uncletonoose
14th February 2011, 08:14 PM
Looks like the CIA got caught.
AFP
Argentina plans to lodge a formal protest with Washington, after seizing what it says are undeclared weapons and drugs on a US military aircraft last week.
The US Air Force C-17 transport plane was searched and its cargo seized by customs officials on Thursday at Ezeiza International Airport after arriving with experts and material for a hostage rescue training exercise, Argentine officials said.
In a statement late on Sunday, President Cristina Kirchner's government said it would lodge a protest with Washington and ask it to cooperate in a probe into the air force's attempt "to violate Argentine laws by bringing in hidden material in an official shipment."
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Argentina has said it seized "sensitive material" that had not been declared in a manifest submitted by the US embassy.
"Among the material seized, which the State Department makes no reference to, are from weapons to different drugs, including various doses of morphine," the foreign ministry said in Sunday's statement.
Assistant US Secretary of State Arturo Valenzuela called Argentine Foreign Minister Hector Timerman about the matter on Saturday, but "refused to explain why they tried to pass this material," the Argentine ministry statement said.
Argentine officials said Valenzuela had contacted Timerman hopes of resolving the situation, and was said to have expressed "concern on behalf of the US Defence Department of the confiscation of items related to the security of the United States.
A source in the prosecutor's office told AFP that the cargo plane departed Argentina on Saturday, after the illicit materials were seized.
The incident, comes amid a chill in US-Argentine bilateral relations, and follows US President Barack Obama's decision to exclude Argentina from his first scheduled trip in March to Latin America.
Obama will travel to El Salvador, Brazil and Chile but not to the latter two's South American neighbour, Argentina.
Timerman reacted to this decision by saying thatthe United States has "more interests than friends."
He said Obama would not visit Argentina because "it won't buy arms or even sign a defence agreement."
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/argentina-seizes-us-military-plane-cargo-20110215-1au1u.html
AFP
Argentina plans to lodge a formal protest with Washington, after seizing what it says are undeclared weapons and drugs on a US military aircraft last week.
The US Air Force C-17 transport plane was searched and its cargo seized by customs officials on Thursday at Ezeiza International Airport after arriving with experts and material for a hostage rescue training exercise, Argentine officials said.
In a statement late on Sunday, President Cristina Kirchner's government said it would lodge a protest with Washington and ask it to cooperate in a probe into the air force's attempt "to violate Argentine laws by bringing in hidden material in an official shipment."
Advertisement: Story continues below
Argentina has said it seized "sensitive material" that had not been declared in a manifest submitted by the US embassy.
"Among the material seized, which the State Department makes no reference to, are from weapons to different drugs, including various doses of morphine," the foreign ministry said in Sunday's statement.
Assistant US Secretary of State Arturo Valenzuela called Argentine Foreign Minister Hector Timerman about the matter on Saturday, but "refused to explain why they tried to pass this material," the Argentine ministry statement said.
Argentine officials said Valenzuela had contacted Timerman hopes of resolving the situation, and was said to have expressed "concern on behalf of the US Defence Department of the confiscation of items related to the security of the United States.
A source in the prosecutor's office told AFP that the cargo plane departed Argentina on Saturday, after the illicit materials were seized.
The incident, comes amid a chill in US-Argentine bilateral relations, and follows US President Barack Obama's decision to exclude Argentina from his first scheduled trip in March to Latin America.
Obama will travel to El Salvador, Brazil and Chile but not to the latter two's South American neighbour, Argentina.
Timerman reacted to this decision by saying thatthe United States has "more interests than friends."
He said Obama would not visit Argentina because "it won't buy arms or even sign a defence agreement."
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/argentina-seizes-us-military-plane-cargo-20110215-1au1u.html