Spain’s Home Office Minister claims that the police are ETA’a main target, not tourists

In a press conference yesterday the Spanish Minister for the Home Office, Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, did not rule out any hypotheses about the bombs which exploded on Las Palmas, Mallorca last Sunday.

Rubalcaba confirmed that last Sunday’s bombings on Mallorca, one of Spain’s biggest tourist destinations, consisted of four very small explosive devices each of which contained under half a kilo of explosives.

Rubalcaba attempted to calm tourists’ fears by saying that he did not believe that they are ETA’s main objective. He said that people could feel safe and that he thinks that the Basque terrorist organization is trying to demonstrate its existence. The Spanish royal family who holiday every August at their summer residence in Mallorca have joined local and national government attempts to play down the explosions by going on various walkabouts this week, mingling with the public at several tourist attractions.

The Spanish security forces are continuing their work both in Mallorca and elsewhere and do not know for sure if the terrorists remain on the island or not. However, they are almost certain that six suspected ETA terrorists, whose photos were released recently, remain in Spain working for ETA. Both Mallorca and the rest of Spain remained on maximum alert.