Argentina's Congress approved early on Thursday an agreement with Iran aimed at resolving the 1994 bombing of a Buenos Aires Jewish community center that Argentine courts have long accused Tehran of sponsoring. Jewish leaders say the pact to set up a "truth commission" risks undermining the ongoing judicial investigation into the attack, which killed 85 people, but President Cristina Fernandez says it could shed new light on the case after years of deadlock.
The leftist president has close ties with other Latin American leaders who are on good terms with Tehran, such as Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, and her supporters hailed the memorandum of understanding as an historic opportunity. "This memorandum represents a bold decision, a brave decision that opens a possible path toward the truth," said ruling party lawmaker Mara Brawer during a heated 12-hour debate as Jewish community groups protested outside Congress.
Fernandez controls both houses of Congress, meaning final ratification of the accord was expected, but opposition lawmakers questioned the government's motives, some saying commercial interests of oil and grain sales lay behind it. The measure passed narrowly with 131 votes in favour and 113 against.