[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 106 (Monday, July 19, 2010)]
[House]
[Page H5695]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   COMMEMORATING THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMIA JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER 
                                 ATTACK

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, this past Sunday thousands gathered 
around the world to commemorate the grim anniversary of the deadly 
attack on the AMIA Jewish Community Center of Buenos Aires, Argentina. 
I was particularly honored to participate in a special ceremony in 
Miami, organized by the American Jewish Committee and Aventura Chabad, 
to share in this solemn occasion and recommit ourselves to holding the 
Iranian regime accountable for such death and destruction.
  Sixteen years ago on Sunday the world saw firsthand the ruthless 
cruelty of the Iranian regime and the extent to which it would export 
its violent extremist views and activities worldwide. The Government of 
Argentina found that this heinous attack was organized by some of the 
highest past and present leaders of the Iranian regime. The state 
prosecutor of Argentina found that these Iranian leaders had turned to 
Hezbollah to carry out the regime's murderous adventures.
  At a ceremony in Buenos Aires this weekend, a relative of one of the 
victims told the crowd, and I quote, ``We accuse Iran of being behind 
the death of my brother, of your friends, of your neighbors; a country 
that denies the Holocaust, and even threatens to erase another country 
of the world with nuclear weapons, with the consent of Russia and 
Brazil; a country which shakes hands with Venezuela.''
  Madam Speaker, we must remain mindful that the same murderous 
ideology, and even some of the same perpetrators that spawned the AMIA 
attack then remain part of the Iranian regime today. Iran's current 
defense minister was issued an international arrest warrant by Interpol 
in 2007 based on his involvement in the AMIA attack. The Government of 
Argentina also found several former Iranian embassy officials to be 
responsible for the AMIA attack, showing us that Iran is more than 
willing to use its embassies abroad as tools of its extremist goals.
  The ongoing ``diplomatic'' infiltration of Iran into the Western 
Hemisphere presents a direct threat to U.S. national security 
interests. The Argentine prosecutor reportedly concluded that the 
primary reason that Argentina was the chosen target of the AMIA attack 
was the Argentine Government's, quote, ``unilateral decision to 
terminate the nuclear materials and technology supply agreements that 
had been concluded some years previously between Argentina and Iran.''
  Sixteen years later, we face an Iranian regime on the verge of 
obtaining nuclear weapons capabilities and seeking support for its 
nefarious agenda. This rogue state is stepping up its military, 
political, and economic cooperation with countries around the world, 
particularly in Latin America. A Defense Department report this April 
stated that the elite core of Iran's Revolutionary Guard is, quote, 
``well established in the Middle East and north Africa, and recent 
years have witnessed an increased presence in Latin America, 
particularly Venezuela.''
  Similarly, there have been press reports in Nicaragua that Iranian 
operatives have allegedly been moving in and out of the country using 
diplomatic cover. And the relationship between the Cuban and Iranian 
regimes is longstanding. The United States must work together with our 
democratic allies to address all facets of the Iranian threat, which 
goes well beyond the nuclear program and extends well past the Middle 
East.
  With this in mind, I was proud to recently introduce, along with many 
of my House colleagues in a bipartisan way, House Concurrent Resolution 
295, to both condemn the heinous AMIA attack in Buenos Aires and to 
serve as a reminder of the danger that Iran and its proxies pose to all 
freedom-loving people.
  The members of the global jihadist network sponsored by Tehran have 
demonstrated time and time again, in word and in action, that they will 
stop at nothing to target and destroy the State of Israel, its 
interests overseas, and the Jewish people wherever they may be. It is 
more important than ever for our government and our Nation to stand 
unequivocally with Israel and against the growing threats to Israel's 
security and her very existence.

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