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POTUS - South America - 1997
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44169848
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POTUS - South America - 1997
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Records of the Office of the Public Liaison (Clinton Administration)
Deborah Mohile's files
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FOIA Number:
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FOIA
MARKER
This is not a textual record. This is used as an
administrative marker by the William J. Clinton
Presidential Library Staff.
Collection/Record Group:
Clinton Presidential Records
Subgroup/Office of Origin:
Public Liaison
Series/Staff Member:
Deborah Mohile
Subseries:
OA/ID Number:
16947
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Folder Title:
POTUS-South America-1997
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31
3
9
2
ELKON_N @ A1
10/07/97 04:41:00 PM
Record Type:
Record
To:
Deborah B. Mohile
CC:
Andrew Friendly, Aviva Steinberg
Subject: AMIA meeting in BA
Proposed participants -
1. Dr. Ruben Beraja, President Latin American Jewish Congress
2. Chaskiel Oscar Hansman, President, AMIA
3. Dr. Luis Czyzewski, 21 year old daughter killed in bombing
4. Raquel Norma de Lew, seriously injured in AMIA bombing, son was killed
5. Ana Maria Gaibisson de Serena, whose Catholic husband was killed in the AMIA
bombing
6. Carlos Susevich, daughter died in Isreali embassy bombing
10/06/97 MON 12:46 FAX 1212 983 4084
J.C.R.C
V.
001
Jewish
Community
JCRC
Relations
Council
OF NEW YORK INC
TELECOMMUNICATIONS COVER SHEET
DATE:
TIME:
FROM:
Please deliver the following 7 pages (which includes this cover letter) to:
NAME: Deborah Mohile
FACS.#: 202-456-6218
REMARKS:
If copy is illegible or if not all pages are received, please call immediately for
retransmission.
Operator Name:
Phone Number:
JACK D. WEILER CENTER FOR INTERGROUP RELATIONS
711 Third Avenue, 12th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10017.
Tel. (212) 983-4800 Facs. (212) 983-4084
10/06/97 MON 12:46 FAX 1212 983 4084
J.C.R.C
1
002
JACK D. WEILER CENTER FOR INTERGROUP RELATIONS
Jewish
711 Third Avenue, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10017
Tel. 212 983 4800
Facs.
212
983
4084
JCRC
Community
Relations
Council
OF NEW YORK, INC.
OFFICERS
Martin S. Begun
Jack D. Weller
President
Honorary President
October 6, 1997
Ezra G. Levin
Kenneth Blalkin
Janice Shorenstein
Judah Gribetz
Norman Stein
Lester Pollack
Howard Teich
Richard Ravitch
Vice Presidents
Lawrence A. Tisch
Ms. Deborah Mohile
Abraham Biderman
Peggy Tishman
Secretary
Past Presidents
The White House
Gedale Horowitz
George Kleln
Treasurer
Washington, D.C.
Rabbi Israel Miller
Michael S. Miller
Daniel Shapiro
Executive Director
Honorary Officers
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Harold Baron
Matthew J. Maryles
Dear Deborah,
Herbert Berman
Ralph Miles
Martin Bresier
Martin Payson
Herman Cahn
Sam Pereison
Marvin Cohen
Alan H. Posner
Best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year.
David Cornstein
Marlene Post
Sylvia Deutsch
Judy Rosen
Beatrice Disman
Lewis Rudin
Viadimir Epshteyn
Rabbl Herschel Schacter
In advance of President Clinton's forthcoming visit to Argentina later this
Henry Feingold
jodi J. Schwartz
Martin Gold
Emmanuel Sella
month, we request that you please forward the attached letters from the
Betty Golomb
Judith Shapiro
Natalle Gordon
Harold Shulman
James Grellshelmer
Walter P. Stern
JCRC and Memoria Activa, families of victims of the AMIA terror attack,
Judy Kaufthal
Richard Stone
Francine Lashinsky
Joseph Strasburg
to the President. The letters ask the President to raise the issue of
Jonathan Leader
Nancy Sutton
Robert Lehrman
Ronald Weiner
terrorism and Argentina's failure to apprehend the perpetrators of the
Naomi Levine
Louis Welser
Bernice Manocherian
Stephen Wolnek
attacks during his visit.
Joel Marcus
Jacob 1. Worenklein
MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS
American Gathering and Federation of jewish Holocaust Survivors
We are aware that due to the fact that the President will be visiting Buenos
American Jewish Committee
American jewish Congress
Aires on the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, it will be difficult for him to meet
American Sephardi Federation
Amit Women
Anti-Defamation League N.Y. Regional Office
with members of the Argentinean Jewish community on this matter.
Associated Manhattan jewish Community Councils
United jewish Council of the East Side
Washington Heights-Inwood Jewish Community Council
However, this does not preclude his addressing terrorism publicly and in
Association of Brooklyn jewish Community Councils
Council of jewish Organizations of Bay Park
his meetings with President Menem.
Council of jewish Organizations of Bensonhurst
Jewish Community Council of Canarsie
Crown Heights jewish Community Council
Council of jewish Organizations of Flatbush
Shorefront jewish Community Council
Thank you for your attention.
B'nal B'rith District One
B'nal B'rith Women
Bnal Zion
Board of jewish Education of Greater New York
Bronx jewish Community Relations Council
Concourse-North Bronx Jewish Community Council
Co-op City jewish Community Council
Sincerely,
Parkchester-Unlonport fewish Community Council
jewish Community Council of Pelham Parkway
Riverdale jewish Community Council
Conference of jewish Organizations of Nassau County
Council of jewish Organizations in Clvil Service
Council of jewish Organizations of Staten Island
Marter
Emunah Women of America
Federation of Reconstructionist Congregations and Havurot -
Michael Michael S. Miller
Greater New York Region
Greater New York Coalition for Soviet jewry
Martin S. Begun
Haclassah
Herut Zionists of America
President
Executive Vice President
Hillel of New York
lewish Labor Committee
Jewish National Fund
jewish War Vererans
Labor Zionist Alliance
Masada- Holocaust Survivors Organization
NA'AMAT USA
National Committee for Labor Israel
National Council of jewish Women
National Council of Young Israel
Harriet Mandel, Director
New York Board of Rabbis
Poale Agudath Israel
Israel and International Concerns
Queens Jewish Community Council
Religious Zionista of America
Suffolk jewish Communal Planning Council
UJA-Federation of jewish Philanthropies of New York
Union of American Hebrew Congregations
Union of Orthodax jewish Congregations
United Synagogue of Conservative judelsm
Westchester jewish Conference
WIZO-Women's International Zionist Organization
Women's American ORT, New York District
Workmen's Circle
Zionist Organization of America
The JCRC is a beneficiary of the UJA-Federation
of jewish Philanthropies of New York.
10/06/97 MON 12:47 FAX 1212 983 4084
J.C.R.C
003
JACK D. WEILER CENTER FOR INTERGROUP RELATIONS
Jewish
711 Third Avenue, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10017
Tel. 212 983 4800
Facs. 212 983 4084
JCRC
Community
Relations
Council
OF NEW YORK INC.
