Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has just appointed Ahmad Vahidi as Iran’s new defense minister. He is one of the Iranians being sought by the Argentine authorities on suspicion of involvement in the 1994 AMIA massacre in Buenos Aires and he is the subject an Interpol Red Notice, for all practical purposes an international arrest warrant.
Argentine State Prosecutor Alberto Nisman reacted to the news by saying that Vahidi’s appointment
.. is an extremely grave matter as he is someone who, as head of the Al Kuds special group, is heavily implicated in the AMIA attack. His appointment doesn’t surprise me as this is a regime which has refused to give up those suspected of involvement in this terrorist attack; not only that, it has protected them and appointed them to public office, though none as important as this one, with ministerial rank.
I wonder what it’s going to take to persuade President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner that Argentina can no longer continue to have normal relations with a country strongly suspected of slaughtering a group of Argentine citizens and which has now demonstrated - not that there was ever much doubt - the contempt in which it holds Argentina, its people, government and democratic institutions.
This guy represents the hardcore of the hardcore in the IRGC and the Iranian defense establishment. Negotiations with this sort are impossible since they are truly convinced that earthly politics are ultimately a moot point and that those in public life should do all they can to hasten the return of the ‘Hidden Imam,’ which can only happen when there is turmoil and chaos rage across the planet.
In other words, he’s a loon soon to be entrusted with the defense [!!!] portfolio.
Great. Just great.