Argentina Undergoes Intelligence Reforms

• 02.26.2015, 15:50
•  America,  World

The Intelligence Secretariat (SI) of Argentina faces dissolution and a new Federal Agency comes to replace it. This is the voting result of the Lower House of Argentina’s Congress on Wednesday to the proposed bill on the country’s Intelligence Agency, BBC reports. The newly formed agency is said to be accountable to the legislature, i.e. before Congress.

The bill with such institutional changes has been proposed by the head of the country - Cristina Fernandez - who argues that the existing structure of the agency has not evolved since 1983. The political timing of these changes coincides with the recent assassination of country’s federal prosecutor Alberto Nisman. As western media report, Nisman was killed on January 18, shortly after he spoke up on his investigation about the 1994 bombing of AMIA Jewish center in Buenos Aires which resulted in 85 casualties. He accused Fernandez’s administration of concealing Iran’s alleged involvement in the incident, Reuters reports.

Fernandez denied these accusations arguing that Nisman was misled by an ex-spy - Antonio Stiuso - with an aim to discredit the government. Stiuso had to leave his intelligence service in December after suspected on smuggling.

The newly formed agency will be set up within 3 months after the approved bill is signed by the President. However, the opposition in Congress is very skeptic on Government’s proposed reforms and the new agency’s effective operation. They argue that it lacks necessary safeguards to provide for the smooth and independent functioning.