2006 Madrid Barajas International Airport bombing

] [es icon es icon cite news | url = http://www.libertaddigital.com/noticias/noticia_1276295762.html | title = Ecuador ensures that Moratinos confirmed to them the death of the two missing people | work = Libertad Digital |date= 2006-12-31 | accessdate = 2006-12-31 ] The body of one of the victims, Carlos Alonso Palate, was finally found on 3 January, 2007, dead inside his vehicle.es icon cite news | url = http://www.elpais.com/articulo/espana/equipos/rescate/hallan/cadaver/desaparecidos/elpepuesp/20070103elpepunac_8/Tes | title = Los equipos de rescate hallan el cadaver de uno de los desaparecidos | work = El País |date= 2007-01-03 | accessdate = 2007-01-03 ] The body of the second victim (Diego Armando Estacio) was located on the morning of 5 January,2007.es icon cite news | url = http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2007/01/05/espana/1167959463.html?a=de20021483e336a508d1c6be362654f9&t=1167986070 | title = LLocalizan el cadáver de Diego Armando Estacio en el interior de su vehículo en la T4 | work = El Mundo |date= 2007-01-05 | accessdate = 2007-01-05 ]

Entry was restricted to all airport terminals by the Spanish national police but air traffic resumed at Terminal 4 soon afterward.

Prelude

On 4 November 2006, Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA) warned the Spanish government that the "peace process" was "in crisis". [ [http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2006Nov04/0,4670,SpainETACeasefire,00.html foxnews.com] ] ETA and its political supporters asked for concessions that were not acceded to, including moving ETA inmates to jails in the Basque region and the halting of arrests and trials of ETA suspects. [ [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,240659,00.html foxnews.com] ]

It has been reported (by "ABC", December 31 2006) that, before the attack, ETA reminded Rodríguez Zapatero about the 2004 Madrid train bombings (as a way to pressure the Government with the possibility of an attack before upcoming elections), even though the source also states that ETA 'had nothing to do' with the attack itself. [ [http://www.abc.es/20061231/nacional-terrorismo/banda-recordo-ejecutivo-precedente_200612310243.html abc.es] ]

Aftermath

Because of the attacks, Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero ordered the government to put "on hold" all peace talks with ETA. On 3 January, 2007 the Spanish Minister of the Interior Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba announced all peace talks with ETA had definitely been broken off.es icon cite news | url = http://www.elpais.com/articulo/espana/Rubalcaba/ETA/ha/roto/proceso/ha/liquidado/ha/acabado/elpepuesp/20070102elpepunac_10/Tes| title = 'ETA ha roto el proceso, lo ha liquidado y acabado con él'| work = El País |date= 2007-01-03 | accessdate = 2007-01-03 ]

Despite this claim, Spanish newspaper El Mundo claimed that, less a week after Zapatero's order, PSE ("Partido Socialista de Euskadi", basque branch of the PSOE) leaders met in secret with leaders of Batasuna. This report has been denounced as a falsehood by PSE leaders. [es icon cite news | url = http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2007/01/09/espana/1168309197.html| author = | title = El PSE se reunió en secreto con Batasuna tras el atentado de ETA en Barajas | work = El Mundo |date= 2007-01-09 | accessdate = 2007-01-09 ]

Several silent demonstrations took place across Spain on 31 December, 2006. Some protesters against the bombings were just demonstrators against ETA. However, other demonstrators chanted cries against the government, and others asked about who committed the 2004 Madrid train bombings. [es icon cite news | url = http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2006/12/30/espana/1167494632.html | author = Mucientes, Esther | title = Thousands of citizens show their contempt for ETA and Government politics | work = El Mundo |date= 2006-12-31 | accessdate = 2006-12-31 ]

On 9 January 2007, in a letter to the newspaper Gara, ETA claimed responsibility for the December 30 blast and insisted that the March ceasefire was still in place despite the bombing. [cite news |author=Associated Press |title=ETA claims car bombing but says cease-fire stands |url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/09/europe/EU-GEN-Spain-Basques.php |work=International Herald Tribune |date=2007-01-09 |accessdate=2007-01-09] ETA extends their solidarity to the "collateral damage" (the two Ecuadorian immigrants killed by the explosion), stating that the "objective of this armed action was not to cause victims" and blames the government for the dead, due to an alleged lack of diligence evacuating the building. They also accuse the Government and the PSOE of creating obstacles for a democratic process. [es icon cite news | url = http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2007/01/09/espana/1168348140.html?a=8820e184a520a8c89dc2a95e237ac798&t=1168352723| author = | title = ETA dice que el alto el fuego sigue 'vigente' y que no quiso 'causar víctimas' en la T4 | work = ElMundo |date= 2007-01-09 | accessdate = 2007-01-09 ] [es icon cite news | url = http://www.elpais.com/articulo/espana/ETA/asume/autoria/atentado/Barajas/asegura/alto/fuego/continua/vigente/elpepuesp/20070109elpepunac_8/Tes| author = | title = ETA asume la autoría del atentado de Barajas pero asegura que el alto el fuego continúa vigente | work = El País |date= 2007-01-09 | accessdate = 2007-01-09 ]

In January 2008, Spain said it arrested two of the men who carried out the bombing. Another suspect was on the run. [cite news |author=Associated Press |title=Spain says 2 arrested ETA suspects are Madrid airport bombers|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/01/09/news/Spain-Bombing-Suspects.php |work=International Herald Tribune |date=2008-01-09 |accessdate=2008-01-09]

References

External links

* [http://www.elmundo.es/albumes/2006/12/31/desescombro/index.html Ground zero picture gallery]
* [http://www.elmundo.es/especiales/2006/12/espana/atentado_eta/ Picture gallery]
* [http://www.gara.net/idatzia/20061231/art195448.php Gara Newspaper's Coverage] – In English, Spanish, Basque, or French
* [http://youtube.com/watch?v=SZu1MwNjDH0 Footage at the time of explosion]