WIESEL DOES NOT SEE TIMERMAN - 1979/09/05

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Argentina Declassification Project - The "Dirty War" (1976-83)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06626812
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: April 3, 2019
• Document Release Date: April 12, 2019
• Publication Date: September 5, 1979

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(U) WIESEL DOES NOT SEE TIMERMAN
SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
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CONFIDENTIAL BUENOS AIRES 7288
REF: BUENOS AIRES 7262
1. C � ENTIRE TEXT.
2. ELI WIESEL LEFT BUENOS AIRES WITHOUT SEEING JACOBO
TIMERMAN, DESPITE ARMY COMMANDER�IN�CHIEF GENERAL
VIOLA'S AUTHORIZATION TO THE AMBASSADOR OF SUCH A VISIT
(REFTEL). GENERAL VIOLA'S AUTHORIZATION WAS FOLLOWED
BY A PHONE CALL TO THE AMBASSADOR FROM ARMY SECRETARY GENERAL
PA 17T (V
BIGNONE. WHO PARTICIPATED IN/THE MEETING BETWEEN VIOLA
AND THE AMBASSADOR. STATING THAT THE VISIT HAD BEEN
SET UP AND ALL THE EMBASSY HAD TO DO WAS TO CONTACT THE
INTERIOR MINISTRY TO MAKE FINAL ARRANGEMENTS. (TIMERMAN'S
HOUSE ARREST IS SUPERVISED BY THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR.)
THE EMBASSY TRIED REPEATEDLY TO CONTACT COL. RUIZ PALACIOS.
DEPUTY MINISTER OF INTERIOR, WHOSE SECRETARY INFORMED
HIM OF THE PURPOSE OF OUR CALL. COL. PALACIOS AS,"OUT"
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OR "IN A MEETING" AND NEVER RETURNED OUR CALLS. SIMILARLY 1
WE ATTEMPTED TO SPEAK WITH COL. SAN ROMAN, A FREQUENT
INTERIOR MINISTRY CONTACT AND MEMBER OF RUIZ PALACIOS'
STAFF. SAN ROMAN WAS ALSO OUT AND NEVER RETURNED OUR
PHONE CALLS. FINALLY, WE TRIED TO SPEAK WITH INTERIOR
MINISTER HARGUINDEGUY WHO WAS OUT OF TOWN. WHEN IT
APPEARED THAT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE TROUBLE COMPLETING
ARRANGEMENTS WE AGAIN CONTACTED GENERAL BIGNONE AND
WERE TOLD ONCE AGAIN ALL HAD BEEN ARRANGED AND ALL WE
HAD TO DO WAS CONTACT THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR. IN
THE END WIESEL, WHO WAS AWARE OF OUR EFFORTS IN HIS
BEHALF, LEFT TOWN DISAPPOINTED AND ANGERED BY THIS
DEVELOPMENT.
3. COMMENT: THERE ARE THREE POSSIBLE BROAD EXPLANATIONS
OF THIS PERFORMANCE BY THE GOA:
(A) A BUREAUCRATIC SNAFU;
(B) MINISTER HARGUINDEGUY, WHO ORIGINALLY DENIED WIESEL'S
REQUEST TO VISIT TIMERMAN, OBSTRUCTED VIOLA'S ATTEMPT
TO OVERRULE HIM;
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(C) THERE WAS SOME SORT OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN VIOLA
AND HARGUINDEGUY WHICH AUTHORIZED THE MINISTER AND HIS
SUBORDINATES TO PROCEED EXACTLY AS THEY DID.
THE FIRST EXPLANATION SEEMS TO US MigililienegelagMBEN
IMPLAUSIBLE IN THIS CASE, THOUGH IT MAY BE THE ONE
EVENTUALLY HEARD FROM THE GOA. THE OTHER TWO
SCENARIOS ARE PLAUSIBLE BUT IT WOULD SIMPLY BE GUESS-
WORK TO SAY WHICH MORE CLOSELY CORRESPONDS TO XME EVENTS.
2keemilitalteaRtiten
4. WIESEL TOLD THE PRESS ON DEPARTING BUENOS AIRES THAT
HE WOULD BE MAKING A FULL STATEMENT ABOUT THIS ABORTED
INTERVIEW IN NEW YORK. IF THE DEPARTMENT IS QUERIED
ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENTS OUTLINED ABOVE RECOMMEND THAT IT
CONFIRM MO EMBASSY EFFORTS TO ARRANGE THE WIESEL/
TIMERMAN INTERVIEW BUT bblap2StibetklidatattlfixfaknocttitsteMix
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STATWOMiTHAT WE WERE UNABLE TO COMPLETE FINAL ARRANGEMENTS.
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22' ce)-ro-s
05s-s" ER`i
it.) T eise1 (proncunced why-ELL
-ne Pres_5ent's Commiss:or on the Holo:_a--st :as
rls intention of v_s_zing --
ralse tne Timer,rer %.itr
\v,
.--_ss:or on the Bolrta =- 7 - _ Pg
Ira purpose of afN.s,n; tre 7ras_denz or 47
ar approprlaze rai r n.tec EtL:ez
victims of the HolocaLst. Ts Cca-_ssior w_l_
:are :ts recommendatio-s and trey w:11 LricILde 4N.
estaplisnment of a museur f_spla3, a- educatio C(
nal 4/
center with computer link-ups to �trier carters concerned
with the Holocaust, and the creation of a Committee
of Conscience of apolitical and respected public figures -bk
to advise the President and Congress on s,cuaticns of
potential genocide in the future (sucn as the plight
of the "boat people" in Southeast Asia). ).
(LOU) Weisel shares tne concern of many Americans
over the detention of Jacobo Timerman. He would liKe e
to intervene with GOA officials and press for Timerman's %.
release and would plan to visit in late August. S/S
originally called us about this visit and urged that
we be as helpful as Possible to Weisel. Wnile we all
agree on tne importance of the Time:lar case, and its
political sensitivities, John Bushnell has expressed
his concern, however, that we may De pressing these
(U) Elie Weisel is an Andrew Mellon Professor
of Humanities at Boston University. He is a surv.vor
of the holocaust (interned at Auschwitz) and became
an American citizen in 1958. He has written 19 books
on philosophical subjects.
approaches to the GOA on Timerman to tre point where _--
. � 11
they adversely affect our ability zc cat Arent actior a
or other high-interest cases. Jonr tr- Weisel 4, .
could properly visit Argentina or trs 1 _:rran case, i
out that he should not travel in a c_is_-sfficial stat!_s Q
as Chairman of the Commission on ---e - '...o.taiJst but ratner__
as a respected American citizen. ,7, - also suggested
:nat tne Jewish community in Argent_ra :Lion: be encouraced
to take a hand in arranging calls c- tne :2-:::A and other
Ley contacts. We will approach the _El= frcn th_s
oc_nt of view here lr tne Departnert, dnr-plavinc a
ect U.S. role, but would appreT.s:a at zre same tIme
Your views on the Weisel visit.
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