Quick takesSmoking Argentinian gun; Turkey, Israel getting closer; Libya military action looms
Former Argentine Foreign Minister Héctor Timerman knew that Iran was responsible for the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish center in Buenos Aires while he was negotiating with Iran for lucrative business deals on behalf of the Argentinian government two years ago; Saleh al-Arouri, one of the planners of the murder of the three Jewish teenagers in Gush Etzion in June 2014, was expelled from Turkey at Israel’s request, thus removing one more obstacle from the path of normalization of relations between Turkey and Israel; U.K. planes may begin attacking ISIS targets in Libya as part of an international coalition force as the UN Security Council is set to approve a resolution supporting the new Libyan government.
Alberto Nisman, special prosecutor investigating Argentina-Iran deal // Source: commons.wikimedia.org
Argentina: Argentina-Iran cover-up deal
Former Argentine Foreign Minister Héctor Timerman knew that Iran was responsible for the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish center in Buenos Aires while he was negotiating with Iran for lucrative business deals on behalf of the Argentinian government two years ago. Timerman’s admission was secretly recorded during a conversation with Argentinian Jewish leaders, and the recording became public last Friday. In 2013 Timerman was negotiating with Oran over a “Memorandum of Understanding” which would set up a joint Argentinian-Iranian commission to “investigate” the 1994 bombing. Timerman admitted he had no doubt that Tehran was behind the bombing, which killed eoghty-five people and injured hundreds. The purpose of the investigation was not to find the truth, but to whitewash Iran in exchange for Iranian business. In January 2015, special prosecutor Alberto Nissman was scheduled to present his findings about the Argentina-Iran secret deal to Parliament, but he was found dead, under mysterious circumstances, a day before he was supposed to appear before lawmakers. Timeerman’s admission confirms the conclusions Nisman had reached.
Israel-Turkey: One more obstacle to normalization of ties removed
Saleh al-Arouri, one of the planners of the murder of the three Jewish teenagers in Gush Etzion in June 2014, was expelled from Turkey at Israel’s request, thus removing one more obstacle from the path of normalization of relations between Turkey and Israel. A full normalizing of ties is still far because of disagreements over the Israeli maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip. Al-Arouri was one of the founders of Hamas’ military wing, and spent fifteen years in Israeli jails before he was released and expelled to Syria. In 2012, when Hamas’ offices in Syria were closed down because of Hamas’ support of the anti-Assad rebellion, al-Arouri fled to Turkey. From his office in Istanbul he organized and funded the kidnapping and killing of the three Israeli teenagers.
Libya: U.K. may participate in attacks on ISIS targets in the country
U.K. planes may begin attacking ISIS targets in Libya as part of an international coalition force as the UN Security Council is set to approve a resolution supporting the new Libyan government. The UK-sponsored resolution is primarily intended to endorse the new regime, established after the two main warring factions in Libya last week agreed to a unity government, but the resolution is also opens the door for military action because it allows the Libyan government to invite foreign countries to help block the spread of ISIS in the country. There will be no need for U.K. parliamentary approval of airstrikes in Libya as the government would be acting at the invitation of the Libyan government. Britain has already said it would send up to 1,000 troops as part of an Italian-led coalition to help train the Libyan army.
