by Mario
How it starts:
1987–88 Iran signed three agreements with Argentina’s National Atomic Energy Commission. The first Iranian-Argentine agreement involved help in converting the U.S. supplied Tehran Nuclear Research Centre (TNRC) reactor from highly enriched fuel to 19.75% low-enriched uranium, and to supply the low-enriched uranium to Iran.
December 1992: The US Embassy in Buenos Aires informs the Argentine government that a continuation of the Iran-Argentine nuclear cooperation agreement is not acceptable to Washington.
In March 1992 the Israel Embassy and in July 1994 the Jewish AMIA building blew up, allegedly caused by car bombs.
Independent Argentine investigations and the initial Charles Hunter (FBI) report shows that both explosions, based on the surrounding damage, is inconsistent with the alleged car bomb theory.
Contrary to all material evidence, the Israeli government and thereafter Washington pressure President Carlos Saul Menem to insist that the alleged car bombs were placed by Iranians in cooperation with Hezbollah.
The judicial process ends nowhere until President Nestor Kirchner appoints judge Nisman in 2005 to start a fresh investigation. Nisman has close contacts with the US Embassy, US attorneys dealing with anti-terrorism investigations and some members of Argentine's SIDE (Intelligence Secretariat).
In 2013 Nisman instructs Interpol to issue warrants against a myriad of notable Iranians and a Lebanese:
- Hashemi Rafsanjani, then President of Iran
- Ali Akbar Velayati, then Foreign Minister
- Ali Fallahijan, then Chief of Intelligence
- Mohsen Rezai, then Commander of the Revolutionary Guard
- Imad Mougnieh, Chief of the External Security Service of Hezbollah
- Ahmed Vahidi, then Commander of the "Al Quds" (Jerusalem) Forces
- Mohsen Rabbani, former diplomatic representative in Argentina
- Ahmad Ashagri, former diplomatic representative in Argentina
- Hadi Soleimanpour, former Ambassador of Iran in Argentina."
President Cristina de Kirchner expressed several times her disbelieve in the Iranian connection (some US officials have publicly questioned whether there was evidence for Iranian involvement [James Cheek]) and used Washington's recent opening of consultations with Iran as an opportunity to negotiate an Iran-Argentine "truth commission" to be made up of five independent judges, none of whom will be from the two countries.
The opposition and the Jewish lobby challenged this agreement.
Finishing touch:
There will be elections in Argentina soon and Cristina de Kirchner cannot be re-elected and there is a wide polarization of candidates contesting the mandate, but the polls show that Kirchner's supported Scioli could win on the second round.
Enter Judge Nisman: He files a complaint that President Cristina de Kirchner had conducted secret negotiations with Iran through non-diplomatic channels, offering to cover up the involvement of Iranian officials (dropping the Interpol warrants) so Argentina could start swapping grain for much-needed oil from Iran. He orders the freezing of all assets of Cristina de Kirchner.
The complaint is based on “alleged evidence” given by (Stiuso who allegedly had good contacts with MOSSAD) the recently fired boss of counter-intelligence of SIDE and other obscure agents.
The opposition media circulates this complaint widely, ignoring the official statement of Interpol that there was never a request from the Argentine government to drop warrants against the Iranians.
The complaint has no legal base if there was an “intend” to cover up. Argentine law penalizes the act and not the intend, this is being ignored again by the opposition media.
The day judge Nisman is invited by the opposition to appear in Congress, he is found dead in his apartment.
While Nisman's complaint would not have lasted few days, his death (suicide or not) will elevate him as a victim of Government conspiracy, the media will insist on this.
Social networks did quickly convert the “Je suis Charlie” to 'Yo soy Nisman' and public demonstrations are being organized daily and numbers are increasing.
Missing still is somebody from the US Embassy distributing cookies.
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Note from the Saker:
For context, please see:
http://vineyardsaker.blogspot.com/2008/01/hezbollah-didnt-do-argentine-bombing.html