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DE RUEHMD #3111/01 3641415
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 301415Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY MADRID
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1529
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHLA/AMCONSUL BARCELONA IMMEDIATE 2318
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MADRID 003111 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DS/IP/EUR 
EUR FOR A/S FRIED AND PDAS VOLKER 
EUR/WE FOR ALLEGRONE, CLEMENTS, AND CERVETTI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER ASEC CASC PGOV SP
SUBJECT: SPAIN: CAR BOMB DETONATES AT MADRID AIRPORT 
 
REF: MADRID - OPS CENTER DISCUSSIONS OF 12/30 
 
MADRID 00003111  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary. A car bomb detonated at 9 a.m. Madrid local 
time on December 30 in a public parking garage outside of 
Terminal 4 at Madrid's Barajas International Airport. 
Minister of Interior Rubalcaba said that one person is 
missing and several were lightly injured.  Rubalcaba 
expressed his conviction that ETA had undertaken the attack. 
Terminal 4 is the primary international terminal at Barajas 
and services flights for Iberia and Iberia codeshare. 
Initial reports indicated that there were at least five 
persons who were lightly injured, three of whom were police 
officers, but Rubalcaba subsequently noted the fact that a 
person was missing.  Press reports and official sources say 
that the explosion followed three telephone calls in the 
space of 35 minutes from anonymous callers to authorities in 
Madrid and in the Basque Region, with one caller indicating 
that the terrorist group ETA had undertaken the attack. 
Flights at Terminal 4 were suspended until 2 p.m. local time, 
but flights at all other terminals are operating as normally 
scheduled.  The Ambassador contacted FM Moratinos' chief of 
staff to relay the USG's concern and readiness to assist. 
The DCM contacted MFA DG for North America Jose Pons and 
Minister of Interior Chief of Staff Gregorio Martinez to 
convey the same message.  The Ambassador convened an 
Emergency Action Committee (EAC) meeting to review the 
Mission's security posture; RSO and the Consular Section took 
measures to enhance Mission security and advise US citizens 
of the threat.  This is a very significant domestic political 
event in Spain and a severe blow to hopes for peace in the 
Basque Region.  End Summary. 
 
//APPARENT ETA BOMBING// 
 
¶2. (U) A large car bomb detonated at 9 a.m. Madrid local time 
on December 30 in a public parking garage outside of Terminal 
4 at Madrid's Barajas International Airport. Latest press 
reports indicate that five people were lightly injured in the 
attack, including three police officers.  One person, a male 
who was picking up a passenger, is missing.  The blast 
severely damaged the parking garage and shook buildings 
several miles away.  Spanish authorities were advised by 
anonymous callers at 7:55 a.m., 8 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. that a 
device was set to explode shortly after 9:00 a.m.  The first 
call was made to a roadside emergency service company in the 
Basque Region and was a general threat advising of a bombing 
to take place at Barajas airport around 9 a.m.  The second 
call was to Madrid's firefighting service with a similar 
warning, though with additional details regarding the vehicle 
that carried the bomb.  The third and final call was made 30 
minutes prior to the detonation and informed the "112" 
emergency service (similar to 911) in the Basque Region of 
details of the Renault "Traffic" vehicle that contained the 
bomb, including the color of the vehicle and license plate 
information.  According to press reports, the second and 
third calls announced the attack in the name of ETA.  If ETA 
did carry out the bombing, it would be its first strike since 
announcing a "permanent cease fire" on March 22, 2006. 
 
//AIR TRAFFIC DISRUPTED// 
 
¶3. (U) Security officials moved hundreds of passengers from 
Terminal 4 onto a tarmac while the terminal was searched for 
any additional explosives.  Flights from Terminal 4 were 
suspended until 2 p.m., but flights from all other three 
terminals continued as scheduled. 
 
