Cablegate: 1994 Annual Terrorism Report - Spain

R 071521Z DEC 94
FM AMEMBASSY MADRID
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 5883

UNCLAS MADRID 012650

SPECIAL EMBASSY PROGRAM

E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: PTER
SUBJECT: 1994 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT - SPAIN

REF: STATE 286744

1. THE TERRORIST SITUATION IN SPAIN IS NOT MARKEDLY
DIFFERENT FROM THAT DESCRIBED IN "PATTERNS OF GLOBAL
TERRORISM - 1993". EMBASSY PROPOSES THE FOLLOWING FOR
INCLUSION IN THE 1994 TERRORISM REPORT, REQUESTED REFTEL:

2. DURING 1994 SPANISH AND FRENCH AUTHORITIES ENJOYED
CONSIDERABLE SUCCESS AGAINST THE BASQUE FATHERLAND AND
LIBERTY (ETA) TERRORIST GROUP. SEVERAL IMPORTANT ARRESTS
WERE MADE, INCLUDING THAT OF THE SECOND IN COMMAND OF ETA'S
MILITARY WING. SIGNIFICANT CACHES OF WEAPONS AND RECORDS
IN FRANCE, INCLUDING A COMPUTER HARD-DISK OF BANK ACCOUNTS
AND PHONE NUMBERS, WERE ALSO SEIZED. NEVERTHELESS, ETA
REMAINS A SIGNIFICANT TERRORIST THREAT IN SPAIN. ON JULY
29 THE THIRD RANKING OFFICIAL IN THE MINISTRY OF DEFENSE,
LIEUTENANT GENERAL FRANCISCO VEGUILLAS, WAS KILLED BY A CAR
BOMB IN DOWNTOWN MADRID. DESPITE ITS PROGRESS IN
NEUTRALIZING ETA, THE MINISTER OF INTERIOR RECOGNIZES THAT
A SIGNIFICANT COUNTERTERRORIST EFFORT MUST BE SUSTAINED.
THE LEFTIST GRAPO TERRORIST ORGANIZATION HAS BECOME
INCREASINGLY INSIGNIFICANT. IN 1994 GRAPO'S OPERATIONS
WERE LIMITED TO OCCASIONAL ROBBERIES AND SMALL SCALE
BOMBINGS.

GARDNER

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