MARINO
03-01-2004, 05:04 AM
MADRID (*******) - Spanish police intercepted a van on Sunday carrying more than 1,100 lbs of explosives, which they believe Basque separatist guerrilla group ETA planned to use for a devastating attack in Madrid, officials said.
The police operation, which Interior Minister Angel Acebes said averted a possible "massacre" in the Spanish capital, came two weeks before a general election and 11 days after ETA declared a partial cease-fire limited to the northeastern region of Catalonia.
Acebes said the van, which carried a timing device, would have been used as a truck bomb. It was one of the biggest loads of explosives ETA has attempted to use in recent times, he said.
Two suspected ETA members were arrested in the early-morning operation in Cuenca province, 80 miles southeast of Madrid, Acebes said told a news conference.
"The magnificent efficiency of the Civil Guard (police) has avoided, without question, a massacre," Acebes said.
"More than 500 kgs of explosives ... was a cargo that would have caused an explosion with very serious consequences," he said.
If the bomb had gone off, Acebes said, it would have caused a 115 foot crater, serious damage in a 328 foot radius and could have hurt people one mile away.
The van carrying the explosives had been stolen in France in November and carried false registration plates, officials said.
ETA, listed as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union (news - web sites), has killed nearly 850 people since 1968 in a campaign for an independent state in northern Spain and southwestern France.
The center-right Popular Party government has taken a hard line against ETA and the organization has been weakened in recent months by scores of arrests both in Spain and France.
ETA caused a shock in the middle of Spain's election campaign by announcing a truce limited to the Catalonia region. The partial truce was condemned by the major political parties.
MADRID (*******) - Spanish police averted a possible massacre by intercepting a van carrying more than 1,100 pounds of explosives on Sunday that Basque separatist guerrillas ETA planned to detonate in Madrid, the government said.
Two suspected ETA members were arrested in the early morning police operation, which came two weeks before a general election and 11 days after ETA declared a partial cease-fire limited to the northeastern region of Catalonia.
The men were driving two vans and heading for Madrid when they were stopped in the province of Cuenca, 75 miles southeast of Madrid, officials said.
One of the vans contained the explosives which ETA planned to detonate in the Spanish capital "in the coming days," Interior Minister Angel Acebes said, without giving a specific target.
It was one of the biggest bombs ETA had attempted to use in recent times, he told a news conference.
"The magnificent efficiency of the Civil Guard (police)... has avoided, without question, a massacre," Acebes said.
The van contained 1,116 pounds of chloratite explosive, 66 pounds of dynamite and a timing device, Acebes said.
A bomb of that size could have caused a 115-foot crater, serious damage in a 100-yard radius and hurt people one mile away, he said.
ETA, listed as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union (news - web sites), has killed more than 800 people since 1968 in a campaign for an independent state in northern Spain and southwestern France.
Spain Arrests Two Alleged Separatists
Sun Feb 29,12:24 PM ET
By ED MCCULLOUGH, Associated Press Writer
MADRID, Spain - For the second time in just more than two months, Spain on Sunday averted a bombbing by the Basque separatist group ETA after the Civil Guard stopped a small truck and found about 1,100 pounds of bomb-making chemicals, officials said.
Two alleged ETA members were arrested, but their identities were withheld.
The plan was to "generate a massacre in coming days, if possible, in the center of Madrid," Justice Minister Jose Maria Michavila said.
Interior Minister Angel Acebes said the explosion was planned for "today, tomorrow or the day after," and had the power to blast a deep 40-yard-wide crater.
The Civil Guard stopped the truck at a checkpoint near the town of Canaveras, near Cuenca about 90 miles southeast of the capital Madrid. Authorities found a half a ton of potassium chloride compound, 65 pounds of dynamite and 100 yards of core fuse and an electrical detonator.
Officials evacuated the town for five hours while they deactivated the explosives. Residents returned to their homes about five hours later, shortly before noon.
Police also raided homes in Basque Country, apparently searching for weapons or explosives.
On Dec. 24, police arrested two suspected ETA members and seized a 55 pound bomb on a train headed to Madrid's bustling Chamartin Station. A second device of about the same size was discovered before it could be put on the train, Acebes told reporters at the time.
The attempted attack comes two weeks before Spain holds national elections March 14.
The conservative ruling Popular Party used the potential disaster to criticize its Socialist challenger as being soft on terrorism. The Socialists rule the key regional government Catalonia, where its coalition partner recently held secret talks with ETA.
ETA, which stands for Basque Homeland and Freedom, subsequently declared a unilateral cease-fire in Catalonia.
"You have to defeat terrorism," not negotiate with terrorists, Javier Arenas, the Popular Party's third-ranking official, said. ETA is "weaker than ever, but it's going to keep trying to fill Spanish society with blood."
