21 May 2008

MADRID - The suspected leader of the Basque separatist group ETA was arrested Tuesday in southwestern France in a joint operation by French and Spanish police, Spanish anti-terrorism sources said.

Javier Lopez Pena, 49, alias "Thierry", who is considered by Spanish authorities be the top political leader of ETA, was arrested along with three other members of the group in a raid on an apartment in the centre of the southwestern French city of Bordeaux around 11:30 pm (2130 GMT), they said.

His arrest is the biggest blow against the organisation, blamed for the deaths of over 820 people in its 40-year campaign for an independent Basque nation, since the October 2004 arrest in France of its then leader Mikel Albizu.

French Interior Minister Michele Alliot Marie expressed her "immense satisfaction with the arrests in Bordeaux of four suspected ETA members, including one of its historic figures," in a statement released by her office.

She praised the professionalism of the police for arresting the four without injury, calling the operation a success of French-Spanish intelligence and anti-terrorism cooperation.

The other three arrested in the operation Tuesday against ETA's political leadership were named as Ainhoa Zaeta Mendiondo, Igor Suberbiola and Jon Salaberria.

"Long live ETA! We'll be victorious," they yelled as they were escorted out of the building in handcuffs by police, according to footage filmed by Spanish public television TVE, which had a correspondent present during the raid.

On the run since 1983, the Spanish interior ministry considers "Thierry" to be one of those behind the December 2006 car bomb attack on a car park at Madrid's airport that killed two people and ended a ceasefire declared by the organisation.

ETA announced a "permanent ceasefire" in March 2006 but formally called it off in June 2007 citing frustration with the lack of concessions on the part of the government in their tentative peace process.

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