OFFICERS
Martin S. Begun
Jack D. Weller
President
Honorary President
September 29, 1997
Ezra G. Levin
Kenneth Blalkin
Janice Shorensteln
Judah Gribetz
Norman Stein
Lester Pollack
President Bill Clinton
Howard Telch
Richard Ravitch
Vice Presidents
Lawrence A. Tisch
The White House
Abraham Biderman
Peggy Tishman
Secretary
Past Presidents
1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Gedale Horowitz
George Klein
Treasurer
Washington, D.C.
Rabbi Israel Miller
Michael S. Miller
Daniel Shapiro
Executive Director
Honorary Officers
Dear Mr. President,
BOARD Of DIRECTORS
Harold Baron
Matthew J. Maryles
Herbert Berman
Ralph Miles
Martin Bresler
Martin Payson
On behalf of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York,
Herman Cahn
Sam Pereison
Marvin Cohen
Alan H. Posner
representing over 60 Jewish organizations in the metropolitan area, we
David Cornstein
Marlene Post
Sylvia Deutsch
Judy Rosen
want to direct your attention to the issue of terrorism as you embark upon
Beatrice Disman
Lewis Rudin
Viadimir Epshteyn
Rabbi Herschel Schacter
your forthcoming visit to Argentina.
Henry Feingold
jodi J. Schwartz
Martin Gold
Emmanuel Sella
Betty Golomb
udith Shapiro
Natalle Gordon
Harold Shulman
James Grellshelmer
Walter P. Stern
To date, investigations into the terrorist attacks against the Argentine
Judy Kaufthal
Richard Stone
Francine Lashinsky
Joseph Strasburg
Jewish community, which destroyed the Israeli Embassy in 1992, and the
jonathan Leader
Nancy Sutton
Robert Lehrman
Ronald Weiner
AMIA Jewish Community Center in 1994, have failed in apprehending the
Naomi Levine
Louis Weiser
Bernice Manocherian
Stephen Walnek
perpetrators. As an acknowledged leader in the crusade against terrorism,
Joel Marcus
kcob J. Worenklein
you well know that until these investigations are resolved, the terror threat
MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS
American Gathering and Federation of jewish Holocaust Survivors
to the Western Hemisphere remains great. We, therefore, respectfully
American jewish Committee
American jewish Congress
request that during your visit to Buenos Aires, you raise this matter in your
American Sephardi Federation
Amit Women
Anti-Defamation League N.Y. Regional Office
meetings with President Carlos Menem and publicly call for a renewed
Associated Manhattan jewish Community Councils
United jewish Council of the East Side
effort by the Argentine authorities to solve these crimes.
Washington Heights-Inwood jewish Community Council
Association of Brooklyn Jewish Community Councils
Council of jewish Organizations of Bay Park
Council of jewish Organizations of Bensonhurst
jewish Community Council of Canarsie
The commitment of the United States to justice and the rule of law is our
Crown Heights jewish Community Council
Council of fewish Organizations of Flatbush
Shorefront jewish Community Council
pride among the nations of the world. Fighting terror is an integral part
B'nal B'rith District One
B'nal "rith Women
of that commitment. This week, as the Jewish community around the
Bnal Zion
Board of jewish Education of Greater New York
Bronx jewish Community Relations Council
globe celebrates the Jewish New Year, we are inspired by those who are
Concourse-North Bronx lewish Community Council
Co-op City jewish Community Council
dedicated to these principles for the sake of all humankind.
Parkchester-Unlonport jewish Community Council
jewish Community Council of Pelham Parkway
Riverdale jewish Community Council
Conference of jewish Organizations of Nassau County
Council of jewish Organizations in Civil Service
Attached is a special request from Memoria Activa, a group of family
Council of jewish Organizations of Staten Island
Emunah Women of America
members of victims of the AMIA bombing, reinforcing the significance of
Federation of Reconstructionist Congregations and Havurot
Greater New York Region
Greater New York Coalition for Soviet jewry
your addressing this issue during your visit to their country.
Haclassah
Herut Zionists of America
Hillel of New York
jewish Labor Committee
We thank you for attention.
jewish National Fund
jewish War Veterans
Labor Zionist Alliance
Masada Holocaust Survivors Organization
NA'AMAT USA
Sincerely,
National Committee for Labor Israel
National Council of jewish Women
National Council of Young Israel
New York Board of Rabbis
Poale Agudath Israel
Queens jewish Community Council
Martin Bagan Martin S. Begun
Religious Zionists of America
Suffolk Jewish Communal Manning Council
UIA-Federation of jewish Philanthropies of New York
Union of American Hebrew Congregations
President
Executive Vice President
Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations
United Synagogue of Conservative judaism
Westchester jewish Conference
WIZO-Women's International Zionist Organization
Women's American ORT. New York District
Workmen's Circle
Zionist Organization of America
The JCRC Is a beneficiary of the UJA-Federation
of jewish Philanthropies of New York.
10/06/97 MON 12:48 FAX 1212 983 4084
J.C.R.C
1
004
FROM: CENTRO WIESENTHAL
TO: 0012129834004
09-25-97 19:00
PAGE: 2
MEMORIA ACTIVA
September 25th, 1997
William Clinton
President
United States of America
The White Ilouse
Washington
Dear President Clinton:
The occasion of your forthcoming visit to Argentina presents a special
opportunity for you to address a major issue of common concern to the safety
and security of the Western Hemisphere: fighting the scourge of terrorism.
Memoria Activa represents the families of victims of the terror attacks which
destroyed the AMIA Jewish community center in 1994. This attack followed a
terror assault on the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires in 1992. To datc, both
crimes go unsolved. As long as the perpetrators of one terror attack go free, other
terrorists are encouraged to commit similar crimes elsewhere. Until the terrorists
are apprehended, we in Argentina are vulnerable to other attacks, but 50 are
others.
The capture and prosecution of Timothy Mc Veigh in the Oklahoma City
bombing sent an important message regarding the determination of your
government to combat terror.
ESTADO DE ISRAEL 4156 . BUENOS AIRES (1185) . ARGENTINA
TELÉFONO: (541) 863-4270 . FAX: (541) 862-3643
10/06/97 MON 12:48 FAX 1212 983 4084
J.C.R.C
4
005
FROM: CENTRO WIESENTHAL
TO: 0012129034004
09-25-97 19:00
PAGE: 3
-2- -
Because of the abiding commitment of the United States to fight terror, we hope
that you will use the occasion of your visit to our country to address the lack of
resolution of the Argentinean attacks in your meetings with President Menem
and other government officials. Your voice will send an unequivocal message
that terror will not be tolerated.
Finally, we respectfully Invite you to visit the site of the AMIA bombing and
observe a minute of silence in memory of the victims of terrorism.
We appreciate your attention and look forward to your visit to Buenos Aires.
