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Argentina's Cozy Relations with Iran

Argentina'sCozyRelationswithIran
byAnnaMahjarBarducci
December16,2011at4:20am
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/2675/argentinairanrelations
HectorTimermanrecentlyrebuttedanarticle,"ArgentinaFlirtswithIranastheWestWatchesNervously,"
publishedbyReutersinwhichReutersunderlinesBuenosAires'"quietlyreachingouttoIran,worryingkey
WesternpowersandIsraelastheytrytotightenTehran'sinternationalisolationoveritsnuclearprogram."
ReutersalsoquotedunnameddiplomatsassayingthatArgentina'smotivesforwarminguptoIranare
unclear:"InadditiontoboostingtradewithIran,someenvoyssaidArgentinawaspursuingaBrazilianstyle
foreignpolicyemphasizingtieswithnonaligneddevelopingnations,"
Timerman'sreplywasimmediate.InTelam,thenationalnewsagencyofArgentina,theMinister,while
accusingReutersofhavingrefusedtopublishhisreplytothearticle,stronglydefendedArgentina'srelations
withIran.TimermansaidthatthegrowthofthebilateraltradewithIranwasnottheresultofthepolitical
willofthegovernment,butratherofprivateagents.Headdedthathefeltirritatedbytheallegationthathe
hadofferedtheIranianstoabandontheinvestigationintothe1994terroristattackinBuenosAiresagainst
theArgentineIsraeliteMutualAssociation(AMIA):"OurcommitmentistothevictimsofAMIAandtothe
desireofjusticesharedbyalltheArgentines.Iran'scooperation[tosolvetheAMIAcase]isrelevantto
advancethiscause,andthatexplainsasanecessarygestureofgoodwillthefactthatourU.N.delegatedid
notabandonhisseatwhiletheIranianPresidentwasmakinghispresentationbeforetheGeneralAssembly."
Timerman'sletter,however,appearscontradictoryandfullofmeaninglessexplanations.Heaffirmsthat
ArgentinaisnotisolatingIranbecauseaconstructivedialoguewithTeheranis"relevant"fortheprogressof
theAMIAinvestigation.Hence,heclaimspeopleshouldregard,asa"gestureofgoodwill,"Argentina's
ambassadortotheUN,JorgeArguello'shavingremaineddeferentiallyseatedtolistentotheusualrigmarole
oftheIranianpresidentMahmoudAhmadinejadagainstIsraelandthepromisestodestroyitthusbreaking
withthetraditionobservedbyotherWesternstatestoleavethehallwhenAhmadinejaddeliveredhishate
filledspeeches.
So,letusgetthisstraight:TohaveIran"helpout"intheinvestigationofthebombingoftheJewishcenter
inBuenosAires,?ArgentinaisreadytogiveagoodwillgestureinsupportofIran'sambitiontoerasethe
wholeofIsraeloffthemap?
TimermanthensaidhefeltirritatedbytheallegationthatheofferedtheIraniangovernmentArgentina's
abandoningtheinvestigationontheAMIAattack.InApril2010,however,theArgentineanpaperPerfil
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Argentina's Cozy Relations with Iran

statedithadreceivedverifiableinformationthatinameetinginJanuarywithIran'sally,SyrianPresident
BasharAssad,TimermanhadofferedtodropinvestigationrelatingtoIran's1994bombingsinBuenosAires
inreturn,itseems,fordeepeningeconomicrelationsbetweenArgentinaandIran..AccordingtoPerfil,
SyriathenpassedTimerman'soffertoIran.Inaleakedcablequotedbythenewspaper,Iran'sForeign
Minister,AliAkbarSalehi,allegedlytoldtheIranianPresidentthat"Argentinaisnolongerinterestedin
solvingthosetwoattacks,butinexchangeprefersimprovingitseconomicrelationswithIran."
TheIraniangovernment,perhapssecureintheknowledgethatArgentinawasnotoingtopursueserious
investigations,saidthatitnowwantedto"uncoverthetruth"behindtheAMIAbombing.Iran'sForeign
Ministrywroteastatementdeclaringthat,"theministrydenouncesthefactthatthetruthaboutthecriminal
actionhasbecomethetargetofplotsandpoliticalgamesandthatArgentineofficialsatthetime,whose
illegalactionshavebeendisclosedandconvictedbythecourtinthisregard,misledjudicialinvestigation
andsetthestagefortheescapeoftherealculpritsbehindtheatrocityfromthehandsofjusticethrough
pointingafingerofblameatanumberofnationalsoftheIslamicRepublicofIran."
Despitethesecontradictoryremarks,TimermansaidthatIran'sofferwas"anunprecedentedandvery
positivestep"[sic].TheIslamicRepublic,however,deniesthatIraniancitizenswereinvolvedintheBuenos
Airesbombing,andsaidthatitispreparingitsownreportonthebombingtobringforththetruth.Given
thatinthepasttheIraniangovernmenthasaccusedthe"Zionists"ofperpetratingthe1994bombing,what
thereportwillmostlikelybringforthareloopyallegationsthatthe"Jews"committedtheattackagainstthe
JewishcenterinBuenosAires.TimermanapparentlyqualifiesIran'sallegationsasa"positivestep"towards
solvingtheAMIA'scase.
Formorethanadecade,Argentinahaddonelittletoinvestigatetheattacks.WhenNestorKirchnerbecame
presidentofArgentinain2003,however,hevowedtoreopenthecase,andcalledtheneglectofit"a
nationaldisgrace."Severalyearslater,formerIranianPresidentAliRafsanjaniwasamongthoseindictedby
ArgentineprosecutorsandsoughtbyInterpol.
RelationsbetweenIranandArgentinahavebeenvirtuallyfrozenforyears,butapparentlythefrostwasonly
superficialunderneath,businesswasasgoodasever,andgettingbetterandbetter.Lastyear,Argentina's
exportstoIranroseby70%.reachingahefty$1.5billion.Iranhasalsobecomethemostimportantbuyerof
Argentina'scorn.Itlooksnowasthougheventhatsuperficiallayeroffrosthasthawed.
OnemajorforwardstepwasmadebyArgentina'spresidentCristinaFernandezwhen,lastSeptember,she
toldtheUNGeneralAssemblythathercountrywasreadytoseekmediationwithIran.Thetimingofthe
announcementcouldnothavecomeatabettertimeforIran,thenstrugglingagainstsanctionsimposedby
theWestandlookingforfriends,oldandnew,whocouldhelptheAyatollahsovercometheircurrent
difficulties.HerannouncementcouldnothavecomeinaworsetimeforWesternchancelleries,whichare
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awarethattheircurrentchanceofsuccessinthetugofwaragainstIrandependsonthecompactnessofthe
Westernfronttoimposeharshsanctions.
ReutersalsoreportedthataWesterndiplomathaddeclaredthat"IranandArgentinahaverecentlybeen
takinganumberofovertstepsinsomecasesinresponsetopressurebroughttobearbyIrantoopena
cleanslateinthecountries'politicalrelations."
Apartfromobvioustradingadvantages,ArgentinaseemstobepursuingthepathofotherLatinAmerican
countriesinarevivalofnonalignedcountries,whichareanythingbutnonaligned.Venezuela'sPresident
HugoChavezhascreatedaproIranian,antiWesternschoolofthoughtinLatinAmericaArgentina's
governmentisevidentlyamonghisdisciples.
RelatedTopics:Iran|AnnaMahjarBarducci
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