National
Spain condemns the latest attack from Basque terrorist group ETA
By h.b.
May 15, 2008 - 7:13 AM

Spanish Prime Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, speaking on Wednesday after the ETA bomb attack against the Civil Guard barracks in Legutiano, Álava, in the Basque Country, in which a 41 year old man, Juan Manuel Piñuel Villalón, died, has said ‘If we are united the end of ETA is closer’. He described the attack as ‘cowardly, miserable and criminal’ and offered his support to the family of the dead Civil Guard and to those injured.

Speaking in Congress in Madrid, he said that the State of Law and democracy would act against those who had carried out this ‘barbaric crime’, while the leader of the Partido Popular opposition, Mariano Rajoy, offered his ‘consensus’ in the fight against the Basque terrorists. Zapatero thanked the chamber for its ‘unanimous support’ against the attack and he praised those who work against ETA, against terror and against violence.

Spanish Interior Minister, Alfredo Perez-Rubalcaba went to see the devastation of the barracks for himself, and commented that ETA had intended to try and cause a ‘massacre’. He said that they had failed, although tragically not completely, and noted that until the type of explosive used was established it was impossible to estimate the amount of explosive. He said he had no doubt that ETA were responsible.

King Juan Carlos has spoken of his deep sadness, and his solidarity with and affection for the victims. The monarch spoke of his ‘repulsion and most firm condemnation’ of the ‘brutal’ terrorist attack, which had taken the life of Juan Manuel Piñuel Villalón.

Juan Manuel Piñuel Villalón

The victim had asked to be transferred to the Basque Country so that later he could be transferred to Málaga, and had only been there for the past two months. As the bomb went off he was alerting his colleagues that there was a van parked outside the barrack building. He had been living with his family in the El Palo area of Málaga for some time, with his widow, the sister of a civil servant in Málaga City Hall.
350 people demonstrated in Málaga outside the offices of the Diputación Provincial in protest at the latest outrage from ETA, in an event attended by the Mayor of Málaga, Francisco de la Torre.

The funeral for José Manuel Piñuel will take place at the New Cathedral in Vitoria at 1030 this morning and will be attended by the Prince and Princess of Asturias. After the service the body will be taken to Málaga for burial.

Meanwhile the ETA terrorist activist known as ‘Susper’ was sentenced today to 15 years in prison by the courts in France on several charges. Juan Ibón Fernñandez Iradi was known to have been the head of ETA’s military wing.