The powerful car-bomb detonated by ETA in Bilbao early yesterday morning caused no serious physical injuries. The political damage, however, is likely to be significant. Since ETA ended its 18-month ceasefire last December, the group has pursued a variety of targets, with a single objective. ETA's strategy is to drive an ever-deeper wedge between moderate Basque nationalists and the mainstream Spanish political parties.
Its victims have included public representatives both of the ruling Partido Popular, and the main opposition grouping, the Spanish Socialist Party. ETA has also killed an army officer and a journalist. Yesterday's bomb was directed, according to phone calls claiming to represent ETA, against the Basque "financial oligarchy". The leafy suburb of Neguri, where ETA's white Mercedes exploded, is home to some of the wealthiest families in the region. Most of them support the Partido Popular.
Unusually for ETA, warnings were given, which minimised casualties to minor injuries. Random victims in the Basque Country, who might be nationalists themselves, would be less acceptable to ETA supporters than civilian deaths in Madrid or Saville.
The attack comes only three days after a crisis meeting between the Spanish Prime Minister, Mr Jose Maria Aznar, and the Basque Nationalist Premier, Mr Juan Jose Ibarretxe. The encounter produced only furious recriminations from both sides. Mr Aznar accuses Mr Ibarretxe of having moved into ETA's camp by pushing the demand for Basque sovereignty.
Mr Ibarretxe said Mr Aznar refuses to recognise any political dimension to the Basque conflict, treating it purely as a terrorist problem. Many observers believe that ETA actually wants the PP to win the next regional elections in the Basque Country, an unprecedented result which might well shift moderate nationalists closer to ETA's radical position.
Yesterday's bomb was clearly designed to further polarise this intractable conflict .