ETA deny connection to 11-M, Luisa Barrenechea

KVB Tharoor — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 16:15:03 +0100

This judicial week began with the much awaited testimony of three ETA terrorists. Called to the stand by the lawyer of Jamal Zougam (one of the main defendants), the Basque militants were admitted by the judge in accordance with the rights of the defence. Yet Spanish police have never found any evidence linking the Madrid bombings to ETA, a fact further reinforced by Monday's testimonies.

The first came from Irkus Badillo and Gorka Vidal, two ETA separatists known to as members of the notorious "caravan of the death". The pair were arrested on 28 February, 2004 (eleven days before the Madrid bombings) when travelling to Madrid in a van loaded with explosives. According to the defendant Emilio SuÃ¡rez Trashorras, the two Basques were friends of Jamal Ahmidan, "the Chinese". Both witnesses brushed aside such suggestions, declaring sometimes between laughter that they knew nobody involved in the attacks and had no knowledge of the attacks. Vidal drove the point home: "I have nothing to do with 11-M, and nothing to do with Islamists. I don't have to be here".

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ETA deny connection to 11-M, Luisa Barrenechea