SPAIN: Gonzalez Justifies ‘Dirty War’

By Tito Drago Reprint | | Print |

Tito Drago

MADRID, Sep 26 1996 (IPS) - Spain’s former head of government and the leader of the socialist party, Felipe Gonzalez, justified the “dirty war” carried out under his government against Basque separatists from 1983-87.

In an interview on Thursday with the radio station ‘SER’, Gonzalez denied that there was “State terrorism” under his administration (1982-96).

But if such a thing had existed, he added, the totals of 900 people killed by the Basque separatist organisation ETA and 28 by the Anti-Terrorist Liberation Groups (GAL) would have been inverted.

Moreover, he emphatically stated, “let’s stop fooling ourselves, because incidents such as this one in Spain have occurred in all countries where terrorist activity has struck a blow against democracy.”

According to confessions from former high-ups in the Interior Ministry, that entity directed more than 40 operations including the abduction, torture, disappearance and murder of 28 people, some of whom had ties to or belonged to ETA.

In his statements on Thursday, Gonzalez – who may be implicated in ongoing trials on GAL activity – cited France and Germany as examples of nations where such “incidents” – illegal responses by the State to violence committed by clandestine organisations – have occurred.

He also quoted U.S. President Bill Clinton who when referring to attacks committed in his country, said he would pursue the perpetrators no matter where they were hiding.

The statements by the leader of Spain’s political opposition and the general secretary of the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) sparked an outcry from the parties.

The spokesman for the Nationalist Basque Party – the moderate PNV that governs the Basque region – Iñaki Anasagasti, and the spokeswoman for the United Left (IU) coalition, Cristina Almeida, described Gonzalez’ declarations as dangerously inappropriate.

Interior Minister Jaime Mayor Oreja, who is the leader of the Basque country branch of the governing Popular Party (PP), said that whether or not State terrorism existed under the government of Gonzalez “can only be determined by the courts.”

Socialist leaders, meanwhile, justified and backed the statements of their general secretary.

The Supreme Court is deciding whether or not the evidence justifies calling Gonzalez to testify in one of the GAL cases. The cases had been delayed by the refusal of the government of Jose Maria Aznar to turn over intelligence documents that implicated Gonzalez and several of his ministers, according to copies published by the press.

But an appeals court has ruled that the copies of the documents, which are now in the hands of the judges presiding over the cases, can be used as testimony.

Some 20 former high-ups in the socialist government and the security forces are being tried in connection with GAL activities, including a former minister, a former secretary of State Security, a former head of anti-terrorist operations and high-level police officials.

A majority have confessed their participation and corroborated that of the others.

Meanwhile, several of the members of the congressional Commission on Official Secrets in the previous legislature who had access to the intelligence documents said they were willing to testify.

Among the GAL crimes that are under investigation figure the kidnapping of Segundo Marey, a Spanish citizen who lived in southern France and had nothing to do with political activity.

The cases also include the abduction, torture, murder and burial under quicklime of two young Basque men accused of being ETA sympathisers, and the kidnapping and murder of a young pacifist who had taken refuge in France to escape military service in Spain.

The latest case opened involves the abduction and use of three homeless as guineau pigs to test a narcotic to be used by the intelligence services in the kidnapping of an ETA leader. One of the men died in the process.

The case, which came to light early this month, triggered an outcry ranging from the Cardiology Association – a cardiologist had participated in the operation – the Catholic Church and the People’s Defender, who demanded an in-depth investigation.