//SPANISH GOVERNMENT REACTION// 
 
¶4. (U) The attack came one day after President Zapatero had 
expressed confidence that the situation in the Basque Region 
would improve in the coming year.  The Spanish Government 
indicated that it would withhold comment until police had 
completed their initial investigation.  However, they 
immediately increased security measures throughout the Madrid 
area.  Press reports indicate that President Zapatero 
 
MADRID 00003111  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
contacted Popular Party (PP) leader Mariano Rajoy to inform 
him that Spanish security forces strongly suspected ETA 
authorship of the attacks.  Rajoy issued a statement calling 
on the Zapatero Government to halt its peace talks with ETA. 
 
//MINISTER OF INTERIOR - "ETA DID THIS"// 
 
¶5. (U) Minister of Interior Rubalcaba convened a 1 p.m. press 
conference, where he stated unequivocally that ETA had 
carried out the attack, which he called a "potent, very 
significant explosion."  He told reporters that police were 
searching for one individual who was missing; he had been in 
the parking area waiting for an arriving passenger and could 
not be located after the explosion.  He said that there had 
been no warning from ETA that it would terminate its cease 
fire, as had happened in previous cease fires.  Rubalcaba 
condemned the attack, said that the violence was 
"incompatible with dialogue" (a reference to Government talks 
with ETA and its political front Batasuna), and announced 
that President Zapatero would issue a statement later in the 
day.  Rubalcaba said that this incident represented a "good 
opportunity for Batasuna to explain to the Spanish people 
whether or not it believes in democracy."  Batasuna leader 
Arnaldo Otegi is scheduled to issue a statement at 5 p.m. 
 
//EMBASSY CONTACTS SPANISH OFFICIALS// 
 
¶6. (SBU) Upon learning of the bombing, the Ambassador 
contacted Javier Sancho, Chief of Staff to Foreign Minister 
Miguel Angel Moratinos, and to CHOD General Sanz to convey 
the USG's concern and to offer USG assistance if needed.  The 
DCM contacted MFA Director General for North America and 
Europe Jose Pons to relay a similar message.  Pons informed 
the DCM of the information he had available and said that the 
Government would not make any public statements until it had 
obtained as much information as possible.  The DCM also 
contacted Gregorio Martinez, Chief of Staff to Minister of 
Interior Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba (who has the lead in ongoing 
peace negotiations with ETA).  Martinez was with Minister 
Rubalcaba, who was reviewing the facts of the attack with his 
key security officials. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Mission staff are in contact with National Police 
and other security officials involved in the case.  Police 
officials confirmed details suggesting the attack had been 
carried out by ETA. 
 
//AMBASSADOR CONVENES EAC MEETING// 
 
¶8. (SBU) The Ambassador convened a meeting of the EAC at 
11:45 a.m. local time.  The meeting included the DCM and 
representatives from RSO, the Consular Section, TSA, Public 
Affairs, ORA, DHS/ICE, the Political Section, and the Embassy 
Duty Officer.  EAC members reviewed the Embassy's security 
posture.  RSO determined that there was no heightened risk to 
the Mission or its personnel as a result of this attack, 
noting that the Mission was already in a heightened security 
posture in response to the execution of former Iraqi 
President Saddam Hussein.  There is no indication that this 
attack was directed against American personnel or U.S. 
interests in Spain.  The Consular Section, which had just 
issued a Warden Message regarding the execution of Saddam 
Hussein, issued a second warden message advising U.S. 
citizens of this attack and warning them to take appropriate 
precautions while traveling and in public areas.  The Duty 
Officer reported few calls thus far connected to disruptions 
or problems related to the bombing at Barajas. 
 
//COMMENT// 
 
¶9. (SBU) This attack represents a major domestic political 
development, as Zapatero has invested significant political 
capital in the Basque peace process.  Tensions had increased 
markedly over the last six weeks, as Basque extremists 
accused the Government of failing to open a path to Batasuna 
participation in the political process and the Government had 
 
MADRID 00003111  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
responded that Batasuna had to formally renounce ETA violence 
in order to be given legal status.  There is some speculation 
that this attack was carried out by an ETA faction rather 
than with the support of the entire organization.  The 5 p.m. 
declaration by Batasuna will mark an important point in the 
political reaction to this attack. 
AGUIRRE