VISAS VIPER SUBMISSION

UNCLAS MADRID 001829 SIPDIS VISAS VIPER DEPT FOR CA/VO/L/C AND INR/IC/TIPOFF E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: CVIS KVPR PTER ASEC CMGT PINR PREL LORAN GAFOURKADE, GORKA ET AL) SUBJECT: VISAS VIPER SUBMISSION ¶1. POST WISHES TO SUBMIT AND/OR UPDATE THE FOLLOWING NAMES AND INFORMATION IN CLASS IN ACCORDANCE WITH VIPER PROCEDURES: ¶2. DAILY SPANISH PRESS OF MAY 7, 2005 REPORTED THAT THE SPANISH NATIONAL COURT SENTENCED THE ALLEGED ETA ACTIVISTS REFERENCED BELOW TO 2,775 YEARS OF PRISON FOR PLACING A 28 AND A 25 KILOGRAM-BOMBS ON A TRAIN TO EXPLODE ONCE IT ARRIVED AT MADRID'S CHAMARTIN, RAILWAY STATION ON CHRISTMAS EVE IN 2003. THEY BOTH MANAGED TO PLACE A SUITCASE AND A BACKPACK CONTAINING THE BOMBS AND LATER ABANDONED THE TRAIN. THEY WERE BOTH DETAINED LATER AND THE BOMBS WERE DEACTIVATED. COURT SUMMARY REFUSED DEFENSE ALLEGATIONS AND CONCLUDED THAT ALTHOUGH EXPLOSIVES WERE SET TO EXPLODE AFTER ALL PASSENGERS HAD LEFT THE TRAIN, THE RISK OF AN PREMATURE EXPLOSION WAS HIGH AND WOULD HAVE CAUSED A MASSACRE. ¶3. NAME: LORAN GAFOURKADE, GORKA - GENDER: MALE - DPOB: 25 YEARS OLD, SPAIN - CLASS: POSITIVE ¶4. NAME: ARRUARTE SANTACRUZ, GARIKOITZ - GENDER: MALE - DPOB: 26 YEARS OLD, SPAIN - CLASS: POSITIVE MANZANARES