Vahidi is one of five Iranian officials targeted by Interpol for playing a critical role in conceiving, planning, financing, and executing the brutal 1994 terrorist attack on the AMIAJewish community building in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Eighty-four Argentines were murdered in the attack and hundreds more wounded. Vahidi served as a commander of the elite Al-Quds force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, a body that the United States government has labeled a terrorist organization.

B’nai B’rith International President Moishe Smith and Executive Vice President Daniel S. Mariaschin issued the following statement:

While President Ahmadinejad’s nomination is not surprising, it is nonetheless reprehensible that Ahmadinejad has rewarded a man accused of one of the worst terrorist attacks in recent history by appointing him to a high government position in Iran. This is a cruel and calculated move to reward those who would commit international terror. Ahmadinejad’s actions provide further evidence that the Iranian government is committed to international terror as a governmental policy.

We have long been concerned by actions Ahmadinejad and his Islamic regime have taken to export his commitment to terror across the ocean to Latin America. Responsible world leaders must speak out in a loud and consistent voice against this appointment and must remain vigilant against efforts to expand Ahmadinejad’s influence in Latin America, which is a keystone in international politics. It is incumbent upon all nations to implement the Interpol Red Notice and arrest Vahidi if he should ever leave Iran.