Cablegate: Spain: 1998 Annual Terrorism Report

R 021011Z DEC 98
FM AMEMBASSY MADRID
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 2655

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MADRID 012132

S/CT FOR REAP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER SP
SUBJECT: SPAIN: 1998 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT

REF: A. STATE 202128
-- B. 97 MADRID 11809

1. THE BASQUE TERRORIST GROUP ETA ANNOUNCED A UNILATERAL AND
UNCONDITIONAL CEASE-FIRE ON SEPTEMBER 16. THE CEASE-FIRE HAS
HELD. PRIOR TO THE CEASE-FIRE, ETA KILLED SIX PERSONS IN
1998. PRESIDENT AZNAR CALLED NOVEMBER 3 FOR DIRECT TALKS WITH
ETA ON WAYS TO MAKE THE CEASE FIRE PERMANENT. THOSE TALKS
HAVE NOT OFFICIALLY BEGUN. THE GOVERNMENT AND ETA APPEAR TO
HAVE DIFFERING AGENDAS FOR SUCH TALKS, WITH THE GOVERNMENT
OFFERING SOME MEASURES OF RELIEF FOR ETA'S MORE THAN 500
PRISONERS AND ESTIMATED 1,000 EXILEES WHILE ETA WANTS TO
INCLUDE POLITICAL ISSUES OF SOVEREIGNTY AND SELF-
DETERMINATION. THE MARXIST TERRORIST GROUP GRAPO RE-EMERGED
IN 1998 AFTER A THREE YEAR HIATUS. THE GOVERNMENT DISCOUNTS
THE OPERATIONAL CAPABILITY OF GRAPO BUT THE ORGANIZATION
CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR A NUMBER OF BOMBINGS, AND SOME
BUSINESSMEN HAVE RECEIVED EXTORTION LETTERS SIGNED BY GRAPO.
SPAIN SIGNED THE ELEVENTH TERRORISM CONVENTION IN 1998. THE
GOS EXPRESSED SUPPORT FOR U.S. ATTACKS ON BIN LADIN TERRORIST
FACILITIES IN AFGHANISTAN AND SUDAN. A YEAR-LONG EFFORT BY
SPAIN TO EXTRADITE ACCUSED ETA TERRORIST RAMON ALDASORO FROM
THE UNITED STATES SUFFERED A SETBACK WHEN A U.S. DISTRICT
COURT JUDGE GRANTED A PETITION FOR A WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS
FILED BY ALDASORO'S ATTORNEY'S. THERE WERE NO ACTS OF
TERRORISM IN SPAIN IN 1998 AGAINST OR AFFECTING U.S. CITIZENS
OR FACILITIES.

2. THE FOLLOWING RESPONSES ARE KEYED TO PARAGRAPH 3 REFTEL.

A) ARRESTS AND PROSECUTIONS OF ETA TERRORISTS WERE ONGOING
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. THERE ARE 530 ETA TERRORISTS IN JAIL AND
ABOUT TWICE THAT MANY IN EXILE. BELEN GONZALEZ PENALVA, AN
ETA TERRORIST WHOSE EXTRADITION THE GOS HAD SOUGHT FROM THE
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC IN CONNECTION WITH A 1985 BOMBING IN WHICH
AN AMERICAN CITIZEN WAS KILLED, LEFT THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC IN
OCTOBER AND HER CURRENT WHEREABOUTS ARE UNKNOWN.

B) THE U.S. DID NOT REQUEST THE EXTRADITION OF ANY SUSPECTED
TERRORISTS FROM SPAIN IN 1998. A SPANISH REQUEST FOR
EXTRADITION FROM THE U.S. OF ACCUSED ETA TERRORIST RAMON
ALDASORO WAS STYMIED BY A WRIT OF HABEUS CORPUS ISSUED BY A
U.S. FEDERAL JUDGE IN FLORIDA. THE U.S. IS APPEALING THE
WRIT. SPAIN CONTINUED TO SEEK, WITH SOME SUCCESS,
EXTRADITIONS FROM VARIOUS LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES AND FRANCE
OF ETA FUGITIVES.

C) THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT IMPEDIMENTS TO HOST GOVERNMENT
PROSECUTION OR EXTRADITION OF SUSPECTED TERRORISTS.

D) THE GOVERNMENT CONTINUED TO SPEAK OUT AT THE HIGHEST
LEVELS CONDEMNING TERRORIST ACTS, INCLUDING THE BOMBINGS OF
THE U.S. EMBASSIES IN KENYA AND TANZANIA. A STATEMENT BY THE
FOREIGN MINISTER SUPPORTED U.S. STRIKES AGAINST BIN LADIN
FACILITIES IN SUDAN AND AFGHANISTAN.

E) THE GOVERNMENT'S CHIEF COUNTERTERRORISM PREOCCUPATION
CONTINUES TO BE ETA. IN ADDITION TO ONGOING POLICE AND LAW
ENFORCMENT ACTION TO BREAK UP ETA COMMANDOS AND ARREST THEIR
MEMBERS, THE GOVERNMENT IN 1998 UNDERTOOK A SERIES OF MEASURES
DESIGNED TO DEBILITATE ETA'S FINANCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE. THESE
MEASURES INCLUDED ATTEMPTS TO LIMIT ETA'S FUND RAISING
CAPABILITIES, SHUT DOWN BUSINESSES WITH ETA INVOLVEMENT, AND
LOCATE ETA'S FINANCIAL ASSETS. IN JULY THE GOVERNMENT SHUT
DOWN THE PRO-ETA NEWSPAPER "EGIN."

F) THERE WAS NO SPANISH GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR TERRORISM IN
1998.

G) THE GOVERNMENT MADE NO PUBLIC STATEMENTS IN SUPPORT OF A
TERRORIST-SUPPORTING STATE ON A TERRORISM ISSUE IN 1998.

H) THERE HAS BEEN NO CHANGE SINCE 1997 IN THE SPANISH
GOVERNMENT'S ATTITUDE TOWARD TERRORISM, INTERNATIONAL OR
DOMESTIC.

I) U.S.-SPANISH ANTI-TERRORIST COOPERATION OCCURS ACROSS A
BROAD RANGE OF OPERATIONAL CONTACTS INVOLVING VARIOUS AGENCIES
OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT. COOPERATION ALSO OCCURS IN
MULTILATERAL FORA AND BETWEEN THE U.S. AND THE EU, OF WHICH
SPAIN IS A MEMBER. EARLIER THIS YEAR THE U.S., CITING LIMITED
RESOURCES AND TIME CONSTRAINTS ON THE U.S. OFFICIALS WHO WOULD
BE INVOLVED, DECLINED A SPANISH REQUEST TO INSTITUTIONALIZE
BILATERAL COUNTERTERRORISM CONSULTATIONS, HELD FOR THE FIRST
TIME IN MAY 1997 IN MADRID.

J) NO ACTS OF TERRORISM AGAINST U.S. CITIZENS OR INTERESTS
HAVE TAKEN PLACE ON SPANISH TERRITORY IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS.
IN 1996 THE GOS EXTRADITED ACHILLE LAURO HIJACKER MAJID AL-
MOLQI TO ITALY, FROM WHERE HE HAD ESCAPED FROM PAROLE.

K) THE USG HAS NOT IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS SOUGHT SPANISH
COOPERATION IN THE PREVENTION OF ANY PARTICULAR ACT OF
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM AGAINST U.S. CITIZENS OR INTERESTS.

ROMERO

© Scoop Media