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2003 Patterns of Global Terrorism: Spain
May 3, 2003 |
Spain is a firm ally in the global war against terrorism. Spain has authorized the use of Spanish military bases at Rota and Moron in support of military operations in Afghanistan, provided materiel support to Operation Enduring Freedom, and supported the reconstruction of Afghanistan with humanitarian and developmental assistance. In August, Spain deployed 1,300 troops to southern Iraq.
Spain has arrested and indicted dozens of individuals with possible links to al-Qaida since 54 September 11. In January, a Spanish judge indicted Usama Bin Ladin and 34 others for complicity in the attacks of September 11; 15 of these individuals are now in Spanish custody. Spain has had some success in prosecuting terrorism cases. Sixteen North African nationals with suspected ties to al-Qaida operatives in the United Kingdom and France were released after their arrest in January. On 7 March, Spanish national police in Valencia arrested four Spaniards and one Pakistani. They were accused of belonging to a financial network involved in laundering money that was then sent to al-Qaida operatives. The Spanish Ministry of Interior also linked these suspects to a terrorist attack that took place in April 2002 in Yerba, Tunisia, in which 19 people were killed. On 12 March 2003, a Spanish judge ordered two of these suspects remanded to prison pending further investigation of the case. The other three suspects were released. In October, a judge cited health reasons for releasing on bail an Al-Jazeera television network journalist with alleged ties to the Spain-based al-Qaida network of Eddin Barakat Yarkas.
Spain made extensive progress in its decades-old campaign to eliminate domestic terrorist groups, including the Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) organization -- a radical terrorist group. Spanish police arrested 126 individuals in 2003 for association with or membership in ETA and dismantled several ETA operational terrorist cells, dealing a blow to ETA’s logistic, recruitment, and operational capabilities. In December, French police arrested top leaders of ETA’s military wing, who were allegedly planning attacks in Spain to coincide with the Christmas season. There are now more than 500 ETA members in Spanish jails and another 100 imprisoned in France.
In March, Spain’s Supreme Court upheld a ban passed in 2002 on Batasuna, the political wing of ETA. The ban freezes Batasuna’s funds and prohibits ETA supporters from serving on local and regional government seats. These steps have dampened the group’s political clout and cut off a major source of financing by depriving ETA members of the benefi ts of being able to channel funds from local government into pro-ETA activities. The number of ETA attacks and casualties also remained low.
Spanish and French authorities also made joint advances against the domestic terrorist group First of October Anti-Fascist Resistance Group, all but eliminating the group.
Spain is one of the primary advocates within the EU for enhancing mechanisms to fight terrorism. Spain led the effort in the EU to approve the EU-wide common arrest and detention order, which the EU approved in late 2001.
Spain and France are the first two countries to create “multi-national police investigation teams” under terms of the EU agreement reached in 2002. The agreement allows Spanish and French police forces to work in each other’s country investigating cases related to the ETA, Islamic terrorism, and other crimes.
Spain is a party to all 12 international conventions and protocols relating to terrorism and currently chairs the UN Counterterrorism Committee and co-chairs with the United States the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Terrorism Finance Working Group. Spain is pressing to become a standing member of the G-8’s Counterterrorism Action Group on the basis of its high level of technical counterterrorism assistance to third countries.
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