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 A congressional aide said the House of Representatives Foreign
Affairs subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere would discuss what
Republicans say are cases of Iran's involvement in Argentina,
Venezuela and elsewhere.
Issues to be raised include the fatal shooting of Alberto Nisman, an
Argentine prosecutor who was investigating Iran's alleged role in
the 1994 bombing of a Jewish group, and allegations of covert
Iranian dealings in oil and missile technology with Argentina and
Venezuela, the aide said.
In announcing the hearing, subcommittee Chairman Jeff Duncan
explicitly linked the themes to what he described as "the impending
deadline for ... negotiations over Iran's illicit nuclear weapons
program."
A spokesperson for the Democratic minority on the full Foreign
Affairs Committee had no comment on the hearing plans.
 Iran, the United States and five other powers negotiating an
agreement have set a deadline of the end of March to reach the
outline of a deal. Tehran insists its nuclear program is not aimed
at making a bomb but would like a deal to end crippling
international sanctions.
Duncan accused the Obama administration of ignoring Iran's behavior
in the hemisphere "even while Iran and Hezbollah (the
Iranian-supported Shi'ite militant group) extend their reach."
Republicans, who control Congress, say the nuclear negotiations with
Iran risk leaving Tehran still on course to secretly build nuclear
weapons while ending the leverage of the sanctions.
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Earlier this month 47 Republican senators sent an open letter to
Iran denouncing the negotiations and Republicans in the U.S. House
of Representatives hosted a speech in Congress by Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in which he condemned the talks.
Bernadette Meehan, spokeswoman for Obama's National Security
Council, dismissed the Republican assault on the talks.
"Even as we negotiate a solution to make America safer, we remain
committed to confronting Iran’s destabilizing actions and support
for terrorism. That’s one reason why we need to prevent Iran from
acquiring a nuclear weapon," she said in an email.
(Reporting by Mark Hosenball; Editing by David Storey)
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