Sincerely,
Un Norma Lew
EL
Enrique Burbinsky
10/06/97 MON 12:49 FAX 1212 983 4084
J.C.R.C
006
FROM : Panasonic FAX SYSTEM
PHONE NO. :
Sep. 30 1997 10:32AM P1
SUITE 709
BARBARA A. MIKULSKI
MARYLAND
MART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON, DC 20610-2003
COMMITTEES
United States Senate
(202) 214-4854
APPROPRIATIONS
TTY: (202) 224-8823
LABOR AND HUMAN RESOURCES
WASHINGTON, DC 20510-2003
Septer
The President
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear Mr. President:
When you visit Argentina next month, we urge you to raise
the issue of the bombing of the Jewish Community Center in Buenos
Aires. Specifically, we ask that you make a public statement
calling for a renewed effort to find those responsible for this
terrorist attack.
As you know, the Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires was
bombed on July 18, 1994. Bighty-seven people were killed and
over two hundred people were injured. Many of the victims were
children. In addition, terrorists bombed the Israeli Embassy in
Buenos Aires in 1992, killing twenty nine people. In both cases,
the terrorists targeted a place and a time where they would kill
as many people as possible.
No progress has been made in finding those responsible for
either attack. The investigation into the attacks appears to be
half-hearted and those responsible for these murders remain free.
Every week since the bombing, the families of the victims
have gathered in front of the court house in Buenos Aires. They
hold a silent vigil, trying to bring the world's attention to
this injustice. By raising this issue -- both in private
meetings and in public statements -- you would show the
government of Argentina that combating terrorism is an American
priority.
Members of the Argentine Jewish community feel alone in
their efforts to bring the terrorists to justice. We urge you to
against terrorism.
to show that the United States stands with them in the fight
Sincerely,
Babus Barbara a. A. Mikulski Frank R. Lautenberg
WORLD TRADE CENTER. FED
-
WGST
STREET.
RUITE
001 a PRATT STREET
208
ANNAPOLIS. MC 21601-2448
MISS BALTIMORE AVENUE, GUITE 207
BALTAMORE, MD 21202-2009
14701
COLLEGE PARK, MD
as Wear WASHINGTON STREET. SUITE 301
181
MAGERSTOWN, MD 21740-6504
SUITE 15, BUILDING 8
(30) 797-1820
1201 PENDERTON DRIVE
SAUSBURY, MD 23807-MDS
PRINTED ON RECYCLES PAPER
larol 548-7711
2002
INSTRUCTIONS
ETST 228 202 IVJ 00:21
10/06/97 MON 12:49 FAX 1212 983 4084
J.C.R.C
1 007
FROM : Panasonic FAX SYSTEM
PHONE NO. :
Sep. 30 1997 10:33AM P2
The President
September 25, 1997
Page 2
Paul S. Sarbanes
tom Hark
Tom Harkin
Patty Patty Mirray Munay
Dianne Feinstein Daniel K.
Inouye
003
INSTITUTIONS
202 228 FAI 4513 12:58 09/29/97 MOM
B'NAIB'RITH
TOMMY P. BAER, INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT
July 17, 1997
His Excellency Carlos Saul Menem
President of the Republic of Argentina
Casa Rosada
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Dear Mr. President:
Today marks the third anniversary of the terrorist bombing of the AMIA building in Buenos
Aires, in which eighty-six people were killed and more than two hundred injured. Occuring
just two years after a similar attack on the Israeli Embassy to Argentina, this act was clearly
the most deadly anti-Semitic attack in the hemisphere as well as one of the most serious
terrorist attacks overall. In brief, this was a devastating attack against all of Argentina.
Within these three years, however, the perpetrators have remained unidentified and
unpunished. In addition to the anguish that this brings the survivors and family members
of the victims, it also creates a climate of fear and uncertainty that invites further terrorist
activity.
Last week, members of my staff from our International Headquarters along with the leaders
of B'nai B'rith in Argentina visited with several members of your government in Buenos
Aires. They expressed the concern of our membership throughout fifty-six countries that this
crime be solved and that peace and security be returned to the people of Argentina, both
Jewish and non-Jewish.
Jews and non-Jews around the world will be commemorating this anniversary with rallies,
vigils, and prayer. We fully support these commemorations and the sentiment behind them,
and we have encouraged our members to participate.
On behalf of the members of B'nai B'rith, I urge you and your government to do all that
is within your power to bring the investigations of these terrorist acts to a speedy conclusion
and to see that those responsible are brought to justice.
Sincerely,
Jamy P. Baer Baer
International President
1640 RHODE ISLAND AVE., NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036-3278 202-857-6553 FAX 202-296-0638
B'NAIB'RITH
TOMMY P. BAER. INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT
October 7, 1997
Deborah Mohile
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20050
Dear Ms. Mohile:
I wanted to take this opportunity before the President's trip to South America to praise
his planned meeting with representatives of the Jewish Community in Argentina. As one
of the largest Jewish communities in the world, the Argentine Jewish community and its
concerns play a important role in the local and international issues facing Argentina and
the region. We especially appreciate the attention paid to the victims of the still unsolved
AMIA bombing, an issue close to the hearts of the entire Jewish community.
Though I am sure every effort has been made to be involve important Argentine Jewish
leaders in these activities with the President, I would like to express my desire that B'nai
B'rith Argentina be directly included. Our Argentine brethren are both an integral part of
the worldwide membership B'nai B'rith as well as an important voice in the Jewish
community of Argentina.
On behalf of the members of B'nai B'rith International, I would like to wish the President
a safe and successful journey, and extend the best of wishes for the Jewish New Year.
Sincerely,
Jommy P.Bae
Tommy P. Baer
International President
1640 RHODE ISLAND AVE., NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036-3278 202-857-6553 FAX 202-296-0638
B'NAIB'RITH
CENTER FOR PUBLIC POLICY
July 17, 1997
JUSTICE AND TERRORISM IN ARGENTINA:
THE BOMBINGS OF THE AMIA AND THE ISRAELI EMBASSY
by Warren Eisenberg, Deputy Director
As the third anniversary of the bombing of the Buenos Aires' AMIA (Jewish Social Service
Center) passes on July 18, there is a storm brewing in Argentina over accusations about
high level court, security and other governmental officials' obstruction of the investigation.
Tied into this picture of stalemate is the separate Supreme Court investigation of the five-
year old bombing of the Israeli Embassy in March 1992.
Ruben Beraja, president of the DAIA, the national Jewish representative organization,
promised to issue a report naming officials who have stonewalled the search for culprits.
He cited Justice Carlos Fayt for bias shown to a Jew who came before him as a witness.
And after Beraja testified before a special congressional committee looking into the
bombings, leaders of two oppostion parties, the center Radicals and center left Frepaso,
called for the equivalent of impeaching the whole Supreme Court. In order to make
progress in the Israel Embassy case, there have been suggestions that only one justice should
be appointed to handle it; however, others suggest that it be combined with the investigation
now being conducted by Judge Galeano. Moreover, to aid the investigations, laws have been
proposed to use the American technique of granting some immunity or reduced sentences
to those who provide inside information on the forces behind plots like the bombings.
