[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 71 (Tuesday, May 13, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H4000]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




MAKING PUBLIC RECORDS REGARDING RELOCATION TO ARGENTINA OF WORLD WAR II 
                               CRIMINALS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Hinchey) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. HINCHEY. Mr. Speaker, I would like to this evening call to the 
attention of the Members of the House that tomorrow I, along with 22 
original cosponsors, will introduce a resolution calling on the 
Government of Argentina to make public all of its official records 
pertaining to the relocation to Argentina of Nazis and other criminals 
of World War II.
  Just 60 years ago, the world witnessed the most horrific crime ever 
perpetrated, the Holocaust. Hitler's campaign of genocide murdered 6 
million Jews, 220,000 Roma, 200,000 mentally and physically disabled 
persons, and millions more homosexuals, Russians, Poles, and others. 
This campaign, known as the ``Final Solution,'' was carried out with 
ruthless efficiency by Hitler's Nazi regime and its collaborators.
  Following the fall of that regime in 1945, the Nuremberg Trials were 
established to prosecute those responsible for carrying out the 
genocide campaign. While many of the Nazis and war criminals who 
perpetrated these atrocities were tried at Nuremberg, others escaped 
Europe and fled.
  Many of those who escaped sought refuge in Argentina, where the 
government of Juan Peron offered them a safe haven. While many 
historians believe at least 300 war criminals fled to Argentina, there 
is no accurate number available.
  Those we do know about include some of the Holocaust's most notorious 
figures: Edward Roschmann, the ``Butcher of Riga,'' and probable 
organizer of the ODESSA network; Eric Priebke, the SS captain involved 
in massacres of Italian victims; and Adolf Eichmann, chief of the 
Jewish Office of the Gestapo and responsible for implementing the 
``Final Solution.'' There are many others who belong on the list.
  This era of Argentina's history is over, and Argentina has attempted 
to come to grips with this history. Despite these efforts, there is 
much we do not know about this era. Two prominent examples demonstrate 
this fact.
  The fate of Klaus Barbie is not certain, as he briefly resided in 
Argentina on his way to a third country. Josef Mengele spent a short 
time in Argentina before leaving for Paraguay, but the details of his 
flight are uncertain as well.
  Did the Government of Argentina know that these men traveled through 
the country? How long did they reside in Argentina? These questions and 
others remain unanswered. As two of the most dangerous and destructive 
men during the Holocaust, their actions after World War II should be 
known. Access to the documents that Argentina has may provide 
information on the final whereabouts of these and other war criminals.
  Historians and researchers, however, are still encountering obstacles 
to Argentina's archives as repeated requests for documentation from 
that time period have been disregarded or refused. The New York Times 
reported on this in March of this year, and other researchers and 
historians have confirmed this fact.
  My resolution calls on Argentina to build upon the steps it has 
already taken to shed light on the relocation of Nazis to Argentina 
following the end of World War II and to make public all official 
records pertaining to this era.
  The world must always learn from its history. Knowledge of past 
events can guard against such things occurring in the future. Access to 
these records is necessary to form a full understanding of the 
Holocaust's aftermath and to thwart future attempts by war criminals to 
avoid prosecution. And just as important, if not more, the Nazis and 
war criminals who avoided prosecution for their roles in the Holocaust 
must be exposed. The world deserves to know of their crimes and their 
fates. The people of Argentina deserve nothing less than complete 
knowledge of their country's history. And the families of Holocaust 
victims deserve a full account of this time period.
  Argentina should be praised for its recent efforts to investigate and 
bring to light the events of this time period as a member of the Task 
Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, 
Remembrance, and Research. Argentina also signed the Declaration of the 
Stockholm International Forum on the Holocaust and therefore agreed to 
``throw light on the still obscured shadows of the Holocaust'' and to 
``take all necessary steps to facilitate the opening of archives in 
order to ensure that all documents bearing on the Holocaust are 
available to researchers.''

                              {time}  2000

  In 1997, Argentina created the Commission of Inquiry into the 
Activities of Nazism in Argentina to identify Nazis who settled in the 
country, determine if Nazi loot had arrived in Argentina, and evaluate 
the impact of Nazism on Argentine society. However, documentation and 
details regarding these events in Argentina's history have still not 
been made available, despite commitments from Argentina's Government to 
do so. By making these documents and information public, the Government 
of Argentina will be making an enormous contribution to all those who 
seek an accurate accounting of history.
  Before I close, I want to make clear that the purpose of this 
resolution is not to lay blame on Argentina, but to foster a clear and 
complete understanding of the events following the Holocaust. It is 
important to note that just prior to the start of World War II, 30,000 
to 40,000 Jewish immigrants entered Argentina and sought asylum, 
thousands more than other countries were permitting at the time, and 
efforts are being made by the current government to expose these facts 
regarding the Holocaust.
  I call on the Argentine Government to fully support the efforts it 
has previously made on this issue and to release any and all 
information and documents it has on the relocation of Nazis and other 
war criminals to within its borders after World War II. Recognition of 
these events is critical for a full understanding of the Holocaust and 
its aftermath.

                          ____________________