ETA has killed more than 900 people since 1968 in its armed campaign for independence of the northern Basque region. The group is classified as a terrorist organization by Spain, the European Union (news - web sites) and the United States.
The police operation, which Interior Minister Angel Acebes said averted a possible "massacre" in the Spanish capital, came two weeks before a general election and 11 days after ETA declared a partial cease-fire limited to the northeastern region of Catalonia.
Acebes said the van, which carried a timing device, would have been used as a truck bomb. It was one of the biggest loads of explosives ETA has attempted to use in recent times, he said.
Two suspected ETA members were arrested in the early-morning operation in Cuenca province, 80 miles southeast of Madrid, Acebes said told a news conference.
"The magnificent efficiency of the Civil Guard (police) has avoided, without question, a massacre," Acebes said.
"More than 500 kgs of explosives ... was a cargo that would have caused an explosion with very serious consequences," he said.
If the bomb had gone off, Acebes said, it would have caused a 115 foot crater, serious damage in a 328 foot radius and could have hurt people one mile away.
The van carrying the explosives had been stolen in France in November and carried false registration plates, officials said.
ETA, listed as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union (news - web sites), has killed nearly 850 people since 1968 in a campaign for an independent state in northern Spain and southwestern France.
The center-right Popular Party government has taken a hard line against ETA and the organization has been weakened in recent months by scores of arrests both in Spain and France.
ETA caused a shock in the middle of Spain's election campaign by announcing a truce limited to the Catalonia region. The partial truce was condemned by the major political parties.
MADRID (*******) - Spanish police averted a possible massacre by intercepting a van carrying more than 1,100 pounds of explosives on Sunday that Basque separatist guerrillas ETA planned to detonate in Madrid, the government said.
Two suspected ETA members were arrested in the early morning police operation, which came two weeks before a general election and 11 days after ETA declared a partial cease-fire limited to the northeastern region of Catalonia.
The men were driving two vans and heading for Madrid when they were stopped in the province of Cuenca, 75 miles southeast of Madrid, officials said.
One of the vans contained the explosives which ETA planned to detonate in the Spanish capital "in the coming days," Interior Minister Angel Acebes said, without giving a specific target.
It was one of the biggest bombs ETA had attempted to use in recent times, he told a news conference.
"The magnificent efficiency of the Civil Guard (police)... has avoided, without question, a massacre," Acebes said.
The van contained 1,116 pounds of chloratite explosive, 66 pounds of dynamite and a timing device, Acebes said.
A bomb of that size could have caused a 115-foot crater, serious damage in a 100-yard radius and hurt people one mile away, he said.
ETA, listed as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union (news - web sites), has killed more than 800 people since 1968 in a campaign for an independent state in northern Spain and southwestern France.
Spain Arrests Two Alleged Separatists
Sun Feb 29,12:24 PM ET
By ED MCCULLOUGH, Associated Press Writer
MADRID, Spain - For the second time in just more than two months, Spain on Sunday averted a bombbing by the Basque separatist group ETA after the Civil Guard stopped a small truck and found about 1,100 pounds of bomb-making chemicals, officials said.
Two alleged ETA members were arrested, but their identities were withheld.
The plan was to "generate a massacre in coming days, if possible, in the center of Madrid," Justice Minister Jose Maria Michavila said.
Interior Minister Angel Acebes said the explosion was planned for "today, tomorrow or the day after," and had the power to blast a deep 40-yard-wide crater.
The Civil Guard stopped the truck at a checkpoint near the town of Canaveras, near Cuenca about 90 miles southeast of the capital Madrid. Authorities found a half a ton of potassium chloride compound, 65 pounds of dynamite and 100 yards of core fuse and an electrical detonator.
Officials evacuated the town for five hours while they deactivated the explosives. Residents returned to their homes about five hours later, shortly before noon.
Police also raided homes in Basque Country, apparently searching for weapons or explosives.
On Dec. 24, police arrested two suspected ETA members and seized a 55 pound bomb on a train headed to Madrid's bustling Chamartin Station. A second device of about the same size was discovered before it could be put on the train, Acebes told reporters at the time.
The attempted attack comes two weeks before Spain holds national elections March 14.
The conservative ruling Popular Party used the potential disaster to criticize its Socialist challenger as being soft on terrorism. The Socialists rule the key regional government Catalonia, where its coalition partner recently held secret talks with ETA.
ETA, which stands for Basque Homeland and Freedom, subsequently declared a unilateral cease-fire in Catalonia.
"You have to defeat terrorism," not negotiate with terrorists, Javier Arenas, the Popular Party's third-ranking official, said. ETA is "weaker than ever, but it's going to keep trying to fill Spanish society with blood."
ETA has killed more than 900 people since 1968 in its armed campaign for independence of the northern Basque region. The group is classified as a terrorist organization by Spain, the European Union (news - web sites) and the United States.