaires, Mohsen 
Baharvand, stressed that the Interpol decision was a 
procedural step, not a judgment on the merits of the case. 
He claimed that "Argentina had two options: accept our 
cooperation to really get to the truth or resort to Interpol, 
and it chose Interpol."  Press reports also include Tehran's 
condemnation of the Interpol vote, claiming that Israel and 
U.S. had pressured Interpol and were politicizing the 
institution. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) An MFA source told DCM November 8 that the GOA did 
not intend to elicit statements of support on the matter from 
other governments, even within Latin America.  He said that 
the MFA was worried that such a campaign would place some 
Latin American governments (e.g., Ecuador) that voted with 
Argentina in an uncomfortable position.  DCM asked whether 
the GOA would use this week's Ibero-American Summit to 
discuss the case; he replied that he did not expect so.  The 
Ambassador told the Acting Foreign Minister that we looked 
forward to discussing next steps with the GOA. 
 
Bolivarian Solidarity? 
---------------------- 
 
¶9.  (SBU)  Some press reports also noted that Venezuela chose 
not to send a delegation to Marrakech.  The press attributed 
this as a conscious decision by Caracas to avoid choosing 
between Iran and the Kirchner government.  We have heard 
similar speculation from the MFA, which was relieved by the 
BRV's absence from the Marrakech meeting. 
 
U.S. Embassy Statement 
---------------------- 
 
¶10. (SBU) Embassy released the Washington-cleared statement 
of support late afternoon November 7, which included the 
Ambassador's comment that "we support the Argentine judicial 
system's actions to bring the perpetrators of this attack to 
justice, and applaud the efforts by Argentine authorities to 
support that objective."  It received wide coverage today. 
 
WAYNE