Premier Says Ex-Government Erased Data on Madrid Attack

December 14, 2004

Premier Says Ex-Government Erased Data on Madrid Attack
By RENWICK McLEAN

MADRID, Dec. 13 - Prime Minister José Luis Rodguez Zapatero contended Monday that the government of his predecessor erased all of the presidential records related to the March 11 train bombings before leaving office in April.

"There was not a single paper, not a single piece of data in computer form or on paper, absolutely nothing in the executive offices of the presidency because there was a massive erasing," he said during more than 14 hours of testimony before the parliamentary commission investigating the attacks.

Mr. Zapatero appeared to be referring only to files created after the train attacks. But another Spanish official said every file from the previous government's eight years in office had been erased from the hundreds of computers at the presidential complex, known as the Moncloa Palace. "Not a single trace of any files was left behind," the official said. "Zero, nothing."

The cost of the operation, which was performed by a private company, was 1,200 euros, or almost $1,600, according to the official. "They did leave the bill," Mr. Zapatero said.

The destruction of the records was first reported in Monday's issue of Spain's largest daily, El Ps.

It is not clear that the previous government, led by José Maa Aznar of the Popular Party, was under any obligation to pass on the records to its successors. But an aide to Mr. Zapatero said government officials were worried that the destruction of the files might have eliminated evidence relevant to the bombings.

Ángel Acebes, the secretary general of Mr. Aznar's party, said the government had not erased any official documents or anything else that could have been useful to the new government. "If they have proof that any official or administrative documents are missing, it would be nice if they said it, and proved it," he said.

Mr. Zapatero won power in elections held three days after the train attacks, which killed 191 people. He has accused Mr. Aznar's party of manipulating evidence about the attacks for political gain.

Spanish investigators say the bombings were carried out by Islamic militants, but in the days after the attacks, Mr. Aznar's party repeatedly said the prime suspect was ETA, the Basque militant group.

"Today we know objectively that there was never any evidence from the investigation that pointed to ETA, but for three days Spaniards heard that the priority was ETA," Mr. Zapatero said Monday. "That was deception; that was not the truth."

Mr. Aznar and his party fiercely dispute any suggestion that they misled the public, saying that ETA was a logical suspect given its history of terrorist attacks, which have killed more than 800 people since 1968.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/14/international/europe/14spain.html