ARGENTINE FOREIGN MINISTER ASKS USG SUPPORT FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUENOS AIRES 000262 SIPDIS SIPDIS WHA FOR A/S SHANNON, DASDUDDY, AND DMCCARTHY, WHA/BSC FOR BARNES, FRIEDMAN, AND BLAKENEY NEA/IR FOR HWOOSTER, S/CT FOR VIRGINIA PALMER AND ARNOLD SIERRA, NSC FOR JUAN ZARATE AND JOSE CARDENAS, FBI FOR CTD IRAN-HIZBALLAH UNIT AND OIO AMERICAS UNIT DOJ FOR ALICE FISHER AND BRUCE SWARTZ E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/09/2017 TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV FBI AR IR SUBJECT: ARGENTINE FOREIGN MINISTER ASKS USG SUPPORT FOR GOA INTERPOL RED NOTICE REQUESTS ON AMIA ISSUE REF: A. (A) BUENOS AIRES 0249 ¶B. (B) BUENOS AIRES 205 ¶C. (C) BUENOS AIRES 182 Classified By: AMBASSADOR E. ANTHONY WAYNE FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Argentine Foreign Minister Taiana and Vice FM Garcia Moritan asked visiting U/S Burns and A/S Shannon for strong USG support for GOA requests for Interpol Red Notices on nine suspects in the 1994 AMIA bombing. U/S Burns expressed steadfast support for the GOA's pursuit of justice in the AMIA case, but voiced sensitivity over the issue of sovereign immunity raised by some of the Red Notice requests. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) In a February 9 meeting with visiting Under Secretary Burns and Assistant Secretary Shannon (see septel for discussion of other issues),Foreign Minister Taiana and Vice Foreign Minister Garcia Moritan raised the AMIA bombing case and the pending issue of GOA requests to Interpol for Red Notices on eight Iranian officials and one Hizbullah leader. Garcia Moritan asked what the USG position would be on the Interpol process and requested strong USG involvement in rallying the support of other Interpol Executive Committee members for the GOA requests for Red Notices on the nine suspects. Garcia Moritan explained that USG support was critical both before and during the March 13-15 Interpol Executive Committee meeting. Without this support, Garcia Moritan predicted that the GOA efforts with Interpol could fail. ¶3. (C) U/S Burns expressed strong USG support for GOA actions in the pursuit of justice in the 1994 AMIA bombing case. (Note: Following the meeting with FM Taiana, U/S Burns visited the AMIA building to meet with the leadership of the local Jewish community. End Note). At the same time, U/S Burns voiced sensitivity over the sovereign immunity issue, especially related to the Red Notice requests against former Iranian President Rafsanjani and former Iranian Foreign Minister Velayati. He said Washington would have to consider how best to proceed and would consider options, and then get back to the Minister as quickly as possible. He asked that the GOA also carefully study the immunity issue. WAYNE