Secret life of Cambridge suspect accused of plot to kill Spain's king

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: The Independent

Eneko Gogeaskoetxea, 44, was arrested at 8.55am yesterday in an armed raid on a rented house in Cambridge where he had lived "for several years" under the alias Cyril Macq.

Neighbours described the married father-of-two as a "regular dad" and committed member of Cambridge Squash Club, where he served as club secretary. But the European warrant for his arrest paints a different picture – that of a hard-line member of Basque separatist group Eta who was behind a botched attempt to kill King Carlos of Spain at Bilbao's Guggenheim Museum in 1997.

Westminster Magistrates Court yesterday heard how the plot was to launch long-range grenade launchers at the king but he was spotted by police in the museum's gardens filling a window box with ammunition.

When they moved in to arrest him, the explosives expert pulled out a hand gun and shot dead a policeman before engaging officers in a shoot-out through the streets of Bilbao.

Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/secret-life-of-cambridge-suspect-accused-of-plot-to-kill-spains-king-2308890.html

---

They arrested his brother last year; I wonder if they traced him through that.

[Xipe Totec]

1. ¡rediez! nt

[No Elephants]

2. Not sure what assassinating the King would do for this guy's cause.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. A lot or terrorists aren't thinking rationally

By the stage they get to convincing themselves killing is an acceptable tactic, it can be as much about 'revenge' for the wrongs they think they've suffered. So they just attack symbols of the state they're fighting. Or they think the opponents are 'soft', and will prefer to give in rather than continue the conflict.

A bit of basic history would tell them that attacks on people who aren't directly responsible for arrests, killings etc. tend to unite a public that might otherwise be apathetic.

[provis99]

4. heck, the King isn't even really Spanish; the royal family is German in origin.

Just like most other royal families in Europe.