Although high officials, including President Carlos Saul Menem and Foreign Minister Guido
Di Tella have been outspoken in the call for action and supportive of the demands from
survivors and Jewish groups, the government is not supporting the specific requests for
immunity. They have however, offered a one million reward for information on the culprits.
Speaking before a Memoria Activa rally in Buenos Aires last week, Daniel Mariaschin,
Director of B'nai B'rith's Center for Public Policy told those who had lost relatives and
friends in the bombings, "Every day that passes allowing the perpetrators to remain at large,
is another in which justice is not served."
THE BOMBINGS
The two devastating attacks against Jewish or Israeli institutions in Buenos Aires resulted
in the death of 29 people and injury to 252 at the Israeli Embassy and the death of 86
people in the assault on the AMIA, an agency central to the life of the country's Jewry,
which housed such vital social services as birth and burial records, aid programs to the
INTERNATIONAL HEADQUARTERS
1640 RHODE ISLAND AVENUE. NW, WASHINGTON. DC 20036-3278
202-857-6545 FAX 202-857-6689
Page 2/ Bombings in Argentina
needy and the aged, and cultural and educational resources. The building also housed the
offices of DAIA.
The suicidal nature of the explosions has pointed suspicion to Iranian-backed Islamic
extremists whose worldwide aim is to defeat the Middle East peace process and to create
hostility between Jews and their neighbors. However, no evidence sufficient for a trial has
yet appeared. Both Hizbollah and Iran have disclaimed responsibility for the AMIA attack.
A possible motive may be their need to punish Carlos Saul Menem, Argentina's first
president to visit Israel, who also happens to be of Syrian extraction.
With no clear path to a trial emerging after a year of intensive investigation, the Jewish
community is despondent. The attacks are significant because they are directed at the largest
Jewish community in Latin America which is estimated to be between 250,000 and 400,000
people.
In the AMIA case, seven suspects, including Buenos Aires provincial police, have been
indicted for roles in supplying falsified vehicle documents involved in the bombing, and
others are in prison. However, there has been no breakthrough to identify those who
planned and executed the attacks. In the atmosphere of failure, the Jewish community has
grown restive and cynical about the chances for justice being meted out in either case. There
was, however, progress on one front. After B'nai B'rith that investigative judge, Juan Jose
Galeano, devote his full attention to the case, the government acceded to the request and
also Galeano's call for fulltime investigators picked from a list he recommended. He had
previously operated the investigation on a part-time basis with limited help.
In a meeting with Judge Galeano in Washington early this month, he described barricades
to progress in the investigation. Prosecutors, as well as Ruben Beraja, see a negative
influence not only from old line officials with connections to others with a shady past in
military regimes. They directly link the bombings to Iranians, as well as to Islamic extremists
who operate in Argentina.
While those in jail are Argentine, the feeling is that they are neo-Nazis and anti-Semites
with military or security backgrounds. They were drawn into performing more menial tasks
in the attacks. In fact, scandalous revelations about the activities of Buenos Aires provincial
police are embarrassing the national government, which initially only saw a "foreign
connection."
While there remains government interest in finding answers at the highest level, critics point
to a grim reality of corruption and complicity that confounds investigators. It recently
involved a scandal of the Buenos Aires Provincial police who organized the desecration of
tombstones at La Tablada, the country's largest Jewish cemetery, along with the grisly
murder of a journalist whose probing may have gotten too close to sources of the bombings.
Page 3 / Bombings in Argentina
THE SUPREME COURT INVESTIGATION
While Judge Galeano's investigation is stymied, there are seven suspects in prison. The
investigation of the Israeli Embassy bombing is in the hands of the full Supreme Court and
is going nowhere. An obstacle to finding the culprits was created by a now retired Supreme
Court justice who commissioned a "political" study of the attack by the country's Engineering
Institute. Using a computer model -- not actual facts gathered from investigators -- the
Institute determined that the source of the explosion was an "arms cache" in the basement.
This conclusion flew in the face of the views of Argentine, American, Israeli, British and
French experts, who noted that the external impact from a vehicle delivered bomb at the
entrances, blew the front door to the back of the building.
More pressing is the reality that Argentina faces a threat from its open borders, particularly
with Paraguay and Brazil. The tri-border region's thriving and unchecked legal and illicit
business invites heavy traffic in drug running, contraband, arms and terrorists. However,
Argentina has stepped up the professionalization of its weak border control effort in order
to stem the flow of illicit traffic and possible terrorists from Paraguay and Brazil, neither of
which have secured their sides of the borders effectively. It is generally believed that the
deadly bombers crossed into Argentina from Paraguay. To date no anti-terrorist measures
have been taken by Brazil and Paraguay.
Significantly, prospects for technological change to improve security in Argentina are bleak
because of the precarious economic situation of the country now defined by 18.6 percent
unemployment. The economic situation is stimulating public protests. On the positive side,
the Argentine government has been issuing new "fraud-proof" passports. These are welcome
steps to tighten surveillance and begin to track the movement of terrorists, gun-runners and
drug traffickers.
The two investigations' inability to find the culprits does not surprise many Argentinians.
Judge Galeano has worked tirelessly with a small staff and volunteer efforts in a difficult
landscape. He has been working closely with the Jewish community including B'nai B'rith,
and DAIA president Ruben Beraja, an eloquent spokesman and frequent critic of the
government's failings in the pursuit of the case. The United States, Israel and other
countries have offered technical advice and aid. Perhaps a merger of the two investigations
would make sense since it requires the full-time attention that Judge Galeano and his staff
of investigators now devote to the AMIA case.
With the third anniversary of the AMIA bombing upon us on July 19 and the five year mark
for the Israeli embassy long passed, it is important for people inside and outside Argentina
to remind the government in Buenos Aires that they remember the two terrorist attacks and
that countless people still grieve over their losses. Justice will only be served when the
culprits are brought to trial and convicted. The attack was no Jews alone, but on Argentina.
If justice is not servced, the people, already disgusted about corruption, will erupt like a
volcano," according Jorge Burkman, executive director for B'nai B'rith in Argentina.
http://thomas.loc.gov/c..uery/z?r105:E17JY7-92.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z7r105:E17JY7-92:
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AMIA TERRORIST BOMBING ANNIVERSARY
[Page: E1450]
HON. BENJAMIN A. GILMAN
in the House of Representatives
THURSDAY, JULY 17, 1997
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, this week is the third anniversary of the terrible destructive AMIA terrorist bombing of
the Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, Argentina. This deadly international terrorist attack, directed at the
very heart of the Jewish center of life in Argentina, took 86 lives, and wounded more than 300 innocents. It has
badly shaken the confidence of the largest Jewish community in Latin America on the critical issue of their very
safety and security.
It is essential for the Argentine authorities, the U.S. Government, and the world community to do all we can both
individually and collectively to bring to justice those who undertook this deadly and cowardly terrorist act.
