AMBASSADOR WAYNE MEETS WITH AMIA FAMILY

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUENOS AIRES 002790

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR S/CT -- VIRGINIA PALMER; STATE FOR WHA -- CROFT;
STATE FOR NEA/I -- HENRY WOOSTER, AARON SNIPE, TIMOTHY
STANDAERT, NSC FOR JUAN ZARATE, TREASURY FOR TFI --
HEFFERNAN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/19/2016
TAGS: EFIN PTER ETTC PREL AR IR LE
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR WAYNE MEETS WITH AMIA FAMILY
REPRESENTATIVES

REF: SECSTATE 196015

Classified By: Ambassador E.A. Wayne for reasons 1.4 (b and d)


1. (SBU) SUMMARY. Ambassador met December 15 with
representatives from "Familiares y Amigos de las Victimas"
(Family and Friends of the Victims, or FAV),one of the three
main organizations representing AMIA victims, and the first
meeting between FAV and Ambassador Wayne. Both sides
expressed their strong desire to see the case move forward,
and that it not be allowed to be politicized, and be seen as
the United States acting against Iran. Ambassador assured
the group that the Embassy and U.S. Government remain
extremely committed to the resolution of the case, and
encouraged the group to stay in close contact. END SUMMARY.



2. (C) The Ambassador, accompanied by LEGATT and ECONOFF, met
December 15 with four members of the FAV group, accompanied
by their lawyer. They expressed guarded satisfaction with
judge's recent issuance of arrest warrants for the alleged
AMIA attackers, and said that their group had no political
motives, but wanted "only justice and the truth." The group
said they understood the political sensitivities of the case,
and did not want to allow the Government of Iran (GOI) to be
able to portray the recent GOA actions as the United States
and Israel "pushing" Argentina. The group also expressed
support for the GOA judge and prosecutors, and GOA MFA's
subsequent defense of these arrest warrants against recent
GOI's "aggressive" protests. The group acknowledged that
although they had achieved a "symbolic" victory with this
arrest warrant, they also wanted to see the guilty actually
captured as well.


3. (C) Ambassador hailed the work of the GOA special
prosecution team that put together the investigaiton and
indictments, saying that they had put together solid
evidence. He noted the great interest he and the USG
attached to this case, and that he had spent many years of
his own career working against terrorism. Ambassador also
agreed that the USG had to be careful to allow Argentina to
lead efforts with the case. We said the USG wants to assist
in assuring international support for the investigation and
law enforcement/judicial process, and not politicize the case
as being the United States against Iran.


4. (SBU) The discussion turned to the process of how and if
Interpol would issue the Red Notices for these individuals,
and how its Executive Committee might handle the case. The
group was interested to know if we thought it would be a good
idea for FAV to lobby those nations that are members of
Interpol's Executive Committee. Legatt explained the state
of play. Ambassador Wayne said that the United States would
certainly be active in such a lobbying effort, and said that
FAV members could as well. The group also expressed interest
and satisfaction in the recent Department of Treasury
announcement to designate nine individuals and two entities
that have provided financial and logistical support to the
Hizballah terrorist organization (reftel).


5. (SBU) The meeting ended with both sides re-affirming the
great importance they attached to this case, and Ambassador
encouraged the group to contact him and the Embassy at any
time, for input, dialogue, and any information they might
want to pass on.
WAYNE