SPAIN/ETA: FALSE ALARM AT IBIZA AIRPORT

UNCLAS MADRID 001291 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER PGOV SP SUBJECT: SPAIN/ETA: FALSE ALARM AT IBIZA AIRPORT ¶1. (U) Spanish media outlets reported on June 30 that a bomb threat was called in by a member of the Basque terrorist group ETA to the Basque publication "Gara" warning of an explosive device at the airport on the Spanish island of Ibiza, a big international tourist destination. ETA frequently uses Gara as a conduit to advise Spanish authorities that the group has placed a bomb in a specific location. According to Spanish police, no bomb was actually found, but as a result of the false alarm, 4,000 people were evacuated from the airport after a suspicious package was found by security officials. Some witnesses told police that they heard a loud explosion, but police said that the noise had been created by a robot used to defuse bombs. ¶2. (U) The reaction of Spanish security officials to the bomb threat exhibits the high state of alert in Spain after ETA broke its "permanent" ceasefire in early June. June 30 marked the first official day of the summer holiday travel season, and a total of 13,000 passengers were reportedly affected by the hoax. The situation was resolved quickly and after three hours Ibiza officials reopened the airport. Some Spanish authorities speculate that ETA will not resort to fatal attacks, but instead will target the tourism industry in an attempt to exact maximum damage to the Spanish economy during the height of the tourist season. AGUIRRE