Saturday, January 24, 2015 US calls for ‘impartial probe’ US State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki is seen in a file photo. State Department praises Nisman’s ‘courageous’ work The US State Department has called for a complete and impartial investigation into the death of AMIA special prosecutor Alberto Nisman’s death. Meanwhile Senate Democrats have also expressed their concern and asked that State Department and the US Embassy in Buenos Aires take “all possible steps to support an open and credible investigation.” US State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki refused to comment on the cause of Nisman’s death and refused to say anything about the allegations made by the prosecutor against President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and Foreign Minister Héctor Timerman for alleged obstruction of justice into to AMIA investigation as a byproduct of the signing of the 2013 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Iran. Psaki did say that “we express our deepest sorrow for the tragic death of special prosecutor Alberto Nisman and extend our most sincerest condolences to his family. He courageously devoted much of his professional life to pursuing the perpetrators of the 1994 terrorist attacks on the Jewish community centre in Buenos Aires, which killed 85 and injured hundreds. Judicial authorities are investigating his death, and we call for a complete and impartial investigation. For over 20 years, the United States, we have continued to work closely with the international community and the Argentine Government seeking justice.” The spokesperson also did not comment on any alleged Iranian involvement in the AMIA attack. Congress weighs in The day that Nisman’s death was announced Florida Republicans Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Senator Marco Rubio called for an “independent, transparent and neutral entity to fully investigate the facts.” Democratic Senator Robert Menéndez (New Jersey), the Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee also weighed in yesterday, saying that the “increasingly suspicious conditions surrounding Mr. Nisman’s death, just hours before he was scheduled to testify before the Argentine Congress, demand a thorough and transparent investigation. I urge the State Department and the US Embassy in Buenos Aires to take all possible steps to support an open and credible investigation.” When news of Nisman’s death broke on Monday the US Embassy in Buenos Aires expressed its condolences to his family and its wishes that the AMIA investigation continue. Menéndez also expressed his sympathies with the families of the victims of the 1994 AMIA bombing and called Nisman the 86th victim of the attack. Herald staff
Posted on: Sat, 24 Jan 2015 19:42:38 +0000