Amia and the Triple Frontier in Argentine and American Discourse on Terrorism
2010; RELX Group (Netherlands); Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
1556-5068
Autores Tópico(s)Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence
ResumoThe bombing of La Asociacion Mutual Israeli-Argentina (AMIA) in Buenos Aires on July 18, 1994 was the deadliest attack targeting Jews since WWII. Argentine journalists commonly refer to the event as the “greatest crime in Argentine history” and it remains unsolved. “La pista siria” or “the Syrian lead” is unique to Argentine media. This theory has concentrated on the role of corrupt local officials acting in conjunction with a notorious international crime syndicate from President Carlos Menem’s ancestral home in Syria. “La historia oficial” or “the official story” posits that an Iranian backed Hezbollah cell operating out of the Tri-Border Area carried out the attack. Introduced by US intelligence, this theory has remained the sole focus of American media. From interviews and archival research at AMIA and the municipal government offices and library of La Ciudad del Este, Paraguay, this article explores the discursive modes of inquiry behind the two leading theories about the case and attempts to provide important background for this increasingly urgent topic of global interest.
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