Hizballah, with its known links to Iran, and which our Government and others have indicated were responsible for
this AMIA attack, is now clearly operating in our own hemisphere. We are all at risk. We must all work to insure
that those responsible for this terrorist act are brought to justice and that the message is clearly sent that terrorism,
no matter where or why, will not go unpunished by civilized society.
Our International Relations Committee staff have visited Argentina in an effort to see what more the United States
can do to help solve this terrorist bombing. Based on our staff inquiry, the committee asked that the State
Department, which runs a very effective international terrorist rewards program, have its experts visit Argentina and
offer assistance. We now have offered to help the Argentine authorities develop a meaningful and effective publicity
program for their own already announced terrorist reward for help in solving this deadly AMIA attack.
We anxiously await the further publication and distribution of additional material and efforts by Argentina to
publicize the reward on the AMIA attack. As we know, our own reward efforts along these lines have played a
critical role in solving or bringing to justice individuals from around the globe involved in international terrorist
attacks directed at the United States.
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7/18/97 10:25 AM
Justice Delayed
Three Years After the AMIA Bombing
Sergio Kiernan
Sergio Kiernan is an Argentine journalist specializing in international affairs. He
has worked for a number of major magazines and newspapers in Argentina and
Brazil. For the American Jewish Committee he wrote Atrocity in Buenos Aires: The
AMIA Bombing, One Year Later (1995) and Waiting for Justice: Two Years After the
AMIA Bombing (1996).
FOREWORD
Three years ago-on July 18, 1994-the AMIA building in Buenos Aires, the
hub of Jewish life in the Argentine capital, was destroyed by a bomb. Eighty-
six people were killed and another 300 wounded. To this day, despite repeated
assurances by the authorities that the perpetrators will be apprehended and
punished, the crime has not been solved. And this most devastating attack on
a Diaspora Jewish community since the Holocaust must not be viewed in
isolation: In 1992, the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires was bombed.
The American Jewish Committee, which has maintained close relations with
the Jewish community of Argentina for over half a century, has followed the
course of events with great concern. As soon as it learned of the AMIA
bombing, AJC sent a delegation to Buenos Aires to express solidarity with
Argentine Jews and to impress on government officials the need for a prompt
and effective investigation. Since then, as one false lead followed another and
no one has been convicted, we have met often with high-level Argentine
leaders to reinforce the message that American Jewry will not remain silent so
long as this crime against humanity remains unsolved.
We also determined to publish and distribute regular reports on the progress
(or lack of progress) of the investigation. Two weeks after the bombing AJC
released Why Argentina? The Political and Sociological Context of the AMLA
Bombing, by Professor Carlos H. Waisman. On the first anniversary of the
tragedy we put out Atrocity in Buenos Aires: The AMLA Bombing, One Year
Later, and, on the second anniversary, Waiting for Justice: Two Years After the
AMIA Bombing, both by the noted journalist Sergio Kiernan.
This publication. also by Mr. Kiernan, reviews the course of the investigation
over the past year and the condition of the Jewish community in the wake of
the bombing. The picture is not encouraging. But we owe it to the innocent
victims to keep world attention on this case until justice is done.
Jason F. Isaacson
Director, Government and International Affairs
The American Jewish Committee
iii
JUSTICE DELAYED
Three Years After the AMIA Bombing
At 9:50 on the morning of July 18, 1994, a powerful explosion destroyed the
seven-story building that housed the Argentine-Israelite Mutual Aid
Association (AMIA). The attack killed 86 and wounded 300 in the building, in
neighboring residences, and in the busy street. It was the worst anti-Semitic
attack against a Diaspora community since the Holocaust, and the worst
terrorist act in Argentine history. President Carlos Menem promised that his
government would do "everything that can be done" to find and punish the
culprits.
Three years after the bombing and the presidential promise, investigators have
precious little to show. In the words of a source privy to the investigation, "we
know what happened a few days before the bombing, and we know there was
an explosion
then the trail goes completely cold." Officials have, however,
established beyond doubt that Argentine policemen were deeply involved at
least in the first stages of the conspiracy.
Shortly after the attack, Federal Judge Juan José Galeano, who was put in
charge of the case, arrested Carlos Telleldín, a petty thief, part-time pimp, and
stolen-car dealer, and charged him with selling the Renault Trafic van used as
a car bomb. The judge wanted to uncover the trail of the van and identify the
buyers. But it took two years just to get Telleldín to confess that he had
turned the van over to policemen.
Today, eleven Buenos Aires province police officers and agents are in prison
charged with conspiracy in the case. Their arrests began to reveal a network of
corruption and violence among policemen that has scandalized Argentines and
forced their government to act. A major purge of the police force has already
cost hundreds of officers their jobs.
The discovery of a connection between law-enforcement agents and terrorism
confirmed what many Argentines strongly suspected. Obstacles to the
investigation of the AMIA bombing start at the very agencies charged with
uncovering the truth. And therefore uncovering the truth will necessitate a
major institutional overhaul that goes way beyond the AMIA case.
1
2
THE POLICE CONNECTION
On Friday, July 12, 1996, Judge Galeano met for four hours with
Commissioner Pedro Klodczyk, then chief of police for the Buenos Aires
province. Afterward the judge ordered a special strike force to arrest four
policemen. The next day ten more present and former police officers were
arrested while Judge Galeano interrogated six more and, after hearing them,
placed one under arrest. By Monday, the media were reporting that Galeano
had destroyed a network of corrupt high-ranking police officers and was filing
charges against them related to the AMIA bombing. The most prominent
among the arrested was Juan José Ribelli, who headed the police force's
grand auto theft division. A member of the police force council, he was
described as the police chief's "right-hand man and confidant."
Piece by piece, the story of the corrupt policemen came to light. By early 1994
they were operating a racket that sold protection to criminals and traded in
stolen goods taken from Lanus and Vincente Lopez, Buenos Aires suburbs.
According to Judge Galeano, some of these corrupt policemen captured
Telleldín in 1994 and sold him his freedom in exchange for a car, a
motorcycle, and cash. Telleldín was simply one more victim of the officers'
lucrative clandestine business. In early July of that year, soon before the
bombing, Telleldín's premises were raided again, and one of his accomplices,
Hugo Perez, was badly beaten by the police. In hiding, Telleldín negotiated
freedom for Perez and himself. The price this time included a white Renault
Trafic van.
Undiscovered and undisturbed, the officers continued their dealings after the
bombing. Some were promoted and honored, most notably Ribelli, who rose
in the ranks under the protection of his friend, police chief Klodzcyk. He was
even sent to the United States to take a course in antiterrorism techniques.
The only cloud on the horizon was the indictment and dismissal of two
inspectors who were exposed for selling protection. But neither revealed the
names of any accomplices. It was not till Telleldín, the weakest link in the
chain, broke down after two years in jail that the system of corruption started
to unravel.
But the officers under arrest have proven more stubborn than Telleldín. Only
a warning from the governor of the province that their silence would make
him fire them all prompted them to make a statement. But all they would say
was that they were innocent. These men still refuse to answer questions or
acknowledge any criminal involvement.
