In Spain: ETA and Al-Qaeda Forge New Anti-EU Alliance (2001)

New California Media ^ | October 1, 2001 | Paolo Pontoniere

[livius]

In Spain: ETA and Al-Qaeda Forge New Anti-EU Alliance NCM Online, By Paolo Pontoniere, October 1, 2001

The Basque terrorist organization ETA and bin Laden's al-Qaeda cells have joined forces. Their shared goal: to organize and carry out an attack on the EU meeting scheduled for March 2002 in Barcelona, according to two Spanish publications, Tiempo and El Mundo.

According to the reports, which have been confirmed by Italian and French media, representatives of the two terrorist organizations have already met together three times in Brussels in December 2000; in Malaga, Spain in February 2001; and in Barcelona last July.

According to the European reports, the terrorists have planned a suicide attack on the meeting that would entail the use of five car bombs provided by ETA, and delivered by five al-Qaeda suicide drivers. European authorities consider this news credible, and have disclosed that Mohammed Atta--one of the terrorists responsible for the early September attack on the World Trade Center--may have also attended the July meeting between ETA and al-Qaeda in Barcelona.

In its report, Tiempo revealed that, thanks to a tip-off by US Navy intelligence, Spanish authorities were able to prevent another al-Qaeda attack last December. This one would have involved striking American aircraft carriers with suicide vessels filled with the deadly explosive C-4. The attack--like the assault on the USS Cole in a Yemeni port--was scheduled to take place as the two aircraft carriers would have readied to moor at NATO's Rota navy base near Cadiz. The suicide motor boats would have departed from the nearby coast of Morocco, a country with a significant Muslim population.

Spain, because of its proximity to Morocco and Algeria, has experienced a significant influx of Muslim immigrants. According to authorities, there are now about 500,000 Muslim immigrants living in Spain. Experts estimate that, among these emigres, are about 100 al-Qaeda agents ready at any moment to hit a Spanish or American target.

Since 1996, the Spanish police have formed a special unit dedicated to investigating the activities of these terrorists. In addition, Spanish prime minister José-Maria Azanar has pledged troops to any American-led coalition to fight international terrorism. Azanar has also allowed the US to use NATO navy bases in Rota and Moron to carry out air strikes against terrorist targets.

Although enjoying broad-based support at home for his commitment to the US, Azanar may find that his position could cause troubles for Spain abroad. In fact, neighboring Morocco, separated from Spain by the narrow strait of Gibraltar, is home to 4.5 million Islamic fundamentalists, who may become angered at Spain's generous support of America.

Such a development could push young Moroccan king Mohammed VI into the fray, forcing him to face Islamic fundamentalist terrorism, as in neighboring Algeria. There, the government has been embroiled in a bloody and protracted war with indigenous Islamic terrorists for years.

[livius]

Well, well, well. Look what I found. This report is from 2001.

[livius]

The smoking gun? This article found a connection between ETA and Al Qaeda right after 9/11. I'll have to do more research to find the original sources, but it looks like we have something important here.

[genefromjersey]

That is absolutely flabbergasting !!

Thank you !!

[livius]

representatives of the two terrorist organizations have already met together three times in Brussels in December 2000; in Malaga, Spain in February 2001; and in Barcelona last July.

Somebody's got some detailed info on this.

[livius]

I know. I was just doing a random search looking for connections between ETA and Islam when this popped up.

[dennisw]

Even before reading this I think this is a joint operation with ETA, or rogue members of ETA along with Al Qaeda or some other Islamikazis. The simultaneous bombs and the viciously high death toll mark this as an Islamikazi influenced operation. With ETA perhaps knowing the Spanish train system better and where, when to bomb.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Kerry: "terrorism exaggerated."

[Catspaw]

Great find!

[livius]

the terrorists have planned a suicide attack on the meeting that would entail the use of five car bombs provided by ETA, and delivered by five al-Qaeda suicide drivers.

Within the last couple of months, the Spanish police hvae caught several ETA members headed towards Madrid or towards train stations, bringing loads of explosives or even, in one case, a suitcase bomb. I wonder if it was their job to get this stuff to the al Qaeda terrorists, who would then take care of getting it onto the trains and detonating it.

The outlying stations where two of the trains were bombed are neighborhoods with many "immigrants," which in Spain usually means Moroccans, Arabs and Africans (and Latin Americans). In any case, it certainly would have been easy for Arab members of al Qaeda to blend in in these neighborhoods, pick up the explosives and board the train there. I saw at least one report of a suicide bomber, although that report seems to have quietly disappeared.

[snooker]

Fantastic find.

When you think it through, this is the most likely view of what is going on. All these terrorist groups are connected together behind the curtain. A cute name is usually used to just throw off investigators.

[livius]

Here's an interesting article posted by Eurotwit discussing AQ's possible strategy in the Madrid bombing:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1096136/posts?page=5

[TomGuy]

FoxNews reporter this morning said al-Qaeda might start (if they haven't already) 'contracting' out to internal terrorist groups. Qaeda would provide financial and expertise with internal group providing local knowledge and personnel to carry out atrocities.

[kabar]

Good find. I am sure there are plenty of others out there as well. I think it is fairly well known among intelligence agencies that these various terrorist groups have cultivated a relationship with one another, e.g., the IRA trained in Libya. This is why the Bush Doctrine is one of the boldest and most important foreign policy initiatives in decades. In order to combat terrorism, we need to go after the terrorists and the states that harbor them.

[livius]

Right! I just wish our media would get busy and do some digging, except that they probably agree with Kerry.

The only decent articles I am finding on this are from the European and Aussie press (with the exception of the one slightly obscure source for this article).

[livius]

In order to combat terrorism, we need to go after the terrorists and the states that harbor them.

That's true, and I hope it's something Spaniards remember when they go to vote on Sunday.

[Eurotwit]

It is certainly dramatic news if these attacks were an ETA/Al Qaeda combo.

[Eurotwit]

It is odd that this link have not been mentioned much in the media coverage.

[livius]

Yes, the stunning thing is that the connections were known of (including the actual meetings) long before today.

I'm going to check the Spanish newspaper morgues and see if I can find the original El Mundo or El Tiempo reports.

[livius]

It hasn't been mentioned at all, that I have seen.

[TomGuy]

The War on Terrorism is a World War.

It must be fought as such.

Sorry, Kerry, the threat isn't exaggerated. It is real and it is persistent. This war can't be won by appeasement.