[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 11330]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        COMMEMORATING THE 17TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ATTACK ON AMIA

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 18, 2011

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, today marks the anniversary of the 
attack on the AMIA Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
  Seventeen years ago, the Iranian regime, through the coordinated 
efforts of its embassy and extremist proxy Hezbollah, committed one of 
the deadliest attacks in Argentine history.
  The events that transpired on July 18, 1994 served as a perilous 
forewarning of the emerging threat of radical Islamist militants in the 
Hemisphere and their state-sponsors.
  The attack on the AMIA Jewish Community Center of Buenos Aires took 
the lives of 85 men, women, and children, and left over 300 others 
wounded.
  This precise location was targeted because it serves as the symbol of 
Jewish cultural life in a country that is home to the largest Jewish 
community in Latin America.
  The attack is consistent with the Iranian regime's attitude toward 
the Jewish people in general, and toward the State of Israel in 
particular.
  Only two years earlier, Islamic Jihad--a violent extremist 
organization with ties to Hezbollah--claimed responsibility for a 
similarly deadly attack on the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires.
  Israeli officials determined that Iran, including high-ranking regime 
officials, had been informed about the plans for the embassy attack and 
had, in fact, given the authorization for its execution.
  Tehran has made no effort to hide its anti-Semitic spew or its intent 
to destroy the State of Israel.
  And in the years since, the Iranian regime has only deepened its 
network of proxy extremist groups and its unapologetic support of 
deadly activities worldwide.
  This is evidenced, not just by its continued alliance with extremist 
entities which target civilians to advance their destructive agenda, 
but also by the fact that those directly responsible for the attack, as 
determined by the Government of Argentina, continue to serve as high 
ranking officials in the Iranian regime.
  One such example is the current Iranian Defense Minister, Ahmed 
Vahidi.
  Vahidi is facing an international arrest warrant issued by INTERPOL, 
but he remains a prominent figure in the regime.
  In fact, at the invitation of Evo Morales, Vahidi travelled to 
Bolivia just last month to attend the opening of an ALBA military 
academy.
  Encouraged by Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, Iran has forged an unholy 
alliance with several countries in the region based on their shared 
rejection of freedom and democratic values.
  Even in the wake of Iran's brutal crackdown on its citizens after the 
fraudulent so-called ``elections'' in 2009, the ties between the 
Iranian regime and the ALBA countries has only strengthened.
  These alliances, and the resources and capacity they provide to Iran, 
are especially disturbing as the United States and other responsible 
nations are working to isolate the Iranian regime for its support of 
extremism and pursuit of nuclear weapons.
  And so, as we remember the attack on the AMIA 17 years ago, we must 
do so within the broader, stark, and growing threat posed by the 
regime.
  On that note, Mr. Speaker, I would draw attention to the strongly 
bipartisan Iran Threat Reduction Act, which I recently introduced 
together with Ranking Member Berman, and which has almost 200 
cosponsors.
  This legislation builds upon current law, closes loopholes, and 
provides for comprehensive action to address the totality of the threat 
posed by Tehran.
  I look forward to its consideration by the whole House.
  Mr. Speaker, I would also note that earlier this week, INTERPOL 
issued Red Notices for the arrest of four members of Hezbollah, which 
is sponsored by Iran, after they were indicted by the Special Tribunal 
for Lebanon for their roles in the assassination of former Lebanese 
Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri in 2005.
  This should serve as a further reminder of the lengths to which Iran 
and its allies are ready, willing, and able to cause destruction and to 
wantonly violate international norms and obligations in multiple 
regions.
  On July 18, 1994, the world was witness to an act of true evil 
perpetrated by the ruthless Iranian regime.
  And as we mark the 17th anniversary of this attack and honor the 
victims and survivors of that day, we must recommit ourselves to 
holding the Iranian regime accountable for the AMIA attack and for the 
threat it poses to U.S., regional, and global security.

                          ____________________