3
The arrest of so prominent a group of officers triggered a crisis in the police
force. Several of the men's colleagues on the force expressed public support
for them and even delivered subtle threats to the judge, the prosecutors. and
court clerks. And families of the arrested policemen have received anonymous
phone calls telling them to make sure that their relatives keep quiet.
But Judge Galeano has remained unmoved. On the last day of July 1996, he
indicted four of the arrested officers for extortion, kidnapping, and conspiracy
related to the AMIA bombing. He also slapped a $2-million lien on their
assets and said they could face life in jail. Eleven other policemen were
indicted for unrelated crimes uncovered during the AMIA probe. A few days
later, the judge called upon the police to "step up their investigation to find
out who received the van from these policemen." He later explained that he
had given the provincial police "substantial evidence" to help them launch a
probe.
But there was no probe. Instead, there was increased pressure on the families
of the arrested officers. A witness for the prosecution had his small shop
raided by people who did not steal anything but just put a gun to his head.
Another prosecution witness barely rescued his young wife from a trio of
kidnappers who tried to force her into a car in broad daylight. Both of these
witnesses had been under the custody of Buenos Aires policemen. Hundreds
of anonymous leaflets were sent to police precincts all over Buenos Aires
saying: "Three thousand years ago, the Jewish people started creating
scapegoats. They sinned and killed the scapegoat in special ceremonies. Today
the Buenos Aires police are the scapegoat." The leaflet charged that the bomb
that destroyed the AMIA building had actually come in the mail from the
Jewish community of Cordoba "and exploded by accident on the fourth floor
of the building." And it accused the Buenos Aires provincial governor of being
a major drug dealer who had "sold out to the Jews." Police chief Klodzcyk's
promise to find the authors of the leaflet has not been kept.
In early November, arrested officers who were supposed to have been held
incommunicado were found to have used cellular phones. Recordings of the
calls showed that these officers had shared information and encouraged each
other not to talk to investigators. The silence continues today. The most
important piece of evidence in the AMIA case-who bought the van from the
police-is unknown.
THE PURGE OF THE POLICE
The governor of Buenos Aires province is Eduardo Duhalde. Planning to run
4
for president in 1999, he knows that tolerating a corrupt police force could
jeopardize his chances. So in September 1996 he fired police chief Klodzcyk
and replace him with Adolfo Hugo Vitelli, known as tough and honest. and
famous on the force for not being rich. Vitelli's promotion meant that eight
other commissioners who were his seniors were forcibly retired. Intent on
cleaning up the force, Vitelli fired 100 agents. And in late November,
Governor Duhalde announced that all members of the force were now "on
disponibility," a disciplinary status allowing the authorities to dismiss any of
them at will. Duhalde also fired nine commissioners and five division heads,
and, in a friendly gesture to Judge Galeano, he formally dismissed all the
officers arrested in relation to the AMIA case.
Unfortunately, the public perception that something was being done to clean
up the Buenos Aires police was dashed by a murder case in January 1997.
José Luis Cabezas, a well-known photographer, was found burned alive in a
car. He had also been handcuffed, tortured, and shot twice. The ensuing
investigation led to new revelations of police corruption and violence, the
threat of a police strike, and the dismissal of more officers.¹
GOING AFTER THE JUDGE
The AMIA case took an unexpected turn this past March when former
Commissioner Ribelli, the highest-ranking of the arrested officers, hired a
high-profile young lawyer. Mariano Cuneo Libarona. In April, Ribelli asked
for an interview with Judge Galeano. The prisoner arrived with a small parcel
containing a "present" for the judge. It was a videocassette. Ribelli made it
clear that he wanted the judge to view the contents of the video and then,
"only then," consider his legal situation. "Watch it alone, sir, don't let anybody
see it, not even your family," Ribelli told the judge. After sending the prisoner
back to his cell, the judge watched the video in amazement. On the tape was a
cleverly edited copy of a recording the judge had made in late 1996 while
interrogating Carlos Telleldín. (Galeano's clerks had, indeed, noticed that the
original tape had been stolen.) The reason the judge had made the recording
was that, during the interrogation. he told the suspect that he might qualify
for a share of the $3-million reward offered for information in the case.
Galeano's team, anxious that there be no misunderstandings or
misinterpretations, wanted everything on video.²
Judge Galeano immediately filed charges against Ribelli, but Cuneo Libarona,
Ribelli's flamboyant lawyer, lost no time in notifying the media that he had a
"very interesting" videotape which he had been "given" by unknown parties.
Cuneo Libarona said that he himself was "scandalized" by the contents. He
gave several copies to the press.
5
On April 5, the National Congress as well as every Jewish organization in the
country issued statements backing Judge Galeano. "What Cuneo Libarona is
trying to do is to smear Galeano," said Rubén Beraja, president of DAIA, the
umbrella organization of Argentine Jews. "His technique is to scandalize, to
degrade, to imply. He wants to SOW suspicions around the figure of the judge.
he wants to discredit him by suggesting that he is corrupt."3
The next day a TV station finally broadcast the famous tape, but it proved to
be an anticlimax. There was an extremely poor image of Judge Galeano and
Telleldín holding a barely intelligible conversation of half sentences, till the
judge is heard telling the suspect that he may qualify to receive $350,000 of
the reward money.
What followed was farcical. On April 8, Judge Norberto Oyarbide, in charge
of investigating the robbery of the tape, arrested Cuneo Libarona on the
charge of extortion. The lawyer responded that he was being "set up just to
prevent the truth about Galeano from being known." His client, Ribelli, then
accused him of having stolen the tape from Galeano's office. When Judge
Oyarbide was about interrogate Cuneo Libarona, a clerk noticed that the
interrogation questions had been stolen from the court computer.
Investigation revealed that this had been done via modem, apparently from
another computer in the same court building.
On May 4, Cuneo Libarona quit Ribelli's defense team. He was jailed for a
month, and then released on bail. His videotape gambit had failed.
LIFE UNDER A PALL
"The external aspect of a Jewish institution used to be not any different from
the Italian Club or the Portuguese Benevolent Society; security meant a
doorman. Now
the other day I had to give a talk at a community
institution and I couldn't remember the address. No problem. I found the
place in no time thanks to the anti-car-bomb defenses and the blinding
security lights." Rabbi Daniel Goldman of Congregation Bet El wrote this a
year ago. and the situation had not changed since.
Since the bombing, "fire drills," a euphemism for evacuation rehearsals in case
of attack, have become routine in Jewish schools. Older children still
remember when classrooms looked out on the street, but, three years ago,
pupils were moved to the back of the school buildings. Gone are the days of
careless milling about at school doors; students must leave immediately after
class, and adults who pick them up must identify themselves and sometimes
6
even sign a registry. Every teacher in a Jewish school must get to the
classroom a few minutes early to make sure that everything looks normal, that
there are no packages, nothing out of place.
