VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #0746/01 1511444
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P 301444Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1206
RHMCSUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
INFO RUCNMER/MERCOSUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

S E C R E T BUENOS AIRES 000746 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/30/2018 
TAGS: PREL PTER KJUS KWNM KCRM KSMIG SNAR AR
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT'S MEETING WITH FBI DEPUTY DIRECTOR 
 
REF: BUENOS AIRES 00739 
 
Classified By: Ambassador E. Anthony Wayne for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D). 
 
¶1.  (S) Summary.  On May 21, Argentine President Cristina 
Fernandez de Kirchner (CFK) received FBI Deputy Director John 
Pistole.  CFK said she is committed to fight terrorism and 
not to deal with terrorists.  She criticized the 
investigation of the 1994 AMIA attack carried out in the 
1990s, although she gave no hint that indictments would be 
issued against former President Menem and other former 
government officials on the next day (reftel).  Pistole 
explained the FBI's commitment to work closely with the 
Argentine services on terrorism and international criminal 
issues.  He stressed the need for vigilance against possible 
Hizballah terrorism.  Argentine Justice and Security Minister 
Anibal Fernandez said Argentina was on alert.  He praised his 
meeting earlier in the day with Pistole (septel) and 
highlighted the possibility of FBI training for Argentine 
officials in combating cybercrimes such as child pornography. 
 Minister Fernandez also thanked the U.S. for agreeing to 
send experts to a June conference for judges and prosecutors 
on implementing Argentina's new federal law on trafficking in 
persons.  End summary. 
 
¶2.  (C) Late on May 21, Argentine President Cristina 
Fernandez de Kirchner (CFK) received FBI Deputy Director John 
Pistole.  Ambassador Wayne, Argentine Justice and Security 
Minister Anibal Fernandez and Intelligence Secretary Hector 
Icazuriaga also attended.  The Ambassador used the occasion 
to deliver President Bush's Revolution Day message, which the 
President welcomed. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) CFK started the meeting by noting that she had just 
met with the International President of MTV, who described 
MTV's substantial new investments in Argentina and its 
decision to make Buenos Aires its Spanish-language hub for 
the world.  The Ambassador noted that MTV and other U.S. 
companies were investing in Argenina because of Argentine 
creativity.  CFK replied that she welcomed that investment, 
but that sometimes Argentines were "too creative," referring 
to recent rumors about financial problems. 
 
¶4.  (C) Deputy Director Pistole said he had had an excellent 
day of talks, noting that this was his second visit to 
Argentina.  On his first trip, he participated in a 
"3-plus-1" dialogue on the terrorist connections in the 
Tri-border area.  CFK said she had earlier in the day visited 
the Province of Chaco, which borders Paraguay.  She described 
her visit to an area where an industrial park had created 
good jobs for local citizens.  She had participated in 
opening a new "state-of-the-art" denim factory built by a 
Brazilian firm.  The plant would employee 300 and supply much 
of Argentina's denim needs.  In this connection, CFK 
described the $50 billion in reserve which Argentina had 
accumulated so it could withstand economic shocks.  "We are 
way above international standards," she argued.  "But we 
still have problems, and right now we are having problems 
about how to redistribute internally the wealth we are 
generating," referring to the ongoing problem with the 
agricultural sector. 
 
¶5.  (C) Pistole said his discussions earlier with Justice 
Minister Anibal Fernandez, with the National Police Chief, 
and with various judges, prosecutors, and security officials 
at the federal and provincial levels had been very useful. 
He explained the FBI's priority on building good networks for 
information sharing as well as on offering training and 
access to new law enforcement technology systems to its 
international partners.  He expressed appreciation for the 
good cooperation of the Argentine services and said the FBI 
was looking for opportunities to help, such as in the fight 
against cybercrime. 
 
¶6.  (C) CFK said she believes historians will look back at 
9/11/2001 as an historic turning point where the world 
learned of the need for much more international cooperation 
to fight terrorism.  Argentina had already felt the effects 
from the terrorist attacks of 1992 and 1994 on Israeli and 
Jewish targets in Argentina.  "We suffered at home before the 
U.S. did ... We continue to struggle to do all we can on the 
investigation into these incidents," CFK said.  "This is a 
strong and real commitment."  CFK said she had been a member 
of the Congressional Committee in the 1990s looking at the 
criminal investigation of the 1994 AMIA bombing.  "I felt the 
investigation was not being done well and unfortunately, my 
doubts were correct...  The investigation was greatly delayed 
and things were covered up.  But, you can be sure of my 
strong commitment to fight international terrorism." 
Comment: CFK made no mention that an Argentine prosecutor in 
the AMIA case would call the next morning for the arrest of 
former President Menem and other former GOA officials for 
mishandling the first AMIA investigation in the 1990s. 
 
¶7.  (S)  Deputy Director Pistole said we all need to be 
careful that our publics not become complacent about the 
terrorist threat.  We all need to be vigilant, including in 
the United States.  He noted that the USG has many 
investigations underway on Hamas and Hizballah financing.  He 
also noted  current U.S. concern that Hizballah is planning a 
retaliatory attack for the killing of former Security Chief 
Imad Mugniyah in Damascus.  The most likely target appears to 
be an Israeli target outside of Israel.  Minister Fernandez 
noted that Argentina was aware of the renewed Hizballah 
threat and that its security and intelligence forces were on 
alert.  CFK said that unfortunately the Argentine government 
in the 1990s had made commitments to many actors in the 
Middle East and then broke some of them, making Argentina a 
target.  Fernandez added that while Venezuela worked with 
Iran, and Argentina has good ties to Venezuela, Argentina has 
kept distant from Iran.  CFK said she believes it is 
important to be "clear and transparent" on terrorism.  She 
said her government would have "no double standards on 
terrorism" and she recognizes the need to be "always alert." 
 
¶8.  (C) Pistole noted the upcoming 100-year anniversary of 
the FBI and described in detail the evolution of the FBI's 
focus and practices since 2001, especially its new emphasis 
on information sharing, analysis, and collaboration with 
other services on terrorism, counter-intelligence and 
cybercrimes, such as child pornography and child predators as 
well as trafficking in persons.  Minister Fernandez briefed 
CFK on the two anti-trafficking (TIP) experts which DHS/ICE 
was sending to a major conference he is organizing for June 
11-12 on how to implement Argentina's new federal law against 
TIP.  He said this conference will try to educate prosecutors 
and judges on the importance of implementing vigorously the 
new law.  He also told the President that the FBI would look 
into providing training to Argentina's law enforcement 
personnel in fighting cybercrime.  CFK expressed her pleasure 
and support for both initiatives and for the new focus on 
collaboration by the FBI. 
 
¶9.  (U) At the end of the meeting, CFK once again told the 
Ambassador how fascinating the U.S. presidential campaign has 
been and how it still seems far from clear who will emerge 
victorious. 
 
¶10.  (C) Comment:  CFK never mentioned or even alluded to the 
Antonini-Wilson case in Miami.  The Casa Rosada released a 
photo and TV clip of the meeting which was carried widely in 
the media.  The Argentine Intelligence Service (SIDE) 
arranged the meeting, and Justice Minister Fernandez worked 
hard to put a positive spin on U.S.-Argentine cooperation to 
the President during the meeting. 
 
¶11.  (U) Deputy Director Pistole did not have an opportunity 
to clear this cable. 
WAYNE