Today the US and the EU announce that we have taken joint blocking action on a list of terrorists and their supporters.
The EU list -- made up of 18 terrorists and terrorist groups - includes such egregious organizations as Al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya, a radical Islamic organization that launched a wave of terrorist attacks against tourist sites in Egypt, such as the killing of 58 foreign tourists at Luxor in November 1997. Also included in today's action were two extremist groups that have terrorized Turkey for decades and the Shining Path, the militant Maoist terrorist group that has plagued Peru since the 1980s.
The United States has taken action against eight of these groups previously, and we are very pleased to join the EU to act against eight more today.
Today's coordinated blocking action is the result of close cooperation with our European allies -- a collaboration that symbolizes an extremely important chapter in the financial war against terrorism.
The United States wholeheartedly welcomes this international cooperation. It is our hope that other governments and multilateral bodies will continue to take the lead in identifying terrorists and their supporters, so that together the civilized world can shut down their organizations and eradicate their sources of support.
In December 2001, the EU designated 42 terrorist entities and organizations, including extremist groups who threaten peace in Europe. The United States was pleased to follow the EU's lead and designate six entities not already subject to Executive Order 13224. As part of the initiative lead by the EU, we thereafter designated 21 individuals pursuant to Executive Order 13224, who assist in, sponsor, or provide financial or other services to or in support of acts of terrorism in Europe. On March 11, 2002, the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia jointly blocked the assets of two overseas branches of a Saudi-based charity. On April 19th, the G-7 countries took the first multilateral joint action by designating nine terrorists and terrorist financiers and one entity that support al-Qaida. With today's action, we have taken yet another step, along with our European partners, in our quest to dismantle all groups that sponsor acts of terror in every part of the world.
Today's action will block all assets the eight entities listed below have in the United States and prohibits any financial interaction between U.S. persons and these entities and individuals.
These individuals and this organization the US designated today have acted for or on behalf of ETA, also known as the Basque Fatherland and Liberty.
Today's designation is particularly timely, as ETA is the prime suspect in two powerful car bombings that exploded in Madrid Wednesday, May 1, 2002. Unidentified callers, claiming to be spokesmen for ETA warned a radical Basque newspaper and ambulance services in Madrid of the location of the bombs.
The United States Department of State previously designated ETA as a "foreign terrorist organization," our government's gravest categorization.
ETA, established in 1959, seeks the creation of an independent state comprising the Basque regions of both Spain and France. ETA's first victim was a police chief, killed in June 1968, and its terrorist campaign has continued since then. Since then the group has engaged in an intense campaign of bombing and shooting directed mainly at political and security force targets. ETA has killed over 800 people and carried out about 1,600 terrorist attacks since it was formed.
The simultaneous blocking of the assets of these individuals and entity by the US and the EU demonstrates the broad international commitment to choke off the sources of financing for terrorist acts.
The organization Askatasuna is an ETA front whose actions are controlled by ETA to complement and support ETA militants. Askatasuna acts as a conduit for communications between imprisoned ETA members and the ETA leadership and provides funds to imprisoned ETA activists.
Seven individuals are being designated for their support and activities on behalf of ETA. Arrest warrants in Spain based on charges of terrorism have been issued against all seven of them:
- Ivan Apaolaza Sancho, D.N.I. 44.129.178, joined the "K. Madrid" cell of ETA in 1999. Active participant in various terrorist actions, including placing several car bombs in Madrid.
- Ismael Berasategui Escudero, D.N.I. 15.379.555, is a member of the "K. Behorburu" cell of ETA. He has participated in numerous terrorist acts, including placing a car bomb in Malaga's Airport, placing a car bomb outside Cala Font Hotel in Salou, Tarragona, and placing a car bomb in a terminal of Barajas's Airport in Madrid.
- Lexuri Gallastegui Sodupe, D.N.I. 16.047.113, joined the "K. Madrid" cell of ETA in 2000. She has taken an active role in collecting information on politicians, judges and other officials for future terror attacks. Sodupe is the second woman to be placed on the terrorist financing executive order.
- Gorka Palacios Alday, D.N.I. 30.654.356, joined the "K. Madrid" cell of ETA in 1999 and has participated in various terrorist acts including placing several car bombs in Madrid.
- Asier Quintana Zorrozua, D.N.I. 30.609.430, joined the "K. Madrid" cell of ETA in 2000 and has participated in various terrorist acts including several car bombings in Madrid.
- Juan Luis Rubenach Roig, D.N.I. 18.197.545, participated with the "K. Madrid" cell of ETA since 1999 in various terrorist acts, including placing several car bombs in Madrid.
- Manex Zubiaga Bravo, D.N.I. 16.064.664, joined the "K. Madrid" cell of ETA in 2001 and has participated in placing a car bomb in Madrid.
Including today's designation, the Department of Treasury has blocked the assets of 210 entities and individuals. 161 countries and jurisdictions have taken concrete action to block the assets of these groups and individuals and $116 million has been frozen worldwide. $34 million of that has been blocked domestically in the United States with the remaining $82 million blocked by our international partners.
