arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)

A call from the Government

Yesterday 16th March, the Club of Foreign Correspondents in Spain sent a letter to the Government in functions to explain the situation they lived the days after the terrorist attack in Madrid. On 12 March, all foreign correspondents received a call from the Main Directorate of Communication of the Ministry of the Presidency "with the explicit call to tell in our chronicles and diffusions that ETA made the attacks in Madrid".

According to the president of the association, Steven Adolf, when it was asked for the reason of this call, the answer was that "nobody had vindicated the attacks, ETA takes a time in doing it, the explosive one was habitually used by ETA and ETA never warns before their attacks". But "the last reason is not correct and the second one still it comprised in the investigation of the police forces. The call has taken place in the evening, when the police already had in its power the van with a Coran and some videos in arabe , in Alcala de Henares ", explains Adolf in the letter.

And he continues: "The Government must have to inform and can give us his opinions to us. They has not to say how we must write our news ".

The foreign correspondents, who show to their condolence with the victims of the attack and their families and friends, conclude their letter trusting not receiving the future in "this kind of calls".

The Club of Foreign Correspondents groups to 70 correspondents officially credited in Moncloa, representatives of average writings, televisions and radios worldwide, mainly of Europe, the United States and Latin America.

A letter to the Ambassadors of Spain abroad

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ana Palacio, sent on Thursday a letter to the ambassadors of Spain abroad to request them that they defended the hypothesis of the "responsibility" of ETA; Spain also did that a resolution was approved in the UN condemning the Basque organization. The Spanish government had to give explanations, through a letter sent yesterday, to the Security Council.

That day, in Italian television RAI, during the night programme "Porta a porta", the Spanish Embassador in Italy assured absolutly convinced that ETA made tha attack. All journalists there, including the correspondent in Madrid, asked him how he was so sure but he continued explained that ETA was behind Atocha's act.

Spanish National Television (TVE) accused of manipulation

On Monday, some workers of the National Spanish Television (TVE) protested against the treatment of the informations about the terrorist attack in Atocha on 11 March by TVE and specially by its Director, Alfedo Urdaci. Around 60 persons demanded his dimission because "TVE and Urdaci manipulated the information. It was shameful how they treated the information about 11st March".