Argentina Orders Extraordinary Security Measures

Published October 13th, 2000 - 02:00 GMT
Al Bawaba
Al Bawaba

Argentina has put extraordinary security measures in place to prevent any flare-ups between Jewish and Arabs communities following the escalating violence in the Middle East, Interior Minister Federico Storani said Friday. 

Storani said national and international security agencies had "warned" Argentina of possible terrorist actions. 

"The warning was issued by international and national bodies," Storani said. 

"We have reinforced all our security measures to an extraordinary degree ... not only to prevent potential Jewish and Muslim actions, but also along the country's borders," he said. 

Storani pointed out that Thursday the Argentine Arab and Jewish communities had signed an agreement "rejecting any form of violence." 

Argentina was hit in 1992 by a bomb attack against the Israeli embassy here, and another attack in 1994 against a Jewish cultural center, The two left a total of 115 dead and several hundred wounded. 

Earlier in the week, members of the Argentine Arab community converged on the Israeli embassy to protest what they called "terrorist methods" used by Israeli security forces against Palestinian protesters.  

About 300 people marched to the embassy on Monday demanding a formal condemnation of Israeli behavior on the part of Argentina, according to police.  

The action was similar to demonstrations around the world, provoked by the spiraling violence in the Middle East -- BEUNOS AIRES (AFP) 

© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)

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