In 1996 Spanish Popular Party (PP) won that year´s General Elections by a narrow margin after 14 years of socialist rule.
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One of the main messages that the PP consistently sent to the public opinion was that a political regeneration was necessary. This need for regenaration was indeed understood and supported by most well informed Spaniards and apparently was something that José María Aznar was going to tackle at the beginning of the PP´s first time in history political term.
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Aznar was willing to wipe the sewers of the secret service and the Ministry of the Interior and shed some lights in the dark events that occurred during the 14 years of Socialist governments.
He never did so and that was the cause of what has gone on with the PP ever since then, with a very spacial significance in the terrorists attacks of March 11th 2004 that paved the way for a new Socialist era in the elections that took place only three days after (March 14th 2004).
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We shall go through some of the most relevant of those dark events mentioned avobe but first we shall see how Aznar´s first attempts to cleanse the rotten core of the security services where immediately headed off by King Juan Carlos.
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It is a well known fact the disaffection that King Juan Carlos has always had towards José María Aznar which it is in my believe corresponded by Mr. Aznar, and that in my opinion is something that honors him.
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Aznar intended to designate Rafael Arias-Salgado as minister of defense. In Spain the Ministry of Defense is in charge of the secret service (CESID in those years, now known as CNI).
Arias-Salgado was convinced of the need to assist the judiciary by handing the requested classified documents to the courts that were instructing cases of corruption and murder involving the 1982-1996 Socialist Party administration.
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Ex-president Felipe González who had just lost against his most hated adversary could be brought to trial before a court to face charges of state terrorism. Mr. Gozález, nowadays a really wealthy man that works for tycoons such as Carlos Slim or tyrants as King Mohamed VI of Morocco among others, could not tolarate such humiliation and talked to his good mate and friend King Juan Carlos to convice his Majesty of the need to stop the little moustache guy (Aznar) from designating Rafael Arias-Salgado and to appoint someone more docile in the Defense Ministry.
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No doubt King Juan Carlos was easily convinced of the need to stop Aznar in this one since he knew that the secret service had abundant information about some not too clear royal deeds and despite of enjoying full immunity meaning that he cannot be judged under any circumstances, airing out some of Juan Carlos deeds could damage the Kings unrealistic image of a matey and hartey fellow that still most Spaniards have about the King.
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The pressure applied on Aznar had to be really big and probably the conversation turned to the "raison d´etat" to convince Aznar that prosecuting an ex-President could end up being bad for the democracy and the country in general and of course could become a precedent to prosecute other Presidents...
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Aznar gave up and appointed Mr. Eduardo Serra as head of the Ministry of Defense and thus as top responsible of the secret service. Eduardo Serra had already been number two in the Defense Ministry under González socialist administrations and was and is considered one of the Kings´men. No single paper was sent to any court from the CESID headquarters.
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Mr. Jorge Dezcallar was also imposed as Director of the CESID to make sure that all was "under the right" control.
The secret services must be under control of course, but under the control of the government and the parliament not under the control of an "establishment" that wants to thrive and keep its "businesses" unknown to the public opinion as much as possible.
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To know the skope of the things that this "establishment" wanted, and wants, to keep under lock simply highlight some facts: a minister of Interior during the Gonzalez administrations, Mr José Barrionuevo, was convicted and jailed on charges of supporting and funding state terrorism and a General Director of Guardia Civil, Mr. Luis Roldán, ran away after plundering huge amounts of money intended for the security of this prestigious police force (barracks, equipment, etc).
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Luis Roldán was later captured in a yet unexplained operation in Laos (it was not Laos at the end) that we may try to explain some day in this blog.
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Basically the Aznar Administrations from 1996 to 2004 were infiltrated with the royal acknowledgment by numerous elements loyal to the socialists and willing to keep all the accumulated dirt under lock as well as to provide the PSOE (socialist party) constant and relevant information on inteligence matters while they were in the opposition. These elements always kept the PSOE socialist aparatchick on the loop and according to many people in Spain were responsible by act or by omission of the terrorist attack in Madrid in March 2004
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Jorge Dezcallar played a very important role and paid a very important service to his mentors in the clue days between the 11th and the 14th of March of 2004. After the terrorist attack he spoke 7 times to Mrs. Ana Palacio (Foreign Affairs Minister in those days) who was in talks with the UN Security Council in order to issue a statement against the terrorist group ETA.
According to Mrs Ana Palacios, Mr Dezcallar told her the night of the 12th of March:
"In these attacks there is what we call noise in the system. [...] I can assure you that I have spoken to all the major intelligence services and no one has heard any noise on this particular attack." assuming that what he had told her 7 times before (that the attack came from ETA non controlled elements and not islamic terrorist) was right.
By doing this Mr. Dezcallar paid a very important service to his mentors by misinforming the government and providing, as many people suspect, intelligence to the PSOE that they used in the 3 days after the attack and before the general elections.
Dezcallar services were praised by the socialist Zapatero administration and he was appointed ambassador to the Holy See and is currently Spain´s ambassador to the USA. Not too bad for the person who apparently knew nothing of what was going on...only apparently.
Also Dezcallar name´s appears as a candidate to become the new Chief of the "Royal House". This position is obviously only for those most trusted by the King. Isn´t it amusing?
End of part 1
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