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Car bomb in Spain outside Police Barracks, Dozens injured

by albertacowpoke | July 29, 2009 at 03:17 am

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Early Wednesday morning a powerful car bomb exploded in front of a police barracks in Burgos, Spain. The attack was blamed on the Basque separatist group ETA.

There were around 120 people in the barracks and surrounding buildings, a third of whom were children. The Basque Terrorist Group ETA did not call in a warning and therefore the building could not be evacuated.

The barracks houses police officers and their families. 46 people have been slightly injured. 38 of the injured were treated in local hospitals. Many of the injured were Civil Guard police officers and their families.

Members of Spain's paramilitary Civil Guard often live in barracks with their families.

Most of the injuries were from flying glass, and 38 of the wounded were treated in hospitals, the Interior Ministry said. Officials expressed surprise that no one was killed in the blast, which blew off the facade of the building.

The bomb exploded about 4 a.m. local time and left a large crater that filled with water. The car used for the explosion had been displaced about 70 meters.

Some background on Euskadi Ta Askatasuna or ETA

Some background on Basque Nationalism

BURGOS, Spain -- A powerful car bomb exploded early Wednesday outside a barracks housing police officers and their families in this northern Spanish city, slightly injuring 46 people and causing major damage in the area. The attack was blamed on Basque separatist group ETA.

Most of the injuries from the blast were from flying glass, and 38 of the wounded were treated in hospitals, regional ministry representative Miguel Alejo said. Many of the injured were Civil Guard police officers and family members.

The ETA has killed more than 825 people since it launched its campaign in 1968.

Despite a major crackdown by Spanish police, ETA is still an effective force. Spain's government claims after each crackdown that ETA has been decapitated.

Burgos is a regional capitol with many tourist attractions.

ETA has killed more than 825 people since it launched a campaign in 1968 for an independent homeland in Basque region of northern Spain.

Burgos, a regional capital, contains a historic city center and major tourist attractions in a province bordering the Basque region.

It was ETA's eighth attack this year, further proof the militant group is still an active force despite major police crackdowns in Spain and France. Spain's government claims after each ETA arrest, including those of many leaders, that the group has been decapitated, but the attacks have continued.

Members of Spain's paramilitary Civil Guard police force often live in barracks with their spouses and children. The force is chiefly in charge of policing rural areas and guarding official buildings.

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tikun

at 05:08 on July 29th, 2009

No matter how hard the Spanish government tries to appease terrorists the result is always terror. Duh. Do you think they will get it?

albertacowpoke

at 04:57 on July 29th, 2009

Policy of appeasement hasn't worked since Chamberlain and maybe even before.

bettermakings (not verified)

at 06:15 on July 29th, 2009

Have the Basque converted to Islam?

Paschen

at 06:34 on July 29th, 2009

"bettermakings" You are an ... For even thinking such a thing.

Same could be said about Christian and Jewish as well as Buddhist extremism, even National extremist are a threat as bad or worth then any other form of extremism.

The way you are commenting on Postings today "bettermakings" I suppose you are among one of the worth threats around.

Remember the IRA, the RAF and BMG or Timothy McVeigh,

McVeigh was not only a United States Army veteran and security guard who was convicted of bombing the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995, the second anniversary of the Waco Siege, as revenge or to inspire revolt against what he considered a tyrannical federal government. He was also a good Republican and an Extremist Christian.

The bombing killed 168 people, and was the deadliest act of terrorism within the United States prior to the September 11, 2001 attacks. He was convicted of 11 federal offenses, sentenced to death, and executed on June 11, 2001.

bettermakings (not verified)

at 08:10 on July 29th, 2009

I suppose my comment was inappropriate, and you do have a point that nationalist extremists can be dangerous.

I mention Islam only because they use their religion to rationalize their terrorist attacks. Christians like McVeigh are not doing terrorist attacks in the name of any religion; they are done for political reasons, just like the IRA, etc..