Spain: The Government denounced the lack of cooperation of the Government of Rajoy in the fight against terrorism

The dispute between the Government and the central government has control of the fight against terrorism in Catalonia remains for years, but in recent months had worsened, with the Government accusing the Executive of Rajoy to veto necessary measures to ensure safety in an alert situation after 4 and proliferation of jihadist attacks against European resorts.

The tension became rifirrafe in June, when the ERC spokesman in the Congress of Deputies, Gabriel Ruffian, asked the new interior minister, Juan Ignacio Zoido to resign "by wretched and irresponsible", after opposing the call for 500 new spaces Mossos d'Esquadra and refuse to accept the call of the Security Board of Catalonia, initially set by the president Carles Puigdemont for July 3, after eight years without meeting.

Zoido argued that the five hundred new mossos was a unilateral decision of the Government that "has far exceeded the rate fixed reset", but the fact is that according to the 2006 agreement between the government and the Generalitat, the Mossos d ' Esquadra should have 1,500 agents today with more than currently available. Because Zoido's predecessor, Jorge Fernandez Diaz, also froze the expansion of the Catalan police force.

Interior Minister also said that "the Conference of Presidents last January, which was not attended by any representative of Catalunya, the Prime Minister and the presidents of the different autonomous communities were addressing this issue and agreed that under the public offer of employment will proceed to the analysis of the different needs in priority sectors of the autonomous communities, especially in security. " So Zoido argued: "Lord Ruffian, is that nobody came here to learn what is what they had to do."

Regarding the Safety Board determined by Puigdemont, Zoido also claimed that it was a unilateral decision and said he could not attend on the date set I had a meeting "with three interior ministers of neighboring countries."

Rajoy awarded the PNV integrating the Ertzaintza in the same anti-terrorist agencies which ask to enter the Mossos years

However, shortly before the collision Ruffian-Zoido, the Government of Rajoy had indeed held the Safety Board Euskadi -after five years without reunirse- to integrate the Ertzaintza in the Intelligence Center against Terrorism and Organized Crime ( CITCO), as well as access to the Basque Police early warning system and European police information (EUROPOL, SIENA, Sirene). Precisely what the Mossos and the Parlament de Catalunya have spent years claiming.

That unfairness , executed no doubt to reward the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) for their support to the investiture of Rajoy further incensed the Govern, the Mossos and even the unions of the Catalan police. Spokeswoman majority union body (SAP-Fepol), Imma Viudes, told public that they were being "used as a political weapon" and that the veto Zoido to hiring 500 more agents was a "clear retaliation" against Generalitat by the announcement of a referendum on independence for October 1.

Viudes even claimed that the Mossos were not able to "ensure security" because the lack of effective means they can not meet the number of service hours required for the fight against terrorism.

Something very serious in a community where 37% of all arrests of Islamic extremists in Spain, although it has only 16% of the Spanish population is made.

A Mossos are denied access to Interpol data

In the first meeting with Zoido, following his appointment in November, the Minister of Interior of the Generalitat, Jordi Jané, he asked the Mossos be incorporated "fully as an integral police" all law enforcement agencies, starting with the CITCO, in which only they have been incorporated -from May this year in its assessment table. In fact, the Mossos are denied for years to access to Interpol data, and exchange of information with police forces from other countries.

Just a month ago, the Minister Jané had dinner with a senior team Rajoy to express concern about the blockade which, in the opinion of the Government, he was submitting Interior regarding anti-terrorism planning, as has been told Public. A concern heightened by warnings and threats received recently by the Catalan Government.

He said yesterday  El Periodico de Catalunya , the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) warned two months ago that Spain Barcelona, specifically Las Ramblas, was one of the targets of jihadism. Warning reaffirmed on 30 July when a Twitter account associated with the Islamic State announced an imminent attack in Al Andalus (the Spanish territories were dominated by Islam): "We will implement the Caliphate in Spain and we will regain our Earth. Imminent attack in Al Andalus. If Allah wills. "

Barcelona has long been marked as a prime target for Islamist terrorism

In fact, Barcelona has long been marked as a prime target for Islamist terrorism and since 2009 the US consulate in the city installed an aerial espionage in which several agencies are involved with the mission to serve as a basis for antiyihadista intelligence in the Mediterranean Western. Two years earlier, then-US Ambassador Eduardo Aguirre, had said in a report leaked by Wikileaks:

"The Spanish and US authorities have identified Catalonia as a major Mediterranean center of activity of radical Islamists. The high immigration, both legal and illegal, from North Africa (Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria), as well as Pakistan and Bangladesh ago this region a magnet for recruiting terrorists. "

After intense pressure from the Government, Zoido finally went to the Safety Board Catalunya, on 10 July, and agreed to integrate the Mossos d'Esquadra in  the CITCO -directed by José Luis Olivera, former head of the UDEF-  and evaluation Board terrorist risk. However, it remained pending integration of the Mossos in Siena exchange system Europol European police information which also claims the Generalitat.

Zoido simply announce the creation of a working group to explore the possibility of participating in the system Mossos exchange of police information Europol.

In practice, the integration of the Mossos in the antiterrorist system is only a "compromise"

As has passed a little over a month midsummer, from that agreement, in practice little progress it has been made in the integration of the Mossos with antiterrorist structure and resources of Interior, according to several testimonies collected by Public. The Ruffian itself states that the agreement of July 10 is not at the moment more than a "commitment" not materialized, and other spokesmen for Catalan political parties admit they do not know if was paid.

According to the spokesman PDeCAT in the Committee on Internal Congress, Sergi Miquel, "the Mossos are not yet within the antiterrorist system Interior. They are invited to some meetings to assess the level of terror alert and the day the Board met Safety something was agreed to a working group within the framework of the Board "

In fact, Rajoy called the Mossos to cabinet government crisis created after the attack on the Ramblas, according to sources of the Generalitat, while in the coordination meeting of the Mossos other representatives of the National Police and the Guardia were present Civil.

http://www.publico.es/politica/atentado-ramblas-generalitat-denuncio-cooperacion-gobierno-rajoy-lucha-antiterrorista.html