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French police detain new ETA Mr. Big
French police arrested the suspected military chief and "No. 1 member" of ETA on Monday _ a new blow to the banned Basque militant group just weeks after his alleged predecessor was caught, officials said. Trailed by police, the man identified only as "Balak" and two alleged accomplices _ all armed _ were detained on a street in the southwestern French village of Gerde shortly after nightfall, a French police official.In a statement, French Interior Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said "Balak" appeared to be the new head of ETA's military arm, assuming control after Mikel de Garikoitz Aspiazu, alias Txeroki, was arrested on Nov. 17. In Spain, Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said the arrests Monday followed a joint French-Spanish police operation. He identified the suspect the French authorities called "Balak" as Aitzol Iriondo. "Aitzol Iriondo is presumably Txeroki's substitute," Rubalcaba told reporters in Madrid. "And as such we're talking about the military chief and No. 1 member of the terrorist group ETA." It was not immediately clear why there was an apparent discrepancy between the different names put forward by French and Spanish officials. Rubalcaba said authorities were working to identify the two other suspects. Investigators believe Iriondo was one of three ETA members who participated in the fatal shooting of two Spanish civil guard officers in the southern French town of Capbreton last December, Rubalcaba said. Police investigators were still trying to work out whether Iriondo or Aspiazu was the triggerman for the killing of the two Spanish civil guards, Rubalcaba said. Rubalcaba was clearly emboldened by the recent arrests. "I don't know if any terrorist is at this moment thinking about substituting Iriondo, but we can guarantee you that as we talk we're looking for that person," he said. "And it will go on like this until this finishes." Posted by: Fred 2008-12-09 |
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