Welcome to the Wilson Center. My name is benjamin. Im a senior director of the argentina project. Im pleased to have with us today former congresswoman as well as lisa mall grove, secretary general of the organization. Members of the diplomatic corps and represents of the treasury and department and state and capitol and other distinguished guests. Wed also like to thank all of you joining us online and thank all of you for your interests. Before we begin, i want to thank our ko sponsors. The images resemble the aftermath of an earthquake digging desperately for survivors. It was a suicide bomber who rammed explosives into the building murdering 85 people including a 5yearold and injuring 300 others. In 2004, argentina appointed special prosecutors to determine who arranged this massacre. Two years later they delivered their verdict, the highest etch lon were responsible for the take they wrote and instructed terrorist hezbollah to carry o out the organization. In addition to warrants issued by judges in argentina. Yet, 25 years since the bombing not one suspect has been arrested or extradited to argentina to stand trial. Worst still several suspects live in iran and travel freely and are advisors to the supreme leader. Another served as defense minister in iran until 2013 is now president of irans National Defense university. Despite these arrest warrants detectives have visited 20 countries since the bombing, rush, turkey and argentinas neighbor, boll bolivia. For two decades they at the point alive this brutal act of terrorism. The u. S. Congress has regularly drawn attention to this tragedy. Despite these, the International Committee has failed to hold accountable the state sponsored attack. Argentina has done its part. The country under different political leaders stood up year after year and pleaded for the International Community to do the same. Just this month, argentinas Foreign Ministry recognized the 25th anniversary by calling the case embraced by all argentine people who must spare no effort to shed light on the bombing and prosecute those responsible. To do our part we invited argentine ambassador, or oris de roa and our esteemed ambassador. I would like to invite ambassad ambassador oris de roa and another ambassador who worked with the terrorism government and another latin go. On the terrorism challenge. Many thanks for your presence and support. Good afternoon and thank you, benjamin. A neighborhood so familiar to us watching this video, this is the kind of thing we watch on cnn, these events happening somewhere else in the worried, never ever imagining this could happen in buenos aires, in the middle of buenos aires, where my mother and i would go there frequently. All these people you heard about are fortunately still our neighbors. One of them just said i was there and i was saved. They may be the case for him but not all of us, until we find justice we will not be fully saved. Thank you benjamin and the Wilson Center and for inviting me, argentina, to this very important meeting, one of several events we will participate in this unbelievable anniversary. At the event of the hill, we thought we would have to be there to thank the United States and many friends from other embassies and like israel also here today. As i said that monday, argentina has chosen to, to be the land and people accepted including those persecuted in their place of origin, in a framework of opportunities definitive communities made their contribution to the forming and progress of the argentine society. Among them the Jewish Organization for Peaceful Society and great commitment to democratic values. We all know the 25th anniversary of the most brutal attack ever suffered in argentinas history. The bombing for 25 years, looking for justice, keeping alive the memory of those who lost their lives, that didnt get a chance to defend themselves. The pain will never seize. The wounds cannot be completely held, but impunity makes it a lot worse. It is brand for the history of argentina and the entire region, for the history of the Jewish Community that justice has to prevail. That is the respect we owe to the memory of the victims and it is what makes us stronger to fight against terrorism. The government of argentina is fully committed to doing justice for the 85 families and hundreds of wounded of this terrorist attack. It will not cease in its objective that all people involved in this attack come before argentine courts and be interrogated and convicted. We continue to request the Islamic Republic of iran to cooperate with the argentine judicial authorities. At the same time, we ask countries that are friends of argentina, that company us in this claim, avoid diplomatic immunity for any accused for who International Arrest warrants have been made and notices circulated by interpol. All the countries in the world are responsible for fighting to eradicate terrorism. Every country in the world is responsible for eradicating antisemitism. We must end terrorism without notice, without contemplation, without speculation, whether political or economic. We should do it without second thoughts. We cannot live prisoners to terror or succumb to the contagion. Terrorism is our main enemy, the most cruel, the most coward, the most ruthless, the one that has the largest inhuman dimension. Yet it made us feel terror and we were not used to terror. Hate and destruction became unfortunately something we had to beware of. All argentineans. Although the terrorists targeted one of the most important institutions of the Jewish Community that served in the community it was also a blow against democracy and freedom. Terrorism does not discriminate race or religion. Its objective is to destroy everything that opposes its totalitarian beliefs. This 25th anniversary gives us the opportunity to say to the world those who want to spread terror will never succeed because we will not allow the attack to fade into on