The gloves are off

Some news from Spain-

MADRID, Spain - Police seized a van packed with explosives in southeastern France, thwarting a Basque separatist attack that was clearly intended to cause casualties, Spain's interior minister said Wednesday.

Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said the group ETA, which has killed more than 800 people since 1968, was planning to stage the attack sometime during Spain's state of the nation parliamentary debate Tuesday and Wednesday.

The location and target of the planned bombing were unknown, he said.

Rubalcaba said police in southeastern France seized the van packed with 310 pounds of chloratite-based explosives and detained three suspected ETA members on Monday.

"Chloratite is an explosive with a short life span. The car was ready to be exploded immediately, yesterday or this morning," he said. "It's pretty obvious they aimed to cause casualties."

Perez Rubalcaba said two detonators were found, though authorities believe only one car bomb was planned.

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ETA, whose name is a Basque-language acronym for Basque Homeland and Freedom, has been waging a campaign for an independent Basque state for nearly 40 years.

The group called off a 15-month cease-fire on June 5 and indicated it would resume attacks. On June 21, police found another car, loaded with 220 pounds of explosives, in southwestern Spain near the Portuguese border.

As I have blogged before, ETA wants victory not compromise. They won't give up till either they goals are achieved, or Spanish authorities exterminate these terrorists.

Prediction- It is only a matter of time before ETA is successful in a bombing attempt.

Linked to- Amboy Times, Big Dog, StikNstein,