Institutions that used to be welcoming, informal places are now grim, high-
security fortresses. Unsmiling young men greet visitors with polite but precise
questions: "Are you armed?" "May I see your bag?" "Who did you say is
expecting you?" Only the very elderly are spared the grilling-unless they are
carrying packages. Everybody knows that the anti-car-bomb defenses that
mark every Jewish building constitute the ultimate no-parking zone. Even
police cars keep away.
Every Monday, a small but faithful crowd gathers at the square across the
street from the Argentine Supreme Court to mark one more week since the
bombing. It is the Memoria Activa group. mostly relatives and friends of the
victims. There are speeches of remembrance and indignation, an ongoing
reminder to the government that the case is still not solved.
"The case is stalled," said Diana Malamud, who lost her husband in the
bombing. "After arresting the policemen, there was no progress. I doubt very
much if Judge Galeano can keep them in jail. There is not much evidence."
Laura Ginsberg, who also lost her husband in the explosion, fears "that they
want to nail the policemen with the whole case and forget it. Or it might be a
convenient Iranian. You know, this case makes too many problems for the
government, the cops, the intelligence agents.
Both Malamud and
Ginsberg-as well as others in Memoria Activa-have attained unwelcome
publicity from their activities. There have been numerous insults, slurs, and
threats.
Malamud delivered a sharp attack on the Argentine system of justice last year
to a large crowd gathered to mark the second anniversary of the bombing.
There was much applause. Scheduled to speak next, DAIA president Rubén
Beraja abandoned his prepared text and spoke extemporaneously. He
acknowledged the frustration of the community at the slow pace of the
investigation, but urged the Jews "to support and uphold the law, to keep
dialogue open so this situation does not degenerate into a free-for-all fight.
We must stay united, the victims and the government, to win this fight."
Two days later, July 20, Malamud noticed she was being followed by a young
couple driving a white Peugeot 504. She called Judge Galeano and was
provided police protection. The next day, agents of the federal police met with
her and said that the couple in the car were police assigned to protect her.
7
"We received a call saying that somebody was going to kill you and blame us,"
she was told. The agents advised her not to sleep "outside federal jurisdiction"
and to "stop making such strong remarks."
On August 19, 1996, sculptor Mirta Kupfernink unveiled her memorial to the
victims at a well-attended ceremony. A small base of stone surrounded by
hardwood slabs that bear the names of those killed, it was placed in the park
facing the Supreme Court, the encounter point for Memoria Activa. In fact,
some members of the City Council wanted to reject the site as a
"provocation." Only after the matter hit the newspapers did the council agree
to the location.
ARGENTINA ON PROBATION
The basic imperative of Argentine politics is maintaining the goodwill of the
United States, and therefore Argentine leaders tend to speak more honestly in
the United States than at home. While the standard answer to critical
questions from the media or the Jewish community in Argentina is "we're
doing our best," Argentine officials visiting the United States admit the
shortcomings of the investigation.
Thus in a meeting with American Jewish Committee leaders in New York on
September 25, 1996, that lasted almost an hour, Foreign Minister Guido di
Tella was extremely forthcoming. He acknowledged his country's negative
image in the eyes of world Jewry. Although Argentina had opened its files on
Nazis, passed an antidiscrimination law, and demonstrated many other signs of
goodwill toward Argentine Jews and Israel, di Tella recognized that the 1994
bombing and the terrorist destruction two years earlier of the Israeli embassy
constituted a "roadblock" to better relations. "We feel ourselves on
probation," di Tella said. Noting that President Menem himself was
"displeased" with the lack of progress in the investigation. di Tella hoped that
the arrest of the policemen might mark the beginning of a breakthrough in
the case.
Foreign Minister di Tella is well aware of his country's negative image in the
United States over the bombings. On March 13, 1997, the House of
Representatives voted a concurrent resolution, agreed to by the Senate,
criticizing Argentina for "not identifying and initiating prosecution of the
perpetrators" of the two attacks. And the resolution urged the Argentine
Supreme Court. in the interest of efficiency, to appoint a single judge to
investigate the embassy and the AMIA bombings. So far, such steps have not
been taken.
8
One Argentine official who seems especially sensitive to U.S. dissatisfaction is
Eduardo Duhalde, provincial governor of Buenos Aires and all-but-declared
candidate for president. Duhalde met with American Jewish leaders in New
York on April 16, 1996. Duhalde disclaimed responsibility for the Israeli
embassy and the AMIA bombings on the grounds that both had occurred in
the city of Buenos Aires, a federal district, not in Buenos Aires province, and
therefore were in the jurisdiction of the federal police, not Duhalde's
provincial force. When Jacob Kovadloff, American Jewish Committee
consultant on Latin America, pointed to the evidence that "Buenos Aires
province police agents were involved in the planning of the AMIA bombing, if
not in the actual attack," Duhalde responded that there was "no conclusive
proof" of this. At this meeting, Duhalde was accompanied by a number of
other provincial officials as well as by James Cheek, U.S. ambassador to
Argentina. Cheek made a point of defending the Argentine investigation as
"serious and trustworthy."
But as more information emerged about the involvement of the provincial
police, Governor Duhalde made further gestures to indicate that he backed
the investigation. In early June, after conducting a purge of police forces
under his command, he held a well-publicized meeting with Judge Galeano
and promised him "full support." He also sent the judge Excalibur Telephone
Tracking software, a sophisticated computer program, donated by the FBI to
Argentina, that had been used successfully to track phone calls in other cases.
Duhalde also set up an elite police unit to help in the investigation.
Duhalde has also suggested another weapon to help Judge Galeano. a new
law allowing judges to cut a deal with criminals who turn state's evidence. As
the law stands now, Galeano has nothing to offer Telleldín or Ribelli that
might induce them to confess and implicate others. Argentine vice president
Carlos Ruckauf has also backed a change in this law.
But resistance to the reform has mounted steadily, and not just among those
opposed to the Menem administration. Many Argentines do not trust their
government to administer a system that would allow criminals to avoid
punishment in exchange for information. Such a mechanism might easily be
used to help public officials under investigation for corruption. Indeed, a
recent poll showed that 90 percent of Argentines living in the Buenos Aires
area had "little or no trust in the judiciary system," and an even higher
percentage expressed distrust of the police."
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
Argentina remains a "soft target" for terrorism because it maintains very lax
9
security. Although a new kind of passport has been introduced that is harder
to forge, and congress is considering legislation that would extend radar
control to all air traffic, the country's borders are easy to cross, as complaints
from customs officers, drug-enforcement agents, and antiterrorism experts
attest. A frightening commentary on the quality of the intelligence capacity of
Argentina is that the only translator of Iranian in the State Security
Secretariat is an elderly former businessman who claims to know the language
and had visited Tehran a few times years ago.
As for the local accomplices in the bombing, despite all the official insistence
that Argentina would get to the bottom of the matter, the investigation is
mired in the corruption and ineptitude of security agencies; the officers
arrested by Judge Galeano have maintained their silence for more than a year.