blifian. Argentina remembers the same way we will go anywhere in the world. President macron said more than once from the very beginning in his first speech in the opening session of congress, the government will not forget the victims of terrorism. There is no better tribute to the victims of the amia attack and we search for justice and keep it in our memory. Not an annual but a daily effort is necessary. I am glad finally to have the ambassador follow my presentation. My government will host a meeting to confront terrorism and indifference. Thank you very much. [ applause ] good afternoon everyone. I would like to begin by saying good afternoon, everyone. Id like to begin by saying thank you to the Wilson Center and foundation for defense of democracies for hosting this important event, inviting me to speak in honor of this sad and solemn occasion. Im pleased were joined by my good friend, ambassador of argentina, fernando oris de roa, as well as bengie. Thank you for honoring us with your presence today and amias chief lawyer who traveled here for this occasion. Next thursday, july 18th, will mark five years since the amia was bombed in buenos aries. Im here today to speak about the victims, honor their memory. Im herls to speak about the perpetrators and what were doing to prevent future atrocities like this one. This bombing was carried out with the terrorist Group Hezbollah with the full support and direction of iran. In attacking amia these terrorists targeted not just argentina but all who call it home. We will not forget this attack. Everyday we work to insure no future attacks like this happen again. That is why, as you heard, argentina, in cooperation with the United States, will host a ministerial meeting next week in buenos aires to bolster efforts to protect this hemisphere from the scourge of terrorism. The victims of this horrific attack, 85 people were killed and more injured. They were argentine and immigrants. Catholic and jewish, religious and secular. Workers and doctors and lawyers and janitors and students. They had names, they had families, they had children, they had friends. They had plans for the future, which for them never came. Let us honor the memories of those tragically lost. The youngest victim, sebastian, was 5. He died holding his mothers hand as they walked in front of the building. The oldest victim was 73 and a tailor. Let us remember martine, a contractor. He planned to uses the money he made working on the amia building to take his family on vacation. He left behind a wife and six children. A law suitudent, 29, was meetin with her mother. Decurbo urged martine to hold on despite the incredible pain he felt. Martine survived and he did not. A 13yearold was not identified until 2016, the last victim to be named. His mother, maria jesus, also died in the blast. Let us pause for a moment of silence as we remember these and all the victims of this cowardly attack. The bombing was not the first attack on argentina. In 1992 they bombed there was the amia bombing wasnt the first attack. They killed 29 people and wounding 242 more. Besides the embassy, the catholic church, the school, and a home for the elderly were destroyed. Most of the victims were argentine citizens and many were children. Among the dead was father giancarlo brumana, who died in the rubble of his church. As argentines president emphasize two years ago on the 25th anniversary of the embassy bombing, it is necessary to understand it was not an attack on the embassy or jews but argentina. Indeed it was. The evidence points clearly at hezbollah. Why would a lebanon based terror group which purports to be a defender of lebanon attack south america and argentina. Argentina hadnt taken any actions against hezbollah or that armharmed lebanon. The reason is the groups patron, iran, wanted to attack argentina and that was all that was needed. Secretary pompeo recently emphasized iran was the Worlds Largest state of terror. That was true then and now. They endorsed the islamic attack and the revolutionary guard core provided the funding an Logistical Support and hezbollah, long their most deadly and capable proxy, carried out the operation. We join president macri and the argentine government for seeking justice for the attack and the families. We will cooperate fully in this investigation. 25 years later still waiting. Theres still six International Arrest warrants, interpol red notices outstanding, based on criminal charges filed in argentina and contain the arrests of the hezbollah members suspected in the amia attack. These include several iranian officials. Akhmed, the former kurds force commander and defense minister. Former commander and irans former minister of intelligence. There are also arrest warrants outstanding for robani and ahmad ashari, who served in buenos and its also to mistake arrest efforts for the bombing. In 2004, the investigation had been plagued with mismanagement and corruption and he pursued it over the next 11 years in order to get to the bottom of this most deadly attack. Eastman faced obstacles at every turn with Death Threats against himself and his children. He was undaunted up until the day he was murdered in 2015. We want to bring to justice the perpetrators of the amia bombing that he so aciduously investigated. Its been a quarter of a century since the amia bombing yet hezbollah and iran remain undiminished. They continue to provide hundreds of millions of dollars every year to terrorists around the world and provided hezbollah 700 million a year. It does this despite the economic turmoil impoverishing its own people. Tehrans priorities are clear. It doesnt seek to boost Economic Growth at home or their employment. They prioritize buying guns and bombs to export terror. We talked about hezbollah plots in argentina in the 1990s. This is far from a historical matter because hezbollah continues to have our hemisphere in its sites today. One of their