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Friday June 21, 1996

Syrian linked to bombings

BUENOS AIRES (JTA) -- A Swiss court investigating an illegal sale of explosives may have found an important clue in two unresolv
The Swiss are probing a shipment of several tons of the high-power explosive Exogen, according to Spanish journalist Norberto Be

Bermudez, who came to Buenos Aires to deliver a copy of the Swiss findings to the Argentine court investigating the case, said that "the Exogen passed customs at the city's Ezeiza Airport."

Also, Exogen may have been used in the July 18, 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center that left 86 dead and at least 300 wounded.

Swiss investigators said the explosives were sold by Syrian arms dealer Monzer al-Kassar.

Al-Kassar became a well-known figure in Argentina after the public learned that he had obtained Argentine citizenship papers and a passport in record time.

Al-Kassar was investigated by Spanish authorities on charges of having cooperated with the terrorists who hijacked the Achille Lauro cruise ship in 1985.

Al-Kassar was cleared of all charges in Spain but remains under investigation in Argentina.

Israeli and U.S. officials have suspected that the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorist group, which operates in Lebanon with Syrian approval, was behind the two attacks.

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