Weekly Report - 03 September 2009 (WR-09-35)

ARGENTINA | Iran tension. The Iranian parliament this week endorsed President Mahmud Ahmadineyad's nomination of General Ahmad Vahidi as his new defence minister. Vahidi is sought by Argentina over the bombing of the Jewish mutual centre (Amia) in Buenos Aires in 1994 which claimed 85 lives. Interpol said it would seek Vahidi's arrest in 2007. While the parliament objected to most of Ahmadineyad's designated ministers, Vahidi received unanimous support. The Argentine government described Vahidi's nomination as “an affront to the victims". The Iranian foreign ministry complained to the Argentine chargé d'affaires about “interference" in Iran's domestic affairs. Since developing a close rapport with Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez , Ahmadineyad has quickly forged ties with the heads of state in Nicaragua, Bolivia, Ecuador and Brazil. His diplomatic success prompted Israel's foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, to conduct a mini tour of the region, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to visit Brazil and Argentina in November.

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