World's Most Wanted Female Terrorist

Wanted by Spain for Terrorism

October 14, 2009

WORLD NEWS -- The world's most wanted female terrorist, Maite Aranalde, is the subject of a Europe-wide manhunt. The Criminal Court of Spain immediately issued a National Warrant for Aranalde's arrest after she failed to report for her first scheduled court appearance on August 29, 2009.

On August 25, 2009, Aranalde was extradited from France on a charge of illicit possession of weapons and explosives with the intent of committing terrorist acts. Additionally, the charge of possessing explosives is related to her involvement with an ETA-support group "K-Zelatun talde," which supports the terrorist cell, "commando Donosti." The mujer terrorista, Aranalde is also suspected of participating with the terrorist cell in the planting of bombs in various petrol-stations in Madrid on December 3, 2004. However, the French Supreme Court did not extradite her under the charges filed against her in Spain, which means under the European extradition treaty she could not be criminally processed until the proper French extradition charges were obtained. Furthermore, within the week of her return to Spain, Aranalde was released from the Soto del Real prison in Madrid on bail of 12,000 euros. By the beginning of the following week, Maite Aranalde was on the run with another outstanding warrant for her capture and arrest.

Maite Aranalde was initially arrested in 2005, in Cap d'Agde, near Montpellier, France during a joint operation between the Spanish police and the French national anti-terrorist division. During the arrest phase of the operation, Maite Aranalde, Iñaki Arietaleaniz Tellería and Haymar Altuna Ijurco were arrested in an apartment allegedly planning a series of terrorist attacks. Among evidence seized in the raid of the apartment was a pistol with ammo, chemicals, license plates and counterfeit identification of the Spanish Civil Guard and the Basque Autonomous Police. Eventually, in June 2008, Aranalde was sentenced eight years in prison after being convicted in a Paris Court for criminal association with terrorist intent, possession of a firearm with ammunition, and counterfeit documents.

The following video provided to the media by the Press Office of the National Police shows Maite Aranadale's arrival in Spain on August 25, 2009.

Our world's most wanted feme terrorista, Maite Aranalde was born in Ibarra, a village located in the Gipuzkoa, a province of the Basque Country of Spain. Basque Country or Euskadi is an autonomous community in northern Spain located in the Basque mountains, a transitional range between the Cantabrian mountains and the Pyrenees mountains. Euskadi also borders France on its northeastern tip. The ethnic group of people known as Basques or "Euskotarrak," are indigenous inhabitants to this region and have a strong ethnic identity through cultural, linguistic, religious, and other behavioral traits. Over time this ethnicity led some Euskotarrak to advocate a return to traditional cultural ways, therefore, in 1959, the Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA) translating to "Basque Homeland and Freedom" was organized. However, this organization quickly evolved into armed paramilitary nationalist and separatist organization with a Marxist-Leninist perspective goal for independence from Spain. Therefore, throughout her life, Maite Aranalde, along with a small group of other Euskotarrak have been heroically influenced by this organization.

Evidence to this ETA influence can be seen by Aranalde's arrival in her home town of Ibarra. The following video shows supporters cheering the mujer terrorista arrival.

Maite Aranalde is ETA involvement criminally manifested on December 03, 2004, when five petrol stations in the Spanish Capitol of Madrid were bombed after police received a telephoned warning from the ETA. According to a police spokesperson, the blasts caused no injuries and the targeted areas where evacuated before the detonation of the explosives. Witnesses described the blasts to have been small caused by bombs placed in trash bins. The blasts came as hundreds of thousands of Madrid residents were traveling out of town for December 6th official Constitutional holiday. Spain's traffic department said four major roads out of the city were blocked. Aranalde is believed to have actively participated as a coconspirator in this terrorist attack.

Notwithstanding, ETA's weak attack on the petrol stations, the terrorist organization should not be underrated. ETA is responsible for the death of more than 828 individuals including women and children as well as undertaken dozens of kidnappings. Since 2004, ETA has managed a monthly terrorist attack in the form of improvised explosive devices (IED's) mostly planted as car bombs.

In recent years joint operations of the Spanish police and the French national anti-terrorist division have made numerous arrests of ETA members. Currently, more than 700 members of the organization are incarcerated in prisons in Spain, France, and other countries. Additionally, 13 caches of arms consisting of hundreds of kilos of explosives, 15 actual bombs suitable for car bombings, 18 handguns with thousands of rounds of ammunition were discovered hidden on the French side of the Pyrenees mountains. The munitions are believed to have been cached by ETA for future attacks. Lastly, the group is designated as a terrorist organization by the European Union and the United States.

Maite Aranalde Ijurko is described as:

• Birth Date: September 24, 1982
• Eyes: Brown
• Hair: Brown
• Complexion: light
• Sex: Female
• Race: Hispanic

Maite Aranalde Ijurko has aliases:

• Maite Aranalde
• Maite Ijurko

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Maite Aranalde Ijurko, the world's most wanted female terrorist, should contact their local law enforcement. If in Spain contact La Guardia Civil at 900-100-062.