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  Lopez Pena Captured: Basque Terrorist Arrested in France Is ETA Leader

Lopez Pena Captured Basque Terrorist Arrested in France Is ETA Leader

Spanish officals have confirmed that one of the suspected Basque terrorists arrested in France on Tuesday is thought to be the leader of ETA. The joint operation involving French and Spanish police is being hailed as a success in counter-terrorist cooperation.

He has been on the run for a quarter of a century, but the authorities finally caught up with Basque terrorist leader Javier Lopez Pena. The 49-year-old was detained in a joint raid involving French and Spanish police in France on Tuesday night. On Wednesday Spanish officials announced that he is the presumed head of ETA, the terrorist group that has been fighting for a separate Basque nation for decades.

The police carried out a sweep of an apartment in the western city of Bordeaux late on Tuesday night, arresting Lopez Pena, known as "Thierry," as well as three other people, who have since been named as Ainhao Zaeta Mendiondo, Igor Suberbiola and Jon Salabierra. The four suspects were brought back to the apartment on Wednesday, and as they passed reporters they shouted "Long live ETA," and "Long live the free Basque country."

While the three other detainees had their heads covered, Lopez Pena was unmasked. He told reporters: "I denounce the situation in the Basque country."

Two more people were arrested on Wednesday. One is the former mayor of the Basque town of Andoain; the other is a French citizen linked to the property in Bordeaux.

During Tuesday night's raid the police discovered four handguns and found two stolen cars with false license plates parked nearby.

Spanish Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba praised the arrests, saying that Lopez Pena was "in all probability the person with the most political and military weight" in ETA. He told reporters: "This is a very important operation because it involves very important leaders, so it should have a big effect." French Interior Minister Michele Alliot Marie also praised the joint operation, saying Lopez Pena was an "historic figure."

Spanish police suspect that Pena has been head of ETA since 2006 when the group ended a ceasefire and suspended peace talks with the government. He is being investigated for his possible involvement in the Madrid Airport bombing in December 2006, which killed two people.

Since then ETA has carried out more than 20 attacks. The most recent fatal attack was last Wednesday when a car bomb wrecked a police barracks killing one officer. However, security officials believe ETA's strength has actually waned, particularly following the arrest of a large group of leaders in 1992. The group has killed more than 800 people in its four-decade campaign for Basque independence. However, polls show that most Basques, who have their own regional government, do not want independence and do not support ETA's campaign of violence.

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