main collaborators is former Vice President under the venezuela dictator, nicolas maduro. When he was head of venezuelas Passport Agency she was suspected of providing passports to hezbollah operatives. He is touted as a successor to maduro, calling him a strong man in the shadows and of bashir al assad. Apparently they meant that as a compliment. We dont see it that way. In 2016, they designated him as a designated narcotics trafficker under the kingpin act. A hezbollah member arrested in 201414 is currently on trial in peru on terrorism charges. A key hezbollah financier is now sitting in jail in brazil awaiting extra decision to pera gai on several charges. Then a hezbollah supporter recently extra extradited from paraguay to florida. It continues to be a node of hezbollah activity. For decades, hezbollah has taken advantage of the loosely regulated region to plant money and plan attacks. We assess some of the amia bombing took place there. It is active in the United States. In 2017, the fbi arrested two hezbollah operatives in michigan and new york respectively. Including the panama canal. And just convicted by a jury in new york for his crimes. Indeed, hezbollah, and its iranian patrons spread terrorism across the globe from attacks to diplomatic facilities in iraq and african countries, kenya and nigeria and bombings and assassination is in the heart of western europe. No place is safe from irans monovalent reach. Hezbollah has Front Companies in the gulf, africa, asia, and here in the western hemisphere. In recent years, hezbollah operatives have been caught preparing takes in egypt, cyprus, peru and thailand. And weapons in asia and africa. Hezbollah likes to masquerade as a defender of the lebanese people. These actions reveal its true agenda, global terrorism. In 2012 hezbollah bombed a bus in bulgaria, killing five israeli tourists including their driver. That took place july 18th approximately argentina and bulgaria are now joined together sharing a bloody anniversary. As we remember the victims of this deadly plot, we also call on bulgaria to complete the trial of the hezbollah members charged in abstentia consistent with its domestic law. Let me tell you now what the administration is doing to crack down on hezbollah and other iranbacked terrorists, both around the globe and our hemisphere. Under the leadership of President Trump we have intensified efforts against iran and iagc and hezbollah worldwide. Most notably, in april, secretary pompeo took the unprecedented step designating them as a foreign organization, and it was the entire organization, including its qudss for. It is the first time it designated another government as fto. They now acknowledge the reality they dont just finance and promote terrorism, it actively engages in terrorism as a tool of state craft. To counter hezbollah, were using Law Enforcement and financial tools to disrupt its network. Were targeting its Financial Resources and squeezing it out of the Financial System. Were hitting it in the wallet and will deny the funds it needs around the world. The u. S. Government has identified 150 entities and individuals with ties to hezbollah including 50 just since last year. The state department rewards for Justice Program recently offered up to 10 million for disruption of hezbollahs mechanisms. This is the first time we ever issued an rft award for hezbollah financing. It was an important step in our campaign against tehran and its terrorist proxies. In 2017, offering a reward for those with american blood on their hands, a bombing of u. S. Marine barracks in beirut, killing 2 frown American Service members. And the head of the security organization, terrorist arm responsible for the campaign of terror across the globe. These are the first targeting hezbollah in more than a decades. We also sanctioned a especially designated terrorist, jerad, a son of a hezbollah leader and own leader in his own right. In recent weeks the u. S. Designated security chiefs along with two members of the lebanese parliament. Our sanctions are to starve iran and keep them from getting money worldwide. We are using everything at our disposal to affect their network and participating in Drug Trafficking and other crimes. The good news, hezbollah is feeling the pinch. As our sanctions have taken hold, hezbollah had to tighten its belt. The groups secretary general is now publicly asking for donations. The resistance needs your support, he has said. We will continue to increase the financial pressure and impose costs on the Iranian Regime and its terrorist proxies until they abandon their mall lined and bad behavior. We are partnering with key multilateral players like organization of american states and 15 member caribbean community. We also have robust bilateral Counter Terrorism cooperation throughout the region including argentina, panama, paraguay, brazil, peru and columbia. Next week, we will intensify these efforts at a Counter Terrorism meeting at buenos aires to follow up one last december. We applaud president macri and their leadership for hosting this meeting. The president well knows the costs of iranbacked terrorism and courageously renewed argentinas resolve to never suffer another attack and will renew investigations in the 1992 and 1994 bombings and bring the perpetrator to justice. Impunity must end. In buenos aires, we will work together. We will continue to seek ways to block terrorist travel and cut off the flow of money. And the nexus between transinternational crime and terrorism and we will also be making additional announcements in buenos aires. Stay tuned. One of the lessons a quarter century ago is no country is safe from terrorism. We all have a stake of ridding the world of the scourge. The only way to secure ourselves and prevent more victims like sebastian, uchevski and others is working on joint security and confronting terrorism honestly. Thank you all. [ applause ] first, thank you very