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Argentina: Iran behind bombs at Israeli embassy, Jewish center
By Yossi Melman, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Hezbollah, Bombings 

Iran was behind the bombings over a decade ago in Argentina against the Israeli embassy and Jewish community center, according to the country's chief prosecutor, Alberto Nisman, who served as a special prosecutor investigating the attacks.

"I have no doubt that the most senior Iranian leadership, with the help of Hezbollah, is responsible for the attacks in Buenos Aires against AMIA [the community center in 1994] and the Israeli Embassy [in 1992]," Nisman said Tuesday night at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism of the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya.

While investigating the two attacks, Nisman found the necessary legal evidence pointing directly to former Iranian president Hashemi Rafsanjani and his chief of intelligence, Ali Falahian, for their role in the decision to target the community center.
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Argentina has issued an international arrest warrant for Rafsanjani, Falahian and a number of Iranian diplomats for their suspected role in the attack. A special Interpol conference approved the warrant at an international gathering in Marrakesh last month.

Nisman told Haaretz that the Iranians had tried to bribe many countries, mostly from Africa, to vote against the Interpol decision.

He said Israel contributed to his investigation and that some of the information held by the Argentine Secret Service originated in the intelligence communities of Israel and the United States.

Nisman was appointed to head the investigation after it emerged in an Argentine court that the previous investigating judge, Jose Galiano, had paid some $400,000 to a key witness in the case to incriminate former policemen, while diverting blame from Iran and Hezbollah.

'Corrupt investigating judge'

Nisman said he did not know whether Galiano was bribed by the Iranians, "but there is no doubt that he was a corrupt investigating judge who did everything possible to distort the investigation and lead it to a dead-end."

He said that the breakthrough in the case came when he and his team identified with certainty the terrorist who carried out the truck bombing near the community center building in July 1994 - a Lebanese man, Ibrahim Hussein Berro. In the attack, 85 Argentines were killed and 230 were injured. Berro is believed to have come to Argentina a week or two before the attack.

Another important figure in the case was Muhsin Rabani, the senior Shi'ite cleric in Argentina.

Rabani, an Iranian, had lived in Argentina since 1983, and four months before the attack was issued a diplomatic passport by the Iranian government and the title of cultural attache at the embassy in Buenos Aires.

According to Nisman's investigation, Rabani opened an account at Deutsche Bank in Buenos Aires, where $150,000 was deposited, and which is believed to have been used to buy the vehicle the suicide bomber used.

Rabani had been under surveillance after the attack on the Israeli Embassy in 1992, which claimed 29 lives, seven of them Israelis.

Related articles:
  • Iran gives in on Interpol vote on Argentina Jewish center attack
  • Argentine lawyer asks to jail Iran officials for Jewish center blast
  • Argentina accuses Iran of meddling in probe of 1994 Jewish center bombing

