ARGENTINE PREPARATIONS FOR NOV. 5-8 INTERPOL

S E C R E T BUENOS AIRES 001990

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

WHA FOR CHRIS MCMULLEN, WHA/BSC FOR BRUCE FRIEDMAN, JANINA
SLATTERY AND CAROLINE CROFT
S/CT FOR ARNOLD SIERRA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/05/2027
TAGS: PTER PREL IR AR
SUBJECT: ARGENTINE PREPARATIONS FOR NOV. 5-8 INTERPOL
GENERAL ASSEMBLY VOTE ON IRANIAN CAPTURE NOTICES

REF: BUENOS AIRES 1971

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


1. (S) Summary: DCM and EmbOffs met October 4 with the
Foreign Ministry's Ambassador Guillermo Gonzalez to discuss
the GOA's preparations for the November 5-8 Interpol General
Assembly meeting in Marrakech, Morocco. Gonzalez explained
that on October 3 the MFA sent an ALDAC to its diplomatic
missions with instructions for lobbying host countries to
support Argentina's request for the issuance of international
capture notices for the six Iranians indicted in the 1994
AMIA terrorist bombing. In Buenos Aires, the MFA is calling
in resident foreign ambassadors and charges over the next two
weeks to lobby for support. Gonzalez is traveling to Lyon
the week of October 8 to meet with Interpol Secretary Ron
Noble and Interpol's chief legal counsel to discuss the Nov.
5-8 agenda, procedures and possible actions the Iranians
might undertake.


2. (S) Gonzalez said MFA is concerned about Iranian lobbying
activities but has no specifics and asked for USG assistance
in trying to determine which countries the GOI might be
lobbying. DCM noted Embassy had requested Washington
assistance in determining Iranian activities (reftel) and
also said we were open to MFA suggestions on which
governments it felt it would be useful for the USG to lobby.
AMIA Special Prosecutor Alberto Nisman told the Ambassador
separately on October 4 that he is concerned (1) that the MFA
is not doing enough to support Argentina's case, and (2) that
Iran is actively engaged politically in an effort to derail a
positive vote for Argentina's request for international
capture notices. End Summary


3. (C) DCM, Assistant LegAtt Frank Oliva and PolOff met
October 4 with the MFA,s Ambassador Guillermo Gonzalez,
legal advisor Carlos Foradori and North America Desk Dep.
Dir. Jaime Ureta to discuss the GOA,s preparations for the
November 5-8 Interpol General Assembly meeting in Marrakech,
Morocco. Gonzalez said he was confident that the General
Assembly vote on the AMIA international capture notices would
go the right way but affirmed that it was the GoA,s "duty"
to guarantee it turned out that way.


4. (S) Gonzalez said the MFA had sent out an ALDAC to its
missions with instructions to lobby host governments to
support the GOA request. They were also drafting a non-paper
in French and English to send to missions. Embassy will get
a copy of the non-paper as soon as it is in final. Gonzalez
said he was an old enough diplomat to know never to
underestimate the people on the other side of the table and
said he knew the Iranians were already active, although he
said he had no specifics. Gonzalez stated that this was
where the GOA could use USG assistance, in trying to find out
who the Iranians were lobbying.


5. (S) DCM reassured Gonzalez of continued USG support and
noted that the Embassy had already asked Washington to try
and ascertain as much of that information as possible
(reftel). DCM also stated that we were open to the GOA,s
suggestions on which governments it would be useful for the
USG to lobby. Gonzalez noted that, while the ALDAC went to
all their missions (except Tehran),the GOA diplomatic
coverage was limited, particularly in places like Africa.
Gonzalez said that their mission in New York would reach out
to those countries where Argentina has no diplomatic
presence. He also said the MFA,s regional bureaus were
calling in resident Ambassadors here in Buenos Aires to lobby
on this end.


6. (S) In response to a question regarding any Venezuela
lobbying in the region on behalf of Iran's position, Gonzalez
said they were not aware of any BRV activity but did state
that the MFA will make additional, high-level overtures to
Caracas, Havana and Brazil. Gonzalez said that initial
discussions with Itamaraty generated a somewhat bureaucratic
response about the independence of the Interpol

representative but that Argentina's Ambassador in Brasilia
would contact the Foreign Minister directly and Gonzalez will
be talking with Brazil's Ambassador here. A/LegAtt, noted
that he had discussed the issue with the chief of Interpol's
regional office in Buenos Aires, a former director of the
Brazilian federal police, and also impressed the importance
of being prepared to counter Iranian efforts in preparation
for Marrakech, and at the General Assembly in Marrakech.


7. (S) Gonzalez also said that he is traveling to Lyon on
October 8, and will have meetings with Interpol,s Secretary
Ron Noble and Interpol,s Legal Advisor on October 10 and 11.
Gonzalez said they knew that Iran had been in contact with
the legal advisor and said he wanted to know what was being
discussed. He said he also wanted to get the agenda for the
November 5-8 meeting, ask about the procedures of the vote
and get information on any possible developments or surprises
the Iranians might try to pull. Gonzalez said he was
concerned the Iranians might try for a "no action" resolution
or motion, if this is possible under Interpol rules, and
wanted to talk to Noble and the chief legal counsel about
that possibility. He asked if we had anyone at Interpol in
Lyon with whom he could meet. LegAtt will pass on Gonzalez,
contact information to the U.S. Interpol representative in
Lyon.


8. (S) Embassy, will meet again with Gonzalez when he returns
from Lyon and DCM promised to share with him any information
we might come up with on Iranian activities in Lyon and
elsewhere.


9. (C) AMIA Special Prosecutor Alberto Nisman called the
Ambassador October 4 to express his concerns that the MFA was
not doing enough on the diplomatic front to win support for
Argentina's position, particularly in light of information he
claimed to have that the GOI was actively engaged,
particularly in Africa and Middle Eastern countries.


10. (S) Comment: The MFA is late getting started with their
lobbying efforts but, nevertheless, seems to understand the
necessity of aggressive engagement to counter what Iran is
likely already engaged in. In our discussion with Gonzalez,
we made the point that Argentina should not allow itself to
be drawn into an Iran vs Argentina debate. Rather, they
should approach this (and present it to their interlocutors)
as a more straight forward procedural issue, i.e. support for
a unanimous Executive Committee decision. The GOI will try
to impugn the Argentine investigation (i.e. raise the
problem-plagued first investigation) but Interpol's legal
office, in its analysis of the Argentine case, made clear to
the Executive Committee the differences between the two
investigations and supported Argentina's call for the
issuance of Red Notices.
WAYNE