AFP: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Wednesday the United States backs Argentina in its call for Iran to extradite the suspects in a deadly bombing of a Buenos Aires Jewish center in 1994.
WASHINGTON (AFP) — US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Wednesday the United States backs Argentina in its call for Iran to extradite the suspects in a deadly bombing of a Buenos Aires Jewish center in 1994.
“Argentina and the United States cooperate closely in the fight against terrorism,” the chief US diplomat said as she appeared before the news media with Argentine Foreign Minister Hector Timerman.
“Argentina, of course, has been a victim of terrorist attacks on its own soil, and we support Argentina’s pursuit of justice for those tragic and deplorable acts,” she said.
She was alluding to the 1994 bombing of the Argentine Jewish Mutual Association (AMIA), as Argentine prosecutors allege Iran masterminded the bombing and entrusted the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah to execute it.
Argentina has issued warrants for the arrest of Iranian Defense Minister Ahmed Vahidi and five other Iranians and a Lebanese accused of planning and carrying out the bombing of the AMIA, which claimed the lives of 85 people.
In January, the United States showed it was ready to help Argentina prosecute the suspects in the attack, through its embassy in Buenos Aires.
The AMIA center was the second anti-Semitic attack in Argentina, coming two years after a car bombing destroyed the Israeli embassy, with 22 dead and 200 wounded.
