State Department Debunks Iranian Latin American Terrorism Links

Dees Illustration

Stephen Lendman

False anti-Iranian accusations persist. They're longstanding. Claims about alleged nuclear bomb development don't wash. Nor do well publicized terror attack charges.

The Islamic Republic's maliciously vilified. False accusations follow earlier ones. A disturbing pattern repeats. Iran's sovereignty is challenged. Its independence is threatened.

Washington wants pro-Western stooges everywhere. It wants rival states eliminated. It wants unchallenged global dominance. Everything's fair game to achieve it. Duplicitous misinformation proliferates.

Argentinian officials falsely charged former Hezbollah leader Imad Mughniyah in connection with the 1992 Israeli Buenos Aires embassy bombing. It killed 29 civilians and wounded 242 others.

In 1999, its authorities issued an arrest warrant. It cited this attack and the 1994 AMIA (Argentine Israelite Mutual Association) Buenos Aires bombing. It killed 85 and injured hundreds. Argentina has Latin America's largest Jewish population. It numbers around 200,000.

On May 29, the Times of Israel headlined "Argentinian prosecutor alleges extensive Iranian terror activity in South America."

Alberto Nisman's 502-page indictment falsely linked Iran to the 1994 incident. It did so duplicitously. More on that below.

Nisman named former Iranian cultural attache Mohsen Rabbani. He was Tehran's alleged Latin American clandestine activities coordinator.

He fabricated Iran's so-called "dual use of diplomatic offices, cultural or charity associations and even mosques, as coverage to hide illegal activities."

He claimed the 1994 incident wasn't "an isolated event." It's "part of a bigger image, dominated by the strong and aggressive Iranian infiltration in the region in which Rabbani did not limit himself to Argentina."

(B)ased on the gathered evidence, his activities (extended) to Guyana and to several South American countries."

Based on countless reports, evidence, testimonies, court and investigative records related to other countries of the region, North America and Europe - including rulings of foreign courts against the Iranian regime - (his activities supposedly) proved the identical decision-making mechanism, planning and execution of terrorist attacks verified in different countries, which were judicially attributed to Iranian intelligence agents.

Latin American countries named include “Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Chile, Colombia, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname."

Nisman accused Tehran's Argentinian embassy and several Iranian "front companies" of providing means and cover for individuals involved in the 1994 attack.

He alleged so-called "documents signed by top authorities in Iran" prove his accusations.

"I have the certainty that this is irrefutable proof," he claimed. "Any prosecutor who sits in my office will reach the same conclusions because evidence leads to that. Iran is a terrorist state that backs them."

He asked Interpol to "take further measures in order to detain all the defendants in the AMIA case with international arrest warrants."

The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) vehemently denied Nisman's accusations. It said Tehran has no involvement in Latin American terrorism. It has intention to commit it. No reason to do so exists.

"(D)ue to the prosecutor's background and Zionist character, we won't consider his statements important," IRNA stressed.

Cui bono matters most. Nisman left unaddressed an Iranian motive or interest in Latin American terrorism. What possible purpose could it serve?

Iran’s got everything to lose and nothing to gain. Israel and America benefit hugely. They do so by claiming Iran's link to incidents bearing their fingerprints globally. They do it on others fabricated out of whole cloth.

Wall Street Journal columnist Mary O'Grady notoriously reinvents Latin American history. She does so her way. Doing it turns truth on its head. It doesn't wash with reality. She's been exposed, debunked, and disgraced numerous times.

Her columns repeat lies, damn lies, and vilification of Washington's enemies. She fronts for wealth and power. She does so disgracefully. She's paid to do so.

She never had credibility. She doesn't now. She substitutes her version of history for reality. It reads like bad fiction.

On June 2, she headlined "Uncovering Iran's Latin Networks." She cited Nisman's report. She claimed Tehran "sow(s) revolution all over the world, and Latin America is a key target."She called his misinformation "sophisticated (proof of) Iranian terrorism run(ning) from the Caribbean to the Southern Cone."

She cited Nisman's outlandish claim of an alleged foiled 2007 Iranian plot to blow up New York's JFK Airport. He called it similar to the 1994 Argentinian incident.

So-called evidence is easy to concoct. Washington and complicit allies do it repeatedly. Some do under pressure. All do shamelessly.

According to O'Grady:

The model is not complicated. True believers are placed in legal structures, like embassies, cultural centers, mosques and religious schools, where they carry out official duties but also radicalize converts, collect funds, pass secret communications and otherwise lay revolutionary groundwork.

Mosques are "dual" purpose, she claims. They serve as "intelligence station(s)." She calls Brazil's border with Paraguay and Argentina "a famous hideout for Hezbollah."

Her claims lack credibility. They're void of corroborating evidence. She can't include what doesn't exist. She tries anyway. She misses the mark every time. Baseless claims don't wash.

On August 20, 2012, Judicial Watch headlined "State Dept.: No Middle Eastern Terrorists in Latin America," saying:

Months after the world’s largest Spanish news network revealed that Middle Eastern terrorists infiltrated Latin America to plan an attack against the United States, the Obama Administration has determined that the groups don't seem to have a presence in the region though there is growing concern.

A "lengthy State Department report on terrorism contradicts" alarming claims otherwise. So-called Middle East terrorist groups infiltrating Latin America don't exist.

Fabricated plots suggested Latin America-based Middle East groups planned White House, FBI, Pentagon, and US nuclear plant attacks.

Supposed Iranian-linked Hezbollah and Al Qaeda "operational cells" don't exist. Nor do fake money laundering schemes.

The State Department said "no known international terrorist organization has an operational presence in Mexico." A fabricated Univision expose claimed otherwise.

Washington said "no terrorist group targeted US citizens in or from Mexican territory. (N)o evidence of ties between Mexican criminal organizations and terrorist groups" exist.

On May 30, 2013, the State Department again debunked claims about an Iranian-linked Hezbollah/Al Qaeda Latin American terrorist network. "(N)o known operational cells" exist. None do now. None did earlier.

At the same time, the report acknowledges Iranian President Ahmadinejad's visits to Cuba, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Venezuela. "The United States continues to monitor such initiatives," it said.

This report followed Nisman's outlandish claims. He cited nonexistent terrorist cells. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said agency Country Reports are "pretty extensive." She had nothing further to add.

It bears repeating. False accusations against Iran persist. Washington initiates many. The State Department's latest report wrongfully accuse Iran of "attacks or attempted attacks in India, Thailand, Georgia and Kenya."

It claimed "Iran provided financial, material, and logistical support for terrorist and militant groups in the Middle East and Central Asia."

It said "Iran used the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) and militant groups to implement foreign policy goals, provide cover for intelligence operations, and stir up instability in the Middle East."

The IRGC-QF is the regime’s primary mechanism for cultivating and supporting terrorists abroad.

Iran was wrongfully accused of a fabricated US Saudi ambassador assassination plot. It's falsely called the world's leading state sponsor of terror.

Accusations persist. They don't pass the smell test. They stop short of linking Iran to Latin American terrorism. If Washington saw a connection, headline reports would follow. None did post-Nisman. Official silence further debunks his claims.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. His new book is titled How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized Banking, Government Collusion and Class War. Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening. http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/

Enter your email address to subscribe to our newsletter:


Delivered by FeedBurner

Be the Change! Share this using the tools below.