News, August 2007

ETA strikes again

24th/27th August. A car bomb exploded outside a Civil Guard station in the Basque town of Durango this morning. Two Civil Guards were slightly injured and several of their vehicles written off. The getaway car was later blown up as well. Details from the BBC. An even bigger load (150kg) failed to reach its destination and was blown on 27th in Castellón. ETA is back!

In the time since the ceasefire officially ended it seems that the government has been on the offensive much more than ETA, with numerous arrests world-wide. Yet it is clear that despite ETA's severe losses it is still able to inflict damage more or less at will, keeping up the level of terror. In addition, the terror threat in Spain once again apears to be greater from within than from outside. Neverthelss, as The Economist reported early August, the government has so far gained quite a bit from the new situation.

Police now suspect that ETA has a cell of some sort based in Portugal, which is where the van was rented in the spring.

Politicians are looking closely at new political party ANV, which is suspected of being a successor of illegalised Batasuna and has so far refused to condemn the new outrages. It is likely to be only a matter of time before this party is also banned from participation in new elections.