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      1.   Maybe we should let a court of law decide, not a biased Prosecute 02:51  |  POP 19/12/07
      2.   This raises another question 02:59  |  Mark Lincoln 19/12/07
      3.   Enough evidence already 03:04  |  IsraFan 19/12/07
      4.   He said Israel contributed to his investigation 03:25  |  smirk! 19/12/07
      5.   Prosecutors meaningless bias is WHY matters are brought to COURT. 03:27  |  POP 19/12/07
      6.   Why to the IDC in Herziliya, not in Buenos Aires? 04:31  |  Galuteus Maximum 19/12/07
      7.   When Israel attacks Iran 04:40  |  Murray of Montreal 19/12/07
      8.   #2, Mark Lincoln 04:46  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 19/12/07
      9.   POP Why do Iranians refuse to appear before the Judge? 04:51  |  Rob 19/12/07
      10.   Iran responsible, POP and smirk 04:52  |  Porteño Tango Futbol 19/12/07
      11.   Now what!! 04:55  |  Ali 19/12/07
      12.   Mark Lincoln 05:04  |  Uriel 19/12/07
      13.   Re #2 Mark Lincoln 05:05  |  Joseph 19/12/07
      14.   ML#2 - The real question is... 05:18  |  William 19/12/07
      15.   Iranian Embassy in Buenos Aires: Trojan Horse of Terror! 05:19  |  Lavi 19/12/07
      16.   POP can`t read.Nisman found the necessary legal evidence pointing 05:33  |  PETER SM 19/12/07
      17.   HESBALLAH wants all Jews to go to Israel to save hunting 05:37  |  PETER SM 19/12/07
      18.   Mark Lincoln: Are You Joking? 05:41  |  Tex 19/12/07
      19.   Lavi#15 - It`s also important to remember... 05:55  |  William 19/12/07
      20.   Where are Dutch. LockShmi, and othrrts who demand HAAG COURT? 06:41  |  Vittorio 19/12/07
      21.   SMIRK.IRAN trying to bribe Interpol members .smirk smirk 08:03  |  PETER SM 19/12/07
      22.   re: Mark Lincoln 08:55  |  Efox 19/12/07
      23.   THESE ARGENTINIANS WERE JUST LIKE AN ANSWERING MACHINE 09:05  |  indrajaya 19/12/07
      24.   Mark Lincoln -- Why must Muslims be so immoral 09:37  |  Gina 19/12/07
      25.   Indrajaya Says Iran is Innocent 09:43  |  Craig 19/12/07
      26.   IRAN`S CRIMES 09:51  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 19/12/07
      27.   Alberto Nis no man - must be half jew 09:54  |  Imad 19/12/07
      28.   INDRAJAYA Moslems are just like mass murderers in Argentina 10:12  |  PETER SM 19/12/07
      29.   the lowest sub-humans o the face of the earth 10:30  |  don 19/12/07
      30.   Jews propaganda machie 11:02  |  Dav 19/12/07
      31.   # 25, CRAIG (a.k.a PETER SM) 11:07  |  indrajaya 19/12/07
      32.   Folks, Settledown 11:08  |  Nephtaly 19/12/07
      33.   Cipora Julianna Kohn #8 re: Mark Lincoln 11:32  |  TonyL 19/12/07
      34.   # 30, DAV 11:38  |  indrajaya 19/12/07
      35.   Mark Lincoln Actually, 11:43  |  Yosemite 19/12/07
      36.   Why do POP and Lincoln cry foul? 12:18  |  Ilan 19/12/07
      37.   Does this mean 12:29  |  JJ 19/12/07
      38.   #26 I agree with Cipora. 12:31  |  Hubal 19/12/07
      39.   INDRAJAYA I do not post under different names 12:35  |  PETER SM 19/12/07
      40.   POP Re Court That`s why Iran tried to bribe its way out 13:12  |  PETER SM 19/12/07
      41.   indrajaya real or counterfeit 13:19  |  scanadu 19/12/07
      42.   #31 INDY BABY 13:21  |  Petra 19/12/07
      43.   # 2 Mark Lincoln 13:30  |  Lynn 19/12/07
      44.   Mark Lincoln.... 13:46  |  Teresa-Maria (Tess) 19/12/07
      45.   #2 14:00  |  Moshe 19/12/07
      46.   to # 30 14:10  |  Porteño Tango Futbol 19/12/07
      47.   #23 14:10  |  Moshe 19/12/07
      48.   #6 Maximum ignorance 14:25  |  Jonathan Wortman 19/12/07
      49.   This more than justifies Israel`s actions in Lebanon! 14:47  |  Albert Einsten 19/12/07
      50.   TO NO 30 14:48  |  DANNY. 19/12/07
      51.   Mark linkoln is korrekt 14:48  |  Farc Fincoln 19/12/07
      52.   Iran: BEHIND MASS MURDER SAME AS THE NAZIS 15:10  |  Nechama 19/12/07
      53.   #2 Mark Lincoln`s Arrogance 15:25  |  Gary 19/12/07
      54.   #2 Mark Lincoln 15:26  |  Sol 19/12/07
      55.   #9 Cipora 15:31  |  Sol 19/12/07
      56.   Peter-Pop and Insane Mind 15:37  |  Mark T 19/12/07
      57.   # 42, PETRA 15:42  |  indrajaya 19/12/07
      58.   Iran,a peaceful country 15:44  |  Dav 19/12/07
      59.   # 47, MOSHE 15:45  |  indrajaya 19/12/07
      60.   Iran are behind the mass murder it is proved 15:50  |  Abdul Aziz Higazi 19/12/07
      61.   Iran behind the bomb 16:00  |  A. Naser 19/12/07
      62.   #59 16:18  |  Moshe 19/12/07
      63.   Iran may be behind everything!!!!! 16:32  |  Arab 19/12/07
      64.   what`s new? 16:32  |  dav zee 19/12/07
      65.   Sol (Post No. 54) 16:34  |  Johnny Weintraub 19/12/07
      66.   #58 16:34  |  Moshe 19/12/07
      67.   #27 - Imad 16:42  |  Eric 19/12/07
      68.   #30 16:43  |  Moshe 19/12/07
      69.   #62 16:49  |  Cheops 19/12/07
      70.   arab # 63 we in america havent forgotten about 9/11 16:50  |  terrornator 19/12/07
      71.   Could be that Iran is responsible, but what was the motive? 16:52  |  Tosefta 19/12/07
      72.   Albert Einstein #49 Besmirching a great humanist. 16:52  |  Hubal 19/12/07
      73.   All encompassing statements... 16:56  |  Teresa-Maria (Tess) 19/12/07
      74.   terrornator.#70 The Saudi brothers are 17:44  |  Hubal 19/12/07
      75.   Mark Lincoln #2 17:49  |  Yariv 19/12/07
      76.   Hubal excerpts 17:56  |  Mark T 19/12/07
      77.   Eric frustration 18:02  |  Mark T 19/12/07
      78.   #70 Terrornator 18:03  |  Chris Linthwaite 19/12/07
      79.   Cheops-Nisman 18:09  |  Mark T 19/12/07
      80.   #74 Yariv 18:13  |  Chris Linthwaite 19/12/07
      81.