Spain's PM hopes for peace but explosives found

By Staff
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MADRID, Jan 4 (Reuters) Spain's prime minister said today that a deadly ETA car bomb had not dashed his hopes for a negotiated peace in the Basque Country, but his words were quickly followed by the discovery of more hidden explosives.

Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero spoke as he made his first visit to the site of Saturday's bombing, which killed at least one man and forced the Socialist leader to end a peace process on which he had staked significant political capital.

''Here, from the scene of destruction just a few days after this terrible attack, I want to say that my energy and determination to see the end of violence, to reach peace, is even greater,'' Zapatero said, as rescue workers searched for a likely second victim in a wrecked airport car park building.

Just hours later, police said they found 100 kg of ammonal explosives ready for use in a container in the Basque Country town of Atxondo today. They said they suspected it was left there by ETA.

Zapatero's hesitant initial reaction to the blast, in which he was unclear about whether talks were finished or not, and his five-day delay in visiting the bomb site have provided easy targets for the conservative opposition.

Opposition Popular Party (PP) leader Mariano Rajoy, who had opted for the high-risk strategy of opposing peace talks, was photographed at the bomb scene two days ago.

More talks with the guerrillas, who killed over 800 people in four decades of unpopular armed struggle for Basque independence, would now seem unlikely before general elections in early 2008.

SURPRISE VICTOR The dramatic end to the peace talks, just a day after Zapatero made headlines with a public declaration of optimism about the Basque Country, could now make the elections a tougher prospect for the Socialists, some analysts believe.

Not previously regarded as a political heavyweight, Zapatero won election in March 2004 after the PP government was widely judged to have bungled its reaction to Islamist train bombings in Madrid which killed 191 people.

''On the one hand, it's pretty obvious that the bomb and the breaking of the ceasefire is a disaster for Zapatero,'' said Juan Carlos Rodriguez of consultancy Analistas Socio-Politicos.

''But it depends on how people interpret this. They could see it as a failure for the government or just predictable behaviour by terrorists,'' he said, adding he thought the Socialists would still beat the opposition conservative PP.

But, despite buoyant economic growth, the Socialists have only a narrow opinion poll lead over the PP.

Once in office after his surprise win, the new prime minister annoyed opponents with a programme of devolving power to the country's regions and by legalising gay marriage.

''Zapatero was a totally inexperienced leader,'' said an analyst from a Madrid think-tank, who asked not to be named. ''He really felt that he had to make his mark.'' Reuters PB RN2349

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