26 February 2002

Fact Sheet on Treasury"s Freezing Assets of Basque Terrorists

The United States has frozen assets of 21 people associated with the Basque terrorist organization ETA, Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill announced February 26 in remarks to U.S. Customs Service employees in Jacksonville, Florida.

Following is the text of a Treasury Department fact sheet offering background on the Spain-based ETA and listing the names of the 21 people identified as specially designated global terrorists (SDGTs) because of their involvement with ETA:

"Our crackdown on terrorists is blind to nationality and origin. Rather, it's a net that is being cast on all terrorist parasites that threaten our allies and our national security. By taking this action we join many nations to act forcefully against such terrorists." -- Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill, February 26, 2002

Basque Fatherland and Liberty, also known as Euzkadi Ta Askatasuna, also known as ETA (hereinafter "ETA"), was founded in 1959 with the aim of establishing an independent homeland based on Marxist principles in the northern Spanish provinces of Vizcaya, Guipuzcoa, Alava, and Navarra and the southwestern French departments of Labourd, Basse-Navarra, and Soule. Its terrorist activities consist primarily of bombings and assassinations of Spanish Government officials, especially security and military forces, politicians, and judicial figures. ETA finances its activities through kidnappings, robberies, and extortion. The group has killed more than 800 persons since it began lethal attacks in the early 1960s. In November 1999, ETA broke its "unilateral and indefinite" cease-fire and began an assassination and bombing campaign that killed 23 individuals and wounded scores more by the end of 2000.

ETA's current strength is unknown, though it may have hundreds of members, plus supporters. It operates primarily in the Basque autonomous regions of northern Spain and southwestern France, but also has bombed Spanish and French interests elsewhere. ETA has received training at various times in the past in Libya, Lebanon, and Nicaragua. Some ETA members allegedly have received sanctuary in Cuba while others reside in South America. ETA also appears to have ties to the Irish Republican Army through the two groups' legal political wings.

ETA was designated by the U.S. Government as a Foreign Terrorist Organization ("FTO") on October 8, 1997, and has been re-designated every two years, most recently on October 5, 2001. On October 31, 2001, ETA was also designated by the U.S. Government as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist ("SDGT") under the President's September 23, 2001, Executive Order 13224 blocking property and prohibiting transactions with persons who commit, threaten to commit, or support terrorism. Based on information provided by the Spanish government, the Department of the Treasury is designating 21 individuals as ("SDGT") pursuant to Executive Order 13224. The 21 individuals are members of, assist in, sponsor, or provide financial, material, or technological support for, or financial or other services to or in support of ETA's acts of terrorism, and are otherwise believed to be acting for or on behalf of. These individuals were designated by the European Union on December 27, 2001, for their involvement in terrorist acts.1

1 EU Council Common Position of 27 December 2001 on the application of specific measures to combat terrorism (2001/931/CFSP)

Individuals Designated by the Department of Treasury

February 26, 2002

Abaunza Martinez, Javier DOB 01 January 1965; POB Guernica (Vizcaya), Spain D.N.I. 78.865.882

Alberdi Uranga, Itziar DOB 7 October 1963; POB Durango (Vizcaya), Spain D.N.I. 78.865.693

Alcalde Linares, Angel DOB 2 May 1943; POB Portugalete (Vizcaya), Spain D.N.I. 15.390.353

Albisu Iriarte, Miguel DOB 7 June 1961; POB San Sebasti�� (Guizp��oa), Spain D.N.I. 15.954.596

Arzallus Tapia, Eusebio DOB 8 November 1957; POB Regil (Guip��coa), Spain D.N.I. 15.927.207

Elcoro Ayastuy, Paulo DOB 22 October 1973; POB Vergara (Guip��coa), Spain D.N.I. 15.394.062

Figal Arranz, Antonio Agust�� DOB 2 December 1972; POB Baracaldo (Vizcaya), Spain D.N.I. 20.172.692

Gogeascoechea Arronategui, Eneko DOB 29 April 1967; POB Guernica (Vizacaya), Spain D.N.I. 44.556.097

Goiricelaya Gonzalez, Cristina DOB 23 December 1967; POB Vergara (Guip��coa), Spain D.N.I. 16.282.556

Iparraguirre Guenechea, Maria Soledad DOB 25 April 1961; Escoriaza (Guip��coa), Spain D.N.I. 16.255.819

Morcillo Torres, Gracia DOB 15 March 1967; POB San Sebasti�� (Guip��coa), Spain D.N.I. 72.439.052

M��ica Go��, Ainhoa DOB 27 June 1970; POB San Sebasti�� (Guip��coa), Spain D.N.I. 34.101.243

Mu��a Ordozgoiti, Alo�� DOB 6 July 1976; POB Segura (Guip��coa), Spain D.N.I. 35.771.259

Narvaez Go��, Juan Jes�� DOB 23 February 1961; POB Pamplona (Navarra), Spain D.N.I. 15.841.101

Olarra Guridi, Juan Antonio DOB 11 September 1967; POB San Sebasti�� (Guip��coa), Spain D.N.I. 30.084.504

Orbe Sevillano, Zigor DOB 22 September 1975; POB Basauri (Vizcaya), Spain D.N.I. 45.622.851

Otegui Unanue, Mikel DOB 8 October 1972; POB Itsasondo (Guip��coa), Spain D.N.I. 44.132.976

Perez Aramburu, Jon I��ki DOB 18 September 1964; POB San Sebasti�� (Guip��coa), Spain D.N.I. 15.976.521

Saez de Eguilaz Murguiondo, Carlos DOB 9 December 1963; POB San Sebasti�� (Guip��coa), Spain D.N.I. 15.962.687

Uranga Artola, Kemen DOB 25 May 1969; POB Ondarroa (Vizcaya), Spain D.N.I. 30.627.290

Vila Michelena, Ferm�� DOB 12 March 1970; POB Ir�� (Guip��coa), Spain D.N.I. 15.254.214