Iranian agent admits Iran's responsibility for attack in Argentina

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, November 06, 2003

Iranian agent admits Iran's responsibility for attack in Argentina

A former member of the Iranian espionage services testified Wednesday that his country was behind the 1994 attack on a Jewish center in the Argentinian capital which left 86 dead.

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A former member of the Iranian espionage services testified Wednesday that his country was behind the 1994 attack on a Jewish center in the Argentinian capital which left 86 dead.

Through a tele-conference from Germany, Abolgashem Mesbahi said during an interrogation that the bomb attack was "led, operated and executed by Iran."

Known as "Witness C" to conceal his real identity, Mesbahi saidthe operation was planned a year in advance and that the attack was "actively" organized by the then cultural attache at the Iranian Embassy in Argentina, Moceen Rabbani.

The attack on a Jewish center building on July 18, 1994 left a total of 86 people dead and more than 500 injured.

Mesbahi said Rabbani chose the center, the Argentine Jewish Mutual Association, "as a target", because there was a branch of the principal Israeli intelligence service, the Mossad, according to remarks released on Wednesday morning by local press, which however did not indicate in which German city the statement was issued.

As for the reason for the attack, Mesbahi said it was intended to avenge the Argentine government's failure to supply nuclear materials to Iran, as promised in the past.

Also in the statement, Mesbahi reiterated that no Argentinean "was involved or collaborated" in the attack, and that the "car bomb" was rented.

He added that this version "was obtained from an informer of the intelligence service of Iran who might have died in 1996."

Tensions between Argentina and Iran reached a new high in August when Iran's former ambassador to Argentina Hadi Soleimanpurwas arrested in Britain on an extradition request from Buenos Aires.

In response, Tehran suspended economic and cultural cooperation with Argentina.

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