Argentina Holds Confiscated U.S. Air Force Cargo

Argentina's relations with the U.S. took a sharp turn for the worse Monday as the country continued to hold military equipment it confiscated last week from a U.S. Air Force C-17 transport plane sent as part of a training course for local police.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Arturo Valenzuela, called on Argentina to return the property without delay.

"It's absolutely necessary that they immediately return that material. It makes no sense for it to have been confiscated this way. This material was intended for a joint exercise in training people to rescue hostages," Mr. Valenzuela said Monday on CNN en Espanol.

Argentine Foreign Minister Hector Timerman quickly rebutted Mr. Valenzuela and called on the U.S. to apologize for violating Argentine law.

"I told him, 'Arturo, we have to be careful about this. The laws are made to be followed here and in the U.S. We all need to follow them,'" Mr. Timerman said on CNN en Espanol.

Mr. Timerman accused the U.S. of using the plane to smuggle undeclared firearms, surveillance equipment and "various doses of morphine" into the country for ulterior motives.

He also said that U.S. officials have refused to offer any explanation about the seized material, something State Department officials adamantly deny.

"They refuse to collaborate with us," he said, adding that Argentina has lodged a formal complaint with the U.S. government and will return the cargo only after investigators say they no longer need it.

1 posted on 02/15/2011 7:35:41 PM PST by traumer

Let ‘em keep it... and cut off all aid.

2 posted on 02/15/2011 7:39:20 PM PST by Mmogamer (I refudiate the lamestream media, leftists and their prevaricutions.)

I'm not up to speed with Argentine relations, but isn't this a little bizarre?

I guess these are the fruits of O’Slammy’s Apology Tour; you know, regain the respect and all that...

3 posted on 02/15/2011 7:40:03 PM PST by MichaelCorleone (Sarah Palin is America's Margaret Thatcher)

If it really was to be used in benign operations, lets go get it back.

4 posted on 02/15/2011 7:51:45 PM PST by ANGGAPO (Layte Gulf Beach Club)

Maybe Argentina doesn’t want a militarized police force?

5 posted on 02/15/2011 7:58:27 PM PST by Zuben Elgenubi

Obama will likely send them more, that way the Argentineans will have a better chance of kicking the British out of the Falklands.!

Obama can't stand the British!

6 posted on 02/16/2011 5:00:16 AM PST by 2001convSVT (That Beck guy was right about gold, too.)

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