Since no government likes to expose the faults of its own system, the
Argentine government would prefer to close the case, if it could do so without
adverse consequences abroad. That is why it is crucial for the American
Jewish community to keep the pressure on, supporting the investigation and
keeping Argentine officials on notice that this matter will not be allowed
simply to fade away.
ENDNOTES
1. Eugenio Zaffaroni, "What Can Be Done with the Buenos Aires Province Police?" Clarín,
Mar. 20. 1997.
2. This information was supplied by individuals close to the investigation who wish to
remain anonymous.
3. Clarin, Apr. 5, 1997.
4. "Life Is Not What It Used to Be," Clarín, July 18, 1996.
5. Interviews with the author, June 2, 1997.
6. The poll was conducted during May 1994 by Guzman, Heredia y Asociados Research and
Marketing. Fourteen-hundred persons were interviewed in the city and suburbs of Buenos Aires.
Clinton Presidential Records
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Report
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002
Memorandum from
WORLD JEWISH CONGRESS
501 Madison Avenue, New York. N.Y. 10022
(212) 755-5770
October 8, 1997.
To:
Israel Singer
From:
Hella Moritz
Re:
President Clinton's visit to Buenos Aires
Alfredo Neuburger called in response to the questions conveyed to us by
Deborah Mohile of the Office of Public Liaison at the White House. His
information:
- The official delegation which will meet with President Clinton is comprised
of six people . Dr. Beraja and Oscar Hansman (of AMIA), plus four relatives of
the bombing victims, two of who are also members of "Memoria Activa"
- Since "Memoria Activa" is represented on the official delegation, there
seems no reason to approve a separate meeting with the President, particularly
as the group might prove to be "uncontrollable"
- DAIA would have no problem with a representative of B'nai B'rith joining
the delegation, but American Protocol said that six was the maximum number ad-
mitted to see the President
- Protocol also said that the President cannot accept a gift; their inten-
tion however is only to present him with a memento, a plaque or such, and
this was approved
- The book to be signed is the guest book recovered from the ruins of AMIA;
a few pages will be left blank, President Clinton will be the first to sign
in the renewed book; proposal was OKed, and even considered a moving gesture.
Dr. Beraja and Neuburger are in constant touch with the Embassy, Charles
Peacock being the coordinator for the presidential visit; through him they
are also in contact with the Advance Team that is already in Buenos Aires.
Neuburger will be trying - at Dr. Beraja's suggestion - to phone Deborah
Mohile direct.
October 24, 1997
Embattled Argentine Jewry
HTTP://WWW.FORWARD.COM
Getting Boost From Clinton
President Meets With AMIA Families,
As Community Seethes at Menem
Hoenlein: Results WIII Tell the Tale
By IRA STOLL
PORWARD STAFF
WASHINGTON - President Clinton's visit to Argentina is step-
ping up the pressure on President Menem to move more aggres-
sively to find the terrorists behind two anti-Jewish bombings that
killed a total of 115 people.
The visit - during which Mr. Clinton met with representatives
of the Argentine Jewish community and with family members of
the bombing victims - is also exposing internal disputes wrack-
ing Argentina's Jews in the aftermath of the bombings. Some Jew-
ish activists there are urging an approach militantly critical of the
Argentine government's response to the blasts, while others are
in favor of more cooperation with the government.
The tensions came to a head dur-
ing the hour-long meeting with
President Clinton last Thursday at
the investigations can be ascribed
the Sheraton Hotel in Buenos
Aires, where the American leader
Clinton Trip Puts Pressure on Menem
partly to the structure of the Argen-.
tine criminal justice system. "We
heard complaints from the victims'
Continued from Page 1
ing to name the government offi-
don't believe this has been a case of
families about the lack of results
traveled with the president in Latin
cials that he had alleged were
foot-dragging on the part of the
in the investigations. Mr. Clinton
America and who attended the
obstructing the investigation of the
Argentine government," Mr. Dob-
promised to ask the Central Intel-
meeting with the Argentine Jews,
bombing. A Jew who serves as the
bins said. He added that the judge
ligence Agency and the Federal
Rep. Nydia Velazquez, said the fam-
interior minister in the Menem gov-
investigating the AMIA bombing
Bureau of Investigation to provide
ilies of the victims "shared with the
ernment was booed off the stage at
has already been to Washington for
information that may help solve
president their frustration with the
the rally, Mr. Merren said.
meetings with the CIA and FBI, and
the crimes, according to reports
way that the investigation has been
"There was a lot of dissension in
that the judge will be having more'
from the meeting. His mere will-
handled."
the Jewish community there about
meetings in Washington on the sub-
ingness to meet with the Jews in
She said, "The president listened
that," Mr. Merren said. "It was kind
ject.
Argentina sent a signal to the
to them and he was very moved, 1
of ugly."
Asked if the Argentine govern-'
Argentine government, officials of
can tell you."
Mr. Beraja continues to play a
ment is dragging its feet on the case,
Jewish organizations said. Eighty-
Ms. Velazquez said the president
key role in the matter. He attend-
the executive vice-chairman of the
six people were killed in the July
vowed in the meeting to ask the FBI
ed the meeting with Mr. Clinton,
Conference of Presidents of Major
18, 1994 bombing of the Argen-
to assist in the investigations. How-
and, a few days before Mr. Clinton
American Jewish Organizations,
tine-Israelite Mutual Aid Associa-
ever, she added, "It's a very deli-
arrived, he was called to Presi-
Malcolm Hoenlein, said, "The
tion, and 29 died in the March 1992
cate situation here. The U.S. can't
dent Menem's residence for his
answer is in the results." He said
bombing of the Israeli embassy in
appear to be interfering with an
advice on how to handle the
years have passed without the per-
Argentina.
investigation that has to be con-
impending visit of the American
petrators of the bombing being
"This was a very significant
ducted by Argentinian officials."
president.
brought to justice.
meeting, and the president heard
The associate director for Latin
The special assistant to the presi-
In the meantime, Mr. Merren
plenty," said the director of gov-
American affairs at B'nai B'rith's
dent and senior director for inter-
said, a group called Memoria Activa
ernment and international affairs
Center for Public Policy, Richard
American affairs at the National
is holding weekly vigils at the site of
for the American Jewish Commit-
Merren, said the divisions within
Security Council, James Dobbins,
the AMIA bombing at the time
tee, Jason Isaacson. "He heard the
the Jewish community emerged in
told reporters in Argentina that Mr.
when the blast went off, and a law is
anguish of the families. He heard
full view at a rally on the third
Clinton told President Menem of
under consideration in the Argen-
the failures of the investigations
anniversary of the AMIA bombing,
"our continued concern and sup-
tine parliament to allow for plea
in both bombings to produce any
where the head of the Argentine
port for progress in these cases and
bargaining. That law might allow:
tangible results."
Jewish community umbrella group,
our willingness to assist."
criminal investigations to make
A Democrat from New York who
Ruben Beraja, was booed for refus-
Mr. Dobbins said the slow pace of
more progress, he said.
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