Highlights
– Spanish police arrest 14 prominent members of outlawed Batasuna political party
– Arrested members believed preparing to take helm as new Batasuna directing board members
– Elurra cell provides proof ETA is regrouping and expanding
– Arrests will be significant blow to organization, however ETA will likely regroup
On February 11, 2008, Spanish police arrested 14 prominent members of the previously banned Batasuna political party. Spanish anti-terrorist Judge Baltasar Garzon had officially banned Batasuna, the believed political arm of Basque terrorist organization, ETA, in 2003. In recent actions, Judge Baltasar Garzon ordered the arrests, asserting the individuals were preparing to take the helm as new board members of the outlawed political party.
The February 2008 arrests were just one in a series of recent anti-ETA activities initiated by the Spanish government. As we previously reported, on October 4, 2007, Spanish authorities arrested 22 Batasuna members, including approximately 20 senior figures (Previous Report). The arrestees were accused of holding a secretive meeting to discuss re-organizing the party in an effort to handover power from the old guard to new leaders.
The recent arrests demonstrate that once again Batasuna is actively attempting to forge new leadership.
ETA’s history of perseverance will likely continue. As we previously reported in October 2007, the recent arrest of top Batasuna leaders will serve as a striking blow to the organization, however its effects will be short lived (Previous Report). Batasuna will once again regroup and a fresh set of leaders will emerge to take the helm to retaliate against the Spanish government.
Police Arrest 14 Batasuna Members
Spanish police arrested 14 members of the outlawed Batasuna party on February 11, 2008, which was the latest action in a series of continual crackdowns on the Basque separatist group, ETA, and associated organizations. The recent arrests, ordered by top anti-terrorist Judge Baltasar Garzon, occurred in the northern Basque region.
In January 2008, Judge Garzon barred two similar-minded political parties from political activity in the lead up to Spain’s national elections scheduled for March 9, 2008. Garzon’s decision to ban the two parties led to large-scale demonstrations in the northern Spanish city of Bilbao on February 9, 2008, resulting in the arrest of four protesters.
ETA Regroups and Expands
Following recent reports derived from French intelligence, Spanish authorities began to investigate the possibility ETA was in the process of reorganizing. Arrests in January 2008 confirmed these suspicions that ETA had recently developed a “parallel organization” and was planning to perpetrate further attacks.
Specifically, the discovery of a bomb-making facility in Cahors, France in September 2007 and the arrest of those responsible for the December 2006 Barajas airport bombing, provided proof of ETA’s regrouping and subsequent rebuilding during a nine-month ceasefire .
In particular the discovery of the so-called “Elurra” cell, a seemingly independent cell composed of individuals responsible for the December 2006 airport attack, led to significant concerns ETA was regrouping and expanding. Purportedly, ETA’s newly formed Elurra cell remains at the center of the “parallel ETA” group headed by Garikoitz Aspiazu Rubina, also known as Txeroki. The group is troubling, as it is comprised of independent, self-sufficient units, a tactical change from previous group structure.
Attacks Will Continue
In the wake of renewed concerns ETA is seeking to expand its activities and partner organizations, Spanish police continue to ramp-up anti-terrorism efforts, specifically targeting suspected ETA members and ETA-linked organizations. Accordingly, ETA continues to wage small-scale disruptive attacks against the Spanish government and areas frequented by tourists. As we previously reported, despite the recent arrests in October 2007 and February 2008, ETA’s history of perseverance will likely continue.
To this end, we believe the recent arrests of individuals believed to be preparing to take the helm of Batasuna will serve as a striking blow to the organization, however its effects will be short lived. Batasuna continues to prove itself resilient. The group will likely reorganize and once again a fresh set of leaders will emerge to take the helm.
Further, we believe the renewed focus on the terror group will likely continue to result in continued Basque separatists’ efforts to attack Spain in the near-term.
