Country Reports on Terrorism 2012 - Spain

Overview: Spain continued to confront the threat posed by the domestic terrorist group Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA), as well as the transnational threat from al-Qa'ida (AQ) and its affiliates. With sustained focused international cooperation, in particular with France, Spain enjoyed such success in countering ETA that the weakened terrorist group announced in October 2011 a "definitive cessation of armed activity," re-confirmed by ETA in a July 9, 2012 communiqué.

Europol's annual terrorism report on the EU, released in April and supported by Spanish security services, indicated however, that "ETA continues recruiting members and collecting information about new objectives," despite having announced the cessation of violence. According to the report, "ETA has not announced either the turning over of the weapons or the dissolution of the terrorist organization. The experience obtained from previous ceasefires indicates that ETA returns to its activity because it does not achieve its political objectives." According to the report, ETA appears to have ceased its practice of extortion of local businesses, although there are reports of "personal visits, door to door" looking for "voluntary" contributions.

Spain also focused on the continued kidnapping threat presented by al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and increased its cooperation with Algeria, Mali, and Mauritania to combat and contain the group. Spain cooperated closely with the United States to counter terrorism and was a cooperative partner in joint investigations and information sharing.

2012 Terrorist Incidents: No terrorist attacks occurred in Spain in 2012. Nonetheless, two Spanish citizens working with NGO Doctors without Borders kidnapped by al-Shabaab terrorist in Kenya in 2011 remained in captivity at year's end, and the Spanish government was working with local authorities to ensure their safe release. Two Spaniards and an Italian who were kidnapped in Algeria in 2011 by the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa, an organization closely linked to AQIM, were released on July 18, 2012.

Legislation, Law Enforcement, and Border Security: Spain continued to focus on improved security and the detection of false documents at its borders in 2012. Spain participated in the U.S. Immigration Advisory Program, which maintained staff at Madrid-Barajas International Airport. The program allowed coordination between Customs and Border Protection officers, airline security personnel, and police regarding high risk passengers traveling to the United States. Spain continued to roll out an automated system to read EU passports with biometric data. Explosive trace detection equipment was also deployed at Spain's five largest airports at passenger checkpoints. Spanish Airports and Civil Guard participated in an EU-coordinated Liquids and Gels (LAGs) pilot program to test LAGs explosive detection equipment and work toward the development of implementation metrics. Spain continued to utilize a network of radar stations, known as the Integrated External Surveillance System, along its maritime borders. Spain maintained its participation in the Megaports and Container Security Initiatives. In September, the Civil Guard began integrating Europol information in its fight against terrorism and organized crime. Previously, only the Spanish National Police had access to the Europol data.

As of December, Spanish security forces had arrested a total of five people accused of terrorist ties in 2012:

• On June 26, Spanish National Police in the North African Spanish enclave of Melilla arrested Spanish citizens Rachid Abdellah Mohamed and Nabil Mohamed Chaib, leaders of a violent extremist cell with international connections dedicated to recruiting young Muslims for training in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

• On August 2, in cooperation with international security services, Spanish National Police arrested three suspected AQ activists, Eldar Magomedov, alias "Muslim Dost;" Muhamed Ankari Adamov, a Russian citizen of Chechen origin; and Turkish facilitator Cengiz Yalzin in the largest operation against violent Islamist extremism in Spain in recent years.

In cooperation with international partners, security services also arrested 25 alleged ETA members or associates, including 16 in France and six in other countries. Key raids included:

• On June 28 in London, British Security Forces arrested ETA members Antonio Troitiño Arranz and Ignacio Lerín Sánchez, two of Spain's most wanted terrorists. Troitiño, alias "Antxon," was responsible for 22 murders and had direct connections with ETA's current leadership.

• On July 4, a joint investigation between the Spanish Civil Guard and the French Information Services led to the arrest of Juan María Múgica Dorronsoro, the fourth member of an ETA cell that attempted to assassinate former President José María Aznar in 2001.

• Additional information on arrests of ETA members in 2012 can be found in the report on France in this chapter.

Spanish security forces and Spain's judicial system continued investigations into allegations of ETA training camps in Venezuela and ETA links to Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC) terrorists. In June, the Colombia Prosecutor General's office reported that Colombia had evidence that ETA members trained FARC personnel on the use of sticky bombs to attack former Minister of Justice Fernando Londoño. On October 27, Consuelo Ordóñez, the spokesperson for ETA victims association COVITE, met with Venezuelan retired military official Milton Revilla, who passed her information on links between ETA and the FARC. Spanish National Court prosecutors have asked the investigating judge to demand all documents related to Revilla's information from the Venezuelan justice system.

Countering Terrorist Finance: A longtime member of the Financial Action Task Force, Spain continued to demonstrate leadership in the area of anti-money laundering/combating the financing of terrorism. Spain enacted its current law on Preventing Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism in 2010; the law entered into force immediately. However, implementation of regulations will not be approved until 2013. The regulations will greatly enhance authorities' capacity to counter terrorist financing by placing greater requirements, with stiffer penalties for non-compliance, on financial institutions and other businesses, and by strengthening monitoring and oversight. The government diligently implemented relevant UNSCRs and had the legal authority to impose autonomous designations. For further information on money laundering and financial crimes, we refer you to the 2013 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR), Volume 2, Money Laundering and Financial Crimes: http://www.state.gov/j/inl/rls/nrcrpt/index.htm.

Regional and International Cooperation: Spain is a founding member of the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF), and on July 9-10, hosted the "High Level Conference of Victims of Terrorism." Spain has worked to advance a number of counterterrorism initiatives through the EU, including work with the G-6 and the United States on cyber-crime and countering online radicalization. Spain continued its leadership role in the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism and served as Coordinator of its Implementation and Assessment Group, a working group of technical experts. On May 24, the Spanish National Police and the Civil Guard were awarded the "Outstanding Achievement in the Prevention of Terrorism" Award from the Terrorism Commission of the International Association of Chiefs of Police for their successes against ETA and international terrorist threats.

Spain signed numerous bilateral agreements on police and security force cooperation, including agreements signed January 31 with Serbia, February 18 with Morocco and Jordan, March 3 with Bosnia and Herzegovina, October 21 with Mexico, and October 24 with Croatia. On December 3, Spain issued a joint declaration with Israel to increase bilateral cooperation against organized crime and terrorism. In July, Spain joined Belgium, Italy, Austria, and France in capacity building work in the Sahel to train judges, military personnel, and police officers in the fight against AQ and associated groups, creating specialized groups with participation from Mali, Mauritania, and Nigeria. Seven million euros (US $9,240,000) was obligated to the joint effort, which deployed two retired French police officers to Bamako, Mali and Nouakchott, Mauritania; a Spanish Civil Guard trainer is deployed to Niger.

Countering Radicalization and Violent Extremism: Spain participated in several international meetings focused on countering violent extremism. On July 9-10, Spain hosted a GCTF high-level conference on Victims of Terrorism; attended the December 14 GCTF Ministerial meeting in Abu Dhabi; and committed to send experts to participate in Hedayah, the newly established International Center of Excellence on Countering Violent Extremism. Spain's inter-ministerial CVE working group emphasized the prevention of radicalization and sought to counter radical propaganda both online and in other arenas. In addition to promoting international cooperation on these issues, Spanish efforts to counter radicalization were tied closely to the fight against illegal immigration and the integration of existing immigrant communities. The Spanish government sought the support of civil society and the general public in rejecting violence. In fulfillment of applicable laws, Spanish prisons employed rehabilitation programs designed to achieve the reintegration of inmates into society.