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Iran rejects as "baseless" Argentina''s accusation it was involved in bombing

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 3 (KUNA) -- Iran late Friday rejected as "baseless and unfounded" Argentina's accusation last week that Iranian nationals were involved in the bombing of a Jewish Centre in the capital Buenos Aires in 1994, in which 85 Jews were killed.
In a letter to the General Assembly President Ali Treki of Libya, Iranian UN envoy Mohammad Khazaee annexed his delegation's reply to Argentina's President Cristina Fernadez de Kirchner's speech in the General Assembly on September 23.
In that speech, de Kirchner reiterated her country's request for the extradition of several Iranian officials who were sought by Argentina -- "not to be sentenced, but to be investigated and tried, enjoying all the freedoms and guarantees granted by democracy." She found it outrageous that Ahmad Vahidi, one of the Iranian officials whose extradition had been requested, was appointed last month as Iran's defense minister. "While, after 15 years from the reprehensible bombings, there is still no prospect of justice to bereaved families, the Argentinean authorities continue to deflect their failure to bring the real criminals to justice by leveling baseless accusations against Iranian citizens and interfering in its internal affairs," the Iranian letter said.
Iran, the letter went on to say, "deplores this irresponsible position and categorically rejects those claims as totally baseless and unsubstantiated and interfering in its internal affairs.
"Iran sympathizes with all victims of terrorism, including those innocent people killed in the Jewish Centre in Buenos Aires in 1994," the letter added.
"This case, for sure is an open wound for Argentina and it would not heal until and unless the Argentinean judicial and political authorities should shoulder their responsibilities to truly pursue justice and put an end to the wrong path they have taken by unfoundedly accusing those who were absolutely unrelated to the criminal act" the letter concluded. The Iranian letter came one day after Carlos Menem, the former president of Argentina, has been charged with investigation irregularities and of obstructing an inquiry into that bombing.
Menem, who was Argentina's President from 1989 to 1999, was accused of covering up the possible involvement of a Syrian-Argentinean businessman in the bombing. (end) sj.rk KUNA 030946 Oct 09NNNN