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In 1988, Carlos Menem, then a presidential candidate, traveled to Syria. Menem’s personal trip quickly changed into an official visit due to the interest of Syrian President Hafez al-Assad in someone who could be the future president of a South American country.
In a series of meetings, Menem promised to deliver to Syria the Condor II missile and cooperate with the nuclear development of that country (including the assistance of Argentine experts in the development of such technology) in exchange for money to finance his presidential campaign. It is believed that more than $100 million was invested "officially" by the various countries involved in the project.
In 1991, Menem broke his promise to Syria and other Middle Eastern countries involved. Argentina suspended the installation of the nuclear reactor in Syria and dismantled the Condor II missile project due to pressure from the United States, Israel, and Argentine minister Domingo Cavallo.
In 1992, one month before the attack on the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires, Syria and Iran signed a bilateral agreement for nuclear cooperation. There is no documented proof that the abandonment of the nuclear reactor project by Argentina is related to the strategic pact signed by Iran and Syria. However, the report notes that at Menem's breach of pact, 1) Syria was forced to buy an inferior Chinese reactor, and 2) Iran acquired Scud missiles, which are inferior to the Condor II in its navigational abilities.
The theory of Syrian complicity in the bombing is based partly on 1) the presence and suspicious activities of a certain Syrians and Argentineans, 2) the link of these suspicious players to then presidential candidate Carlos Menem's trip to Syria in 1988, 3) Menem’s promises concerning the Condor II missile and the installation of nuclear reactors in return for campaign funding 4) Menem’s broken promises to Syria and other Middle Eastern countries which led to the loss of millions of dollars and a blow to the countries' military programs.
The report concludes that "undoubtedly, such motives are more than sufficient to realize an attack with the characteristics of what occurred against AMIA and the Israeli Embassy. At least, they are more feasible than an action by Islamic fundamentalist terrorists who, because of their hatred of the Jews, attack their mutual headquarters and the diplomatic headquarters, for no other reason than the progress of the peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine."
Next page > [Future Investigation] > Page 1, 2, 3, 4
~ Lisa Katz
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