Argentina's president marks 30th anniversary of bombing targeting Jewish centre

(18 Jul 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Buenos Aires, Argentina - 17 July 2024
1. Start of the World Jewish Congress forum
2. U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Ben Cardin, U.S. Senator, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations:
"We can never forget what happened here in Buenos Aires. We can never forget the victims of these terrorist attacks. We are committed in their memory to make sure that justice is provided and accountability for all the perpetrators and that takes place."

ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARCHIVE: Buenos Aires, Argentina - 18 July 1994
++4:3++
4. Rescue teams at the destroyed AMIA building
5. Rescue worker and dog searching for victims in the rubble

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Buenos Aires, Argentina - 17 July 2024
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Ben Cardin, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations:
"We've experienced violence in the United States, the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. (This is) a stark reminder of how deadly antisemitism can be. And the October 7 attacks by Hamas in Israel, something that is unspeakable and unimaginable to happen. Yes, Israel has the obligation to defend itself against Hamas."
7. Argentine President Javier Milei getting up to speak
8. Candles
9. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Javier Milei, Argentine President:
"Tomorrow will also mark three decades of impunity. Three decades of smokescreen and crude maneuvers by dark characters to cover up one of the worst atrocities in our history."
10. Milei with Argentine Jewish leaders
11. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Javier Milei, Argentine President:
"We are promoting a law to extend the trial in absentia to extremely serious crimes, among which is the financing of terrorism, which will allow the leaders of the Iranian regime involved in the attack to be tried. Although they may never be able to serve a sentence, they will not be able to escape the eternal condemnation that a free court demonstrates their guilt before the entire world."
12. Milei with Argentine Jewish leaders
13. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Javier Milei, Argentine President:
"That is why we have declared Hamas a terrorist organization. Something that no government dared to do out of diplomatic speculation even though it was always obvious to everyone (of their involvement in the attacks)."
14. Congress ends
STORYLINE:
On the eve of the thirtieth anniversary of the terrorist attack against a Jewish center in Buenos Aires, President Javier Milei participated in the World Jewish Congress.

Milei said the government will send Congress a project to hold the trial in absentia, which which would allow the trial of defendants of Iranian and Lebanese origin who are fugitives from Argentine justice.

According to the proposal, a trial in absentia will proceed against a fugitive defendant after four months have passed since the issuance of their national or international arrest warrant without them being able to be found. It will also proceed when their extradition has been denied or there has been no response to the extradition request within a sufficient period of time.

Milei's speech was made to mark the 30th anniversary of the terrorist attack against the headquarters of the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA) on July 18, 1994, which cost the lives of 85 people.

The Argentine justice system determined that the attack was organized and financed by the authorities of the Islamic State of Iran and carried out by the Lebanon's Hezbollah. Nine Iranians and one Lebanese were charged.



AP Video shot by Victor R. Caivano


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