Argentina Jews reject Iran help in bombing probe

Argentina’s two main Jewish bodies rejected Friday an offer from Iran to help with a probe into a 1994 bombing that levelled a Jewish charity building in Buenos Aires, killing 85 people.

“Declarations from the Iranian government of their wish to cooperate with the Argentine government to help shed light on the terrorist attack… are not credible,” the Mutual Israeli Argentina Association (AMIA) and the Delegation of Israeli Associations in Argentina (DAIA) wrote in a a joint statement.

Foreign Minister Hector Timerman said the Iranian proposal was “positive and unheard of,” and that legal experts were studying it.

Monday marked the 17th anniversary of the attack that destroyed the seven-story AMIA building. Three hundred people were also injured in the blast.

Argentine officials allege the attack was carried out by members of the Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah on Tehran’s orders.

For years, Iran had refused to collaborate with Argentina but last Saturday, Iran’s foreign ministry said in a statement that it was “ready for a constructive dialogue” with Buenos Aires on the case.

“The offer of dialogue has no other aim than to try to reduce pressure and international isolation” on Iran, AMIA and DAIA said.

The bodies, representing most of Argentina’s 300,000 Jews, called on the government to continue the probe and uphold arrest warrants for eight Iranian ex-high-ranking officials.

An organization representing families and friends of the victims however signaled its support for government dialogue with Iran as long as it did not involve political or economic deals.

Iran declared this week that the “innocence” of its nationals accused in the bombing would be proven.

Source: AFP