July 15, 2004 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S8243 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLU- curement and delivery of the vehicle that gentina, and to prosecute with due haste TION 126—CONDEMNING THE AT- was used in the bombing; those who are responsible for the bombing; TACK ON THE AMIA JEWISH Whereas the judge who had presided since (5) calls upon the international community COMMUNITY CENTER IN BUENOS 2001 over the investigation and trial related to cooperate fully with the investigation, in- to the AMIA bombing was removed in De- cluding by making information, witnesses, AIRES, ARGENTINA, IN JULY 1994, cember 2003 due to charges that he bribed a and suspects available for review and ques- AND EXPRESSING THE CONCERN key witness in the AMIA case; tioning by the appropriate Argentine au- OF THE UNITED STATES RE- Whereas the new trial judge, Rodolfo thorities; GARDING THE CONTINUING, DEC- Canicoba Corral, deals with many other im- (6) encourages the President to direct ADE-LONG DELAY IN THE RESO- portant cases and has few supporting staff; United States law enforcement agencies to LUTION OF THIS CASE Whereas on March 17, 1992, terrorists provide support and cooperation, if re- bombed the Embassy of Israel in Buenos Mr. COLEMAN (for himself, Mr. quested, to the Government of Argentina, for Aires, Argentina, killing 29 people and injur- the purposes of deepening and expanding the LEVIN, and Mr. DODD) submitted the ing more than 200, and the perpetrators of investigation into this bombing and sus- following concurrent resolution; which the attack also remain at large; pected activities in support of terrorism in was referred to the Committee on Com- Whereas an inability to extradite sus- the tri-border area where the borders of Ar- merce, Science, and Transportation: pected Islamic militants and Iranian offi- gentina, Paraguay, and Brazil meet; S. CON. RES. 126 cials has debilitated the efforts of the Gov- (7) encourages the President to direct the ernment of Argentina to prosecute master- Whereas on July 18, 1994, 85 innocent peo- United States Representative to the OAS minds and planners of the 1994 AMIA bomb- ple were killed and 300 were wounded when to— ing; the Argentine Jewish Mutual Association (A) seek support from OAS member coun- Whereas evidence indicates that the tri- (referred to in this resolution as the tries for the creation of a special task force border area where the borders of Argentina, ‘‘AMIA’’) was bombed in Buenos Aires, Ar- of the CICTE to assist, as requested by the Paraguay, and Brazil meet is suspected of gentina; Government of Argentina, in the investiga- harboring organizations that support ter- Whereas that attack showed the same cow- tion of all aspects of the 1994 AMIA terrorist rorism and engage in drug and arms smug- ardice and utter disregard for human life as attack; and gling and an assorted array of other illicit, (B) urge OAS member countries to des- the attacks on the United States on Sep- revenue-raising activities; tember 11, 2001; ignate Hizballah as a terrorist organization Whereas the Government of Argentina sup- if they have not already done so; Whereas the United States welcomes Ar- ports the 1996 Declaration of Lima to Pre- gentine President Nestor Kirchner’s political (8) stresses the need for international pres- vent, Combat and Eliminate Terrorism, sure on the Government of the Islamic Re- will to pursue the investigation of the AMIA which refers to terrorism as a ‘‘serious form bombing, as demonstrated by his Executive public of Iran and the Government of the of organized and systematic violence that is Syrian Arab Republic to extradite for trial order opening the archives of Argentina’s intended to generate chaos and fear among Secretariat for State Intelligence (referred individuals and government officials who are the population, results in death and destruc- accused of planning or perpetrating the to in this resolution as ‘‘SIDE’’) and by his tion, and is a reprehensible criminal activ- AMIA attack, and to immediately, uncondi- decisions to raise the AMIA cause to na- ity’’; tionally, and permanently cease any and all tional status, and to emphasize that there is Whereas the Government of Argentina sup- assistance to terrorists; and no statute of limitations for those respon- ports the 1998 Commitment of Mar del Plata, (9) desires a lasting, warm relationship be- sible for this attack; which calls terrorist acts ‘‘serious common tween the United States and Argentina that Whereas it is reported that considerable crimes that erode peaceful and civilized co- is built, in part, on mutual abhorrence of evidence links the attack to the terrorist existence, affect the rule of law and the exer- terrorism and commitments to peace, sta- group Hizballah, which is based in Lebanon, cise of democracy, and endanger the sta- bility, and democracy in the Western Hemi- supported by the Government of the Syrian bility of democratically elected constitu- sphere. Arab Republic, and sponsored by the Govern- tional governments and their socioeconomic ment of the Islamic Republic of Iran; development of our countries’’; f Whereas the decade since the bombing has Whereas the Government of Argentina ac- been marked by efforts to minimize the tively supports the development of the Three AMENDMENTS SUBMITTED AND international connection to this terrorist at- Plus One Counterterrorism Dialogue with tack; Brazil, Paraguay, and the United States; PROPOSED Whereas in March 2003, an Argentine judge Whereas the Government of Argentina was SA 3562. Mr. MCCONNELL (for Mr. GRASS- issued arrest warrants for 4 officials of the successful in enacting a law on cooperation LEY (for himself and Mr. BAUCUS)) proposed Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran from defendants in terrorist matters, a law an amendment to the bill H.R. 4520, to who are believed to have been involved in that will be helpful in pursuing full prosecu- amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to planning or carrying out the attack against tion in the 1994 AMIA bombing and other ter- remove impediments in such Code and make AMIA and requested that the International rorist cases; and our manufacturing, service, and high-tech- Criminal Police Organization apprehend Whereas the Second Specialized Conference nology businesses and workers more com- them; on Terrorism held in Mar del Plata, Argen- petitive and productive both at home and Whereas the 4 indicted Iranians are Ali tina on November 23 and November 24, 1998, abroad. Fallahian, a former minister of security and concluded with the adoption of the Commit- SA 3563. Mr. DEWINE (for himself, Mr. intelligence; Mohsen Rabbani, a former cul- ment of Mar del Plata, calling for the estab- KENNEDY, Mr. MCCONNELL, Mr. HOLLINGS, tural attache at the Iranian Embassy in Bue- lishment within the Organization of Amer- Ms. COLLINS, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. DURBIN, Mrs. nos Aires; Ali Balesh-Abadi, an Iranian dip- ican States (referred to in this resolution as FEINSTEIN, Mr. GRAHAM of Florida, Mr. JEF- lomat; and Ali Akbar Parvaresh, a former ‘‘OAS’’) of an Inter-American Committee FORDS, Mr. REED, Mr. LAUTENBERG, and Mr. minister of education; Against Terrorism (referred to in this resolu- SCHUMER) proposed an amendment to amend- Whereas Hadi Soleimanpour, Iran’s Ambas- tion as ‘‘CICTE’’): Now, therefore, be it ment SA 3562 proposed by Mr. MCCONNELL sador to Argentina in the 1990s, also has an Resolved by the Senate (the House of Rep- (for Mr. GRASSLEY (for himself and Mr. BAU- international arrest warrant pending against resentatives concurring), That Congress— CUS)) to the bill H.R. 4520, supra. him by Argentine authorities for his sus- (1) reiterates its strongest condemnation of SA 3564. Mr. ROBERTS (for himself and pected primary role in the AMIA bombing; the 1994 attack on the AMIA Jewish Commu- Mr. ROCKEFELLER) submitted an amendment Whereas it is reported that suicide bomber nity Center in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. Ibrahim Hussein Berro, a Lebanese citizen, honors the victims of this heinous act; 2386, to authorize appropriations for fiscal carried out the attack on AMIA; (2) expresses its sympathy to the relatives year 2005 for intelligence and intelligence-re- Whereas it has been reported that contact of the victims, who have waited 10 years lated activities of the United States Govern- was made by the Iranian embassy in Buenos without justice for the loss of their loved ment, the Intelligence Community Manage- Aires to Ibrahim Hussein Berro, who lived in ones, and may have to wait even longer for ment Account, and the Central Intelligence a mosque in Canuelas, Argentina, in the days justice to be served; Agency Retirement and Disability System, before the AMIA bombing; (3) underscores the concern of the United and for other purposes; which was ordered to Whereas Argentine officials have acknowl- States regarding the continuing, decade-long lie on the table. edged that there was negligence in the ini- delay in the proper resolution of this case; tial phases of the investigation into the 1994 (4) strongly urges the Government of Ar- f bombing, including the destruction or dis- gentina to continue to dedicate and provide appearance of material evidence; the resources necessary for its judicial sys- TEXT OF AMENDMENTS Whereas the first major criminal trial re- tem and intelligence agencies to investigate garding the bombing did not begin until Sep- all areas of the AMIA case, including by im- SA 3562. Mr. MCCONNELL (for Mr. tember 2001, and those who are currently on plementing Argentine President Nestor GRASSLEY (for himself and Mr. BAU- trial are former policemen and civilians who Kirchner’s Executive order mandating the CUS)) proposed an amendment to the are accused of playing roles only in the pro- opening of the archives of the SIDE of Ar- bill H.R.