Originally published Friday, August 8, 2008 at 12:00 AM
Police defuse three bombs in French tourist towns
Bombs found at tourist areas in south of France; Basque separatists suspected to be responsible
PARIS — Bomb squads defused three explosive devices today that were planted at tourist areas in France's southwest Basque region on the Atlantic coast, officials said.
Rescue services received an anonymous phone call before dawn, warning that bombs had been left at five tourist sites in the Basque region near France's border with Spain. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
Basque separatist group ETA, however, has been fighting since 1968 for an independent Basque homeland in northern Spain and southwestern France. But the group's bombs have generally targeted the Basque region in Spain, not France.
About 1,200 people were evacuated from the sites — the casino in Biarritz, a hotel in Bidarray, vacation villages in Arcangues and Anglet, and a high-speed train route between the towns of Ondres and Boucau.
A search turned up three explosive devices, the prefecture said. Bomb squads defused one at the vacation village in Arcangues and another targeting the rail line in Ondres. Another bomb was found at a site not mentioned by the caller — Arcangues' tourism office. It was defused as well.
The prefecture said police did not find two other devices mentioned by the caller and that authorities would remain cautious until they determined all the bombs had been found.
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
NEW - 11:33 AM
Get ready for Thanksgiving flight delays, thanks to New York
UPDATE - 12:30 PM
Biofuel used on Boeing 747 flight
Thanksgiving travel plans expected to grow slightly
Ask Travel: A free day in Prague

Real Salt Lake wins MLS Cup
Real Salt Lake defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy with penalty kicks after 120 minutes of play at Qwest Field in Seattle.
general classifieds
Garage & estate salesFurniture & home furnishings
Sporting goods
just listed
8 Drawer Dresser with Attached Mirror - $200
8 seat pecon formal dining table and china hutch - $1500
A American Table, Chairs and Bench - $275
More listings
POST A FREE LISTING
shopping
Give yourself a treat and visit Watson Kennedy's Holiday Open Houses
More minding the store
events for Monday, Nov. 23
- Contractors equipment and vehicle auction
- Pitch Black Weekend Sale at Mapel
- Karan Dannenberg Clothier Black Friday Sale
- Dish It Up! Totally Truffles
editors' picks
More shopping guides- 'The Road' takes Viggo Mortensen to Mount St. Helens and Astoria, Ore.
- Tugboat sinks at Seattle waterfront pier
- Illegal workers quietly let go
- Child-support error costs nearly $21,000
- Vikings easily beat the Seahawks
- Craigslist adoption ad: A plea by young mother-to-be? A scam?
- Chase shrugs off loss of CD investors
- Woman stabbed by stranger in North Seattle
- Snow piles up on Cascade slopes
- Denny Triangle gains skyline, but tenants slow to come
- Illegal workers quietly let go
326 - Climate change speeds up since 1997 Kyoto accord
200 - Vikings easily beat the Seahawks
170 - Metro won't cut bus service after all
135 - Historic health care bill clears Senate hurdle
93 - Tattoos at Mill Creek Church pierce skin, soul
78 - New Husky recruit: Enes Kanter
75 - Jerry Brewer: Seahawks can't lean on the Hutch Crutch now
69 - UW, WSU once again meet to see who's worse
64 - Ranking the Pac
53
- Sprouts, raw fish on attorney's 'do not eat' list
- Tattoos at Mill Creek church pierce skin, soul
- Illegal workers quietