News, October 2004

ETA beheaded

5th October. On Sunday night, 3rd October, French Police arrested ETA's leader Mikel Albizu, 'Mikel Antza',and 16 others in a major round up, which also unearthed several important arsenals including over a tonne of explosives, two service ready surface to air misiles and many other weapons. The arrests took place in the French Basque Country. Mikel Antxa and his 'wife', 'Anboto', are now in custody in Paris awaiting questioning by the prosecuting judges.Spain has requested immediate extradition of Anboto, accused of involvement in at least 14 ETA attacks. Antza has been considered leader of ETA since 1993 and has frequently escaped arrest by a small margin as other leaders were caught by the French police.However, he is not known to have personally been involved in any attacks, so his stay in prison could foreseeably be shorter than many of those who he induced to the path of murder. The main thing he is thus far accused of is having permitted the escape of two terrorists from a prison inside loud speakers after a concert.

In addition, other arests have followed in quick sucession, including a truck driver whose wife was among those arrested in France and who is suspected of placing recent bombs at the feet of power line towers in the Basque Country. From his confessions a group of five potential new terrorists in Pamplona and Guipúzcoa, who were awaiting their instructions for a first operation, have also been picked up.