Argentinian President Accused of Covering Up Iran's Role in AMIA Bombing

On Friday, February 13, the new prosecutor of Argentina officially accused the country's president of covering up the role of Iranian officials in the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish center. French and German news agencies reported that Gerardo Pollicita stated that investigations against Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, which were previously pursued by the murdered former prosecutor Alberto Nisman, will continue. Nisman was mysteriously killed on January 18, a day before he was to testify in Congress about the president's and her aides' involvement in concealing information regarding the AMIA bombing. The bombing in Buenos Aires resulted in 85 deaths. Since then, Argentinian judicial officials and Israeli leaders have pointed fingers at Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah group, which Tehran has denied. Pollicita has accused the Argentinian president in connection with a complaint filed by Nisman on January 14. Nisman, who had pursued the AMIA case for 11 years, died four days after submitting this complaint. Hector Timerman, the Argentinian Foreign Minister, and two other government-affiliated politicians have also been accused by the prosecutor for allegedly covering up Iran's role in the bombing. Opponents of the Argentinian president claim that Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and some Argentinian security officials collaborated to hide Iran's involvement in the bombing of the Jewish center 21 years ago. The Argentinian presidential office has denied these accusations, stating that the opposition is using these unfounded claims to seek a coup to remove the president. Initially, Argentinian judicial officials postponed urgent investigations into this matter in mid-summer but eventually began this work in February. According to Argentinian law, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner cannot be tried until her immunity is lifted, which will not happen until her presidency ends at the end of 2015. On February 3, judicial officials announced that an inspection of Alberto Nisman’s apartment revealed that he had prepared an arrest warrant for Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. The body of 51-year-old Nisman was found in the bathroom of his home with a bullet entering but not exiting the right side of his head, according to Viviana Fein. In this context, Argentinian prosecutors stated that Kirchner covered up Iran's role in the AMIA bombing. "Argentina was seeking to deny Iran's role in the AMIA bombing in exchange for receiving oil," the Argentinian president stated, denying that Nisman committed suicide. The Argentinian prosecutor noted that Judge Nisman had prepared an arrest warrant for Kirchner. DNA from another individual was found in the home of the murdered Argentinian prosecutor.