Relatives of those killed in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish center praised Interpol's vote on Wednesday to issue wanted notices for five Iranians and one Lebanese militant linked to Argentina's deadliest terrorist attack.
Interpol's annual assembly shook off Iranian objections to issue so-called "red notices" requesting the arrests.
An explosives-packed van leveled the seven-story community center in downtown Buenos Aires on July 18, 1994, killing 85 people and wounding 200. No one has been charged.
"It has been 13 years since the bombing and we've never let our guard down in seeking justice," said Luis Grynwald, president of the rebuilt community center. "There is no zeal for vengeance; we just want to get at the truth."
Among the suspects Argentina is seeking are former Iranian intelligence chief Ali Fallahian, former leader of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard Mohsen Rezaei and Hezbollah militant Imad Moughnieh, who is also wanted for his alleged role in attacks on US forces in Lebanon in 1983.
Iran's top diplomat in Buenos Aires, Mohsen Baharvand, rejected allegations Iran was involved in the bombing, but said it would not extradite the men because Iranian law bars it from sending citizens abroad for prosecution.
He repeated his government's offer to provide "judicial cooperation" to clear up the case.
Adriana Resfield, whose 35-year-old sister was killed in the bombing, was pleased with the Interpol action.
"The world doesn't want any more terrorism," she said, noting her sister's daughters, now 22 and 25, still ask why their mother had to die. "The family isn't going to rest in peace until we know for sure who placed the bomb."
Sergio Widder, Latin America representative for the Simon Wiesenthal Center, an international Jewish human rights group, said Interpol's vote shows Argentina has carried out "a serious and proper investigation" and finally pinpointed the organizers of the attack.
"It's something real," he said of Interpol's ruling. "Any police agency in the world could arrest these people."
Argentina's government had no immediate comment.
In a statement, US Ambassador to Argentina Earl Anthony Wayne called the vote a "critical step in international efforts in the fight against terrorism."
Several civilians and former police officers accused of aiding the 1994 bombers were cleared in a trial three years ago, and critics say too much time has passed to pursue the case.
"It's too late. If they haven't captured them yet, they're not going to capture them now," said Flavio Roldan, an Argentine bike messenger. "They should have been quicker."
OPTIMISTIC: A Philippine Air Force spokeswoman said the military believed the crew were safe and were hopeful that they and the jet would be recovered A Philippine Air Force FA-50 jet and its two-person crew are missing after flying in support of ground forces fighting communist rebels in the southern Mindanao region, a military official said yesterday. Philippine Air Force spokeswoman Colonel Consuelo Castillo said the jet was flying “over land” on the way to its target area when it went missing during a “tactical night operation in support of our ground troops.” While she declined to provide mission specifics, Philippine Army spokesman Colonel Louie Dema-ala confirmed that the missing FA-50 was part of a squadron sent “to provide air support” to troops fighting communist rebels in
PROBE: Last week, Romanian prosecutors launched a criminal investigation against presidential candidate Calin Georgescu accusing him of supporting fascist groups Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in Romania’s capital on Saturday in the latest anti-government demonstration by far-right groups after a top court canceled a presidential election in the EU country last year. Protesters converged in front of the government building in Bucharest, waving Romania’s tricolor flags and chanting slogans such as “down with the government” and “thieves.” Many expressed support for Calin Georgescu, who emerged as the frontrunner in December’s canceled election, and demanded they be resumed from the second round. George Simion, the leader of the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR), which organized the protest,
ECONOMIC DISTORTION? The US commerce secretary’s remarks echoed Elon Musk’s arguments that spending by the government does not create value for the economy US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on Sunday said that government spending could be separated from GDP reports, in response to questions about whether the spending cuts pushed by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency could possibly cause an economic downturn. “You know that governments historically have messed with GDP,” Lutnick said on Fox News Channel’s Sunday Morning Futures. “They count government spending as part of GDP. So I’m going to separate those two and make it transparent.” Doing so could potentially complicate or distort a fundamental measure of the US economy’s health. Government spending is traditionally included in the GDP because
Hundreds of people in rainbow colors gathered on Saturday in South Africa’s tourist magnet Cape Town to honor the world’s first openly gay imam, who was killed last month. Muhsin Hendricks, who ran a mosque for marginalized Muslims, was shot dead last month near the southern city of Gqeberha. “I was heartbroken. I think it’s sad especially how far we’ve come, considering how progressive South Africa has been,” attendee Keisha Jensen said. Led by motorcycle riders, the mostly young crowd walked through the streets of the coastal city, some waving placards emblazoned with Hendricks’s image and reading: “#JUSTICEFORMUHSIN.” No arrest
RSS