ETA car bomb in Madrid
Yesterday evening, just a day after the new Basque government was formed, terrorist group Eta exploded a car bomb in the carpark of a sports stadium in Madrid. The fact that the terrorists chose a sports venue to carry out this most recent attack could be seen as an attempt to damage Madrid's chances of hosting the 2012 olympic games.
The bomb exploded in "la Peineta" stadium carpark at seven o'clock yesterday evening. ETA made two telephone calls informing of the location of the bomb and what time it was set to explode. Police had time to evacuate the area, and nobody was injured.
Spain's Interior Minister condemned the attack and underlined the government's commitment to fight the terrorist group ETA with "total determination". He said the terrorist attack was yet another example of pointless violence which only had one feasible end - the "disappearance of those who only understand the language of weapons".
Related:
ETA bomb in Madrid (May)
Basque terrorist group ETA cell in Madrid
The bomb exploded in "la Peineta" stadium carpark at seven o'clock yesterday evening. ETA made two telephone calls informing of the location of the bomb and what time it was set to explode. Police had time to evacuate the area, and nobody was injured.
Spain's Interior Minister condemned the attack and underlined the government's commitment to fight the terrorist group ETA with "total determination". He said the terrorist attack was yet another example of pointless violence which only had one feasible end - the "disappearance of those who only understand the language of weapons".
Related:
ETA bomb in Madrid (May)
Basque terrorist group ETA cell in Madrid
Labels: ETA, terrorism in Spain
4 Comments:
I am unschooled about the Eta's goals. What do they have against the newly formed Basque government? Do they object to the process? Do they claim that the Basque people don't get just representation in such a process?
I ask this question because I wonder about which side these bombers are on.
Thanks for the continuing news.
Hi Steve. Basically ETA, like any terrorist group, is against any democratic process which puts its own goals at risk. Eta members allege that the present (and past) Basque regional government prefers to put party politics before what, in ETA'S view, should be its main objective, i.e. total (=impossible) Basque independence from Spain.
Also, ETA is angry with Spain's Socialist government because, although the government says it is willing to talk to ETA - providing the terrorists agree to give up their arms - arrests against key members of the terrorist organisation continue to take place and, in fact, the past few months have been the most productive ever in terms of arrests of ETA leaders.
So at the moment their only means available to pursue their goals are either NEGOTATION with the Spanish government, or BOMBS like the one the other day in Spain.
Hope that answsers your question!
Thanks for the reply.
I spent a month in Madrid and Barcelona last year. Enjoyed my time there a lot. And I've spent a little time since trying to read up on Spanish culture and political doings.
The Eta seems completely unreasonable in its actions, from where I sit. That is, I have no way of gauging how the bombing could be appropriate.
I say this with two examples in mind. Here, the Black Panthers tried to establish a political organization to push for improvements for Blacks and the poor. They seemingly never resorted to a bombing campaign, thinking, I suspect, that it would be Blacks and the poor that would suffer from whatever the system did to get revenge. Instead, they organized soup lines and education campaigns. Still, the leaders were roughed up or killed, the organization infiltrated and discredited.
If the Spanish government is so bad, that bombs are needed to teach it to treat Basque better, why haven't we heard about the impoverishment of the Basque, their segregation, the lines of homeless, etc., etc.? Well, I suspect things are not that bad there. But, perhaps there are other - just as serious abuses of the people Eta supposedly works for.
The other example involves the Zandinista rebellion in Mexico. Another hooded group with guns. I hear good things about this group's support for the indiginous rural population of Mexico. I suspect I could find real emotions and grievances there created by the continuing poor economy and treatment of the populations in Chiapas. But, again, I don't hear much about bombings in Mexico to benefit the poor.
I am curious about what the Eta sees as the benefits of total independence from Spain. Is there more money in it for them, personally, if the Basque areas go it alone? Is there some great injustice occuring when Basque areas are part of Spain? It's a puzzle.
But, if there were problems in the areas Basque live, wouldn't bombings said to be on behalf of the Basque victims just make resolution of these underlying problems that much more difficult? No Spanish government would want to negotiate under any kind of pressure.
I just question which side the bombers are on.
Again, thanks.
I guess I am curious about bombers and their programs.
I live in a part of the U.S. that should have learned early on, mid 60's, that when you are at a meeting of political activists, and someone says they have a truck, a few extra sticks of dynamite, says it would be great to blow the X up, and offers to drive anyone so interested on the morning in question, ... we should then know that's the F.B.I. plant.
And so, unable to connect up the bombing with sufficient grievances, I wonder about who the Eta works.
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