ETA car bomb rocks Madrid

A car bomb exploded near Madrid's main convention centre yesterday, wounding 43 people, hours before Spanish and Mexican leaders were due there and after a warning from the Basque separatist group ETA.

The worst blast in the Spanish capital since last year's March 11 al Qaeda train bombings came before King Juan Carlos and Mexican President Vicente Fox were to open the prestigious ARCO art fair at the complex on the outskirts of the city.

Forty-three people were hurt, none seriously, including 24 taken to hospital, an emergencies official said. Six police officers were among those injured.

The explosion, which coincided with a major police crackdown on ETA, seemed to erase any hope the group might declare a truce before Basque regional elections in April.

It also highlighted the security concerns Madrid will have to overcome as it bids to host the 2012 Olympic Games. Several events would be held at the convention centre if it beats Paris, London, New York and Moscow in an Olympic ballot on July 6.

Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, who has said he would pursue even the smallest chance of ending ETA violence, issued a tough response to the bombings.

"I would like to say to the terrorists of ETA and those who support them that there is no place for them in politics or civil society - bombs lead only to prison," Mr Zapatero said during a visit to Warsaw.

Interior Minister Jose Antonio Alonso pledged the government would "continue fighting with all our determination against the terrorists".

The Interior Ministry said 200 police officers took part in a nationwide operation overnight that had smashed ETA's recruitment structure. Fourteen people were arrested.

In Brussels, European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana condemned the attack and said: "We, the Europeans, are all united in the fight against terrorism."

The bomb exploded half an hour after Basque newspaper Gara received a warning call from ETA.

The bomb, in a stolen car, smashed windows and damaged 18 parked cars. It was estimated to contain up to 30 kilogrammes of explosives.

"We heard a huge explosion... Some people were shouting that it was an earthquake, others that it was a bomb," said businessman Paco Astorga, who works in a nearby office building.

"From the window, we saw a column of white smoke... and the police getting people out, some with blood on their faces," Mr Astorga said.

On March 11 last year, 191 people were killed in attacks on trains, days before a general election. Al Qaeda Islamist militants claimed responsibility.

Yesterday's blast came just over a week after Spain's parliament overwhelmingly rejected a plan by Basque premier Juan Jose Ibarretxe for virtual independence from Spain. ETA has voiced opposition to Mr Ibarretxe's plan, saying it did not go far enough.

Mr Ibarretxe, a moderate nationalist, last week announced regional elections for April 17. The government has said Batasuna, banned in 2003 as the political wing of ETA, cannot take part in the polls unless it condemns ETA violence.

The opening of the ARCO art fair yesterday evening was going ahead as planned despite the bombing. Mr Fox said he would visit Atocha, the main Madrid station hit in the March 11 attacks, yesterday "as a symbol of our total commitment in the fight against terrorism".