Congress Votes to Keep Files on Argentine War Secret

Congress Votes to Keep Files on Argentine War Secret
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: May 13, 2011

An effort to declassify American intelligence files on Argentina’s dictatorship failed in Congress on Friday in Washington, disappointing rights activists in Argentina who believe the secret documents could help them identify young people stolen as babies by the military junta. The amendment by Representative Maurice D. Hinchey, Democrat of New York, left, was rejected by a vote of 214 to 194. It would have compelled American intelligence agencies to declassify their files on the 1976-1983 dictatorship, which was closely monitored by United States intelligence agencies. A similar amendment in 1999 resulted in the Chile declassification project under President Bill Clinton, which led to the publication of more than 24,000 documents that helped prosecute crimes against humanity committed during the dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet. Most of the files on Argentina remain secret.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/14/world/americas/14briefs-Argentina.html

Kissinger approved Argentinian 'dirty war'
Declassified US files expose 1970s backing for junta
Duncan Campbell in Los Angeles The Guardian,
Saturday 6 December 2003 02.20 GMT

Henry Kissinger gave his approval to the "dirty war" in Argentina in the 1970s in which up to 30,000 people were killed, according to newly declassified US state department documents.
Mr Kissinger, who was America's secretary of state, is shown to have urged the Argentinian military regime to act before the US Congress resumed session, and told it that Washington would not cause it "unnecessary difficulties".

The revelations are likely to further damage Mr Kissinger's reputation. He has already been implicated in war crimes committed during his term in office, notably in connection with the 1973 Chilean coup.

The material, obtained by the Washington-based National Security Archive under the Freedom of Information Act, consists of two memorandums of conversations that took place in October 1976 with the visiting Argentinian foreign minister, Admiral César Augusto Guzzetti. At the time the US Congress, concerned about allegations of widespread human rights abuses, was poised to approve sanctions against the military regime.

According to a verbatim transcript of a meeting on October 7 1976, Mr Kissinger reassured the foreign minister that he had US backing in whatever he did.

More:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2003/dec/06/argentina.usa

Would have exposed U.S. leadership and complicity in the assassinations and disappearances that occurred during Operation Condor.

May 13, 5:29 PM EDT
Argentina: US shows hypocrisy on human rights
By MICHAEL WARREN
Associated Press

~snip~
Most of the U.S. files on Argentina still remain secret, and some of those voting against the measure said it's best they stay that way. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Mike Rogers, a Republican from Alabama, said declassifying them would distract U.S. spies from the fight against al-Qaida.

But Alan Iud, an attorney representing the rights group known as Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo, said, "I can't understand how a country can proclaim itself a defender of human rights while its congress puts obstacles in the way of a grandmother reuniting with her grandchild."

The rights group has helped 104 people, now adults between 30-35 years old, recover their identities after being stolen at birth from detainees who were later killed. They're still searching for 400 others who may have been born in clandestine torture centers and adopted illegally. Two former dictators are on trial in the baby thefts. All together, as many as 30,000 people were killed or disappeared, activists say.

~snip~
"The United States can play a vital role in lifting the veil of secrecy that has shrouded the terrible human rights abuses of the despotic military regime that ruled Argentina," he said in a statement. "Our intelligence community may hold the key to helping unlock some of the mysteries behind the identities of hundreds of Argentine citizens who were separated from their biological families as a result of the atrocities."

More:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/L/LT_ARGENTINA_SECRET_US_FILES?SECTION=HOME&SITE=AP&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

and that doesn't only exist on the Republican side --

with its snakepit of Miama mafia representatives, may have some particular criminals that they want to protect. (We can be sure that they and their agents were thick in the middle of the horrors in Latin America during that period.) Also, they have a special loathing for leftist governments in Latin America and Argentina is one of five leftist governments that they loathe the most (Venezuela, Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Nicaragua). They have virtually declared war on these countries.

Argentina's former president, Nestor Kirchner, was tortured by the U.S.-supported (and Miami mafia-supported) fascist dictatorship. He also, when the dictate came down from the Bushwhacks that Latin American leaders must "isolate Chavez," replied, "But he's my brother!"--perhaps the most important statement ever uttered by a Latin American leader, for it presaged all of the critical alliances--for instance, between Brazil and Venezuela--that are making life so difficult for fascist murderers, torturers and coup-mongers these days in Latin America. Kirchner's wife, Cristina Fernandez, is now president, and she is equally committed to leftist principles and Latin American solidarity. The Miami mafia and their fascist cohorts in Congress hate these governments venomously. They would certainly never do them ANY favor--even if Miami mafia assassins and torturers, or their masters in Puke governments, were not at risk of exposure.

These might be reasons for the Democrats to cover up past crimes. They've certainly been diligent at covering up recent/current crimes of our government and its agencies and its 'contractors' and its local "tools"--both in Latin America and elsewhere. But I don't think they feel the naked hatred that the rightwing/Miami mafia feels for a government like Argentina's. Also, Obama/Clinton/Panetta seem to have finally turned the corner toward a different strategy in Latin America--more in line with Obama's initial promise of "peace, respect and cooperation." I certainly don't trust it--as to its ultimate goals--but there definitely are signs of a changed policy finally kicking in, that appears to be, at the least, more peaceful.

The Honduran coup, likely designed by the Bush Junta--but which the Obamites ultimately supported with some 'democracy' cosmetics--has been a disaster for U.S. corporations and war profiteers in Latin America, setting the whole region against the U.S. All Latin American governments just formed CELAC--an anti-OAS--which quite deliberately does not have the U.S. and Canada as members. CELAC has been in prep for some time, but the oomph to actually formalize it--and to headquarter it in Caracas, Venezuela--clearly came from U.S. behavior in Honduras. Several Latin American leaders have stated this openly.

Thus, I think, that, if Obama/Clinton/Panetta could release these files, they would. It could earn them badly needed, harmless "Brownie points." Probably it's not "harmless," though and there is U.S. complicity and possibly names of living U.S. operatives/leaders to cover up. This particular item--Argentina's request--could also be some kind of bargaining chip with the nest of fascist vipers that are now running Congress. (Jim DeMint (SC-Diebold) held up Obama appointments in LatAm, trying blackmail them on Honduras in '09-'10. Something similar may well be going on now with the Pukes in full bore.)

I worked with some of them. Arrogant bunch.