US embassy cable - 05MADRID521

UNCLAS MADRID 000521 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/WE, CA/OCS, DS/IP/EUR, DS/DSS/ITA, 
DS/ICI/PII, S/CT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER, PGOV, PREL, SP, Counterterrorism 
SUBJECT: ETA CAR BOMB DETONATES IN MADRID 
 
REF: MADRID 433 
 
1. SUMMARY: On 10 February at 0930, a car bomb exploded 
outside the entrance to Madrid's main convention center.  The 
Basque separatist group ETA had called in a warning about the 
attack to the Basque newspaper Gara shortly before 0900 that 
morning.  The attack followed an overnight anti-terrorism 
operation during which Spanish police arrested 14 suspected 
ETA members, though there is no indication that the arrests 
and the bombing were connected.  In total, 42 people were 
injured by flying glass and debris, none seriously.  All 
Spanish political parties, with the exception of ETA's 
political wing condemned the bombing.  Despite the attack, 
King Juan Carlos, Queen Sofia and Mexican President Vicente 
Fox attended an inauguration event at the convention center 
later in the day, as did the Charge.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2. On 10 February at 0930, a car bomb packed with 30kg of 
explosives detonated outside of the entrance to Madrid's main 
convention center, IFEMA.  The Basque newspaper Gara had 
received a telephone call in ETA's name warning of the attack 
approximately one half hour before the blast but the caller's 
information on the location of the bomb was imprecise. 
Spanish police were clearing the area of pedestrians when the 
bomb exploded, wounding 42 people with flying glass and 
debris.  Of the wounded, six were police officers and 34 were 
employees of the French computer company Bull.  No American 
citizens are believed to have been wounded in the blast.  All 
of the injured were treated and released at the hospital the 
same day.  President Zapatero condemned the attack and stated 
that there is no place for terrorism in politics.  All of the 
other Spanish political parties joined in the condemnation of 
the attack, with the exception of the outlawed Basque party 
and ETA political wing, Batasuna.  Batasuna Party leader 
Joseba Permach stated that "the politics of condemnation are 
politics of the past" and that the explosion "illustrates the 
existence of the political and armed conflict between the 
Basque nation and the Spanish and French states". 
 
3. The bombing was the first ETA car bomb to explode in the 
Spanish capital in three years and followed an overnight 
police action against ETA's recruitment apparatus which 
resulted in 14 arrests.  Despite the bombing, Spanish King 
Juan Carlos, Queen Sofia and Mexican President Vicente Fox 
attended an inauguration event at the convention center later 
in the day, as did the Charge.  Separately, the Canadian 
Embassy received a threat letter from ETA, traditionally sent 
out by the group every year, warning against tourist visits 
to Spain due to ETA plans to conduct a bombing campaign.  US 
Embassy Madrid and other Missions in Spain have yet to 
receive similar letters. 
 
4. COMMENT: This bombing illustrates an up-tick in ETA 
activity over the past few months despite numerous successful 
police operations against the group.  The Basque independence 
issue has taken center stage in Spanish internal politics 
recently, with the introduction and subsequent Congressional 
rejection of the Basque autonomy proposal, Plan Ibarretxe 
(reftel).  ETA-related activity will likely continue at an 
increased tempo through the Spring when the Basque region 
will hold elections.  City leaders worry that this attack, 
and the possibility of increased ETA activity, could 
negatively affect Madrid's bid to host the 2012 Olympic 
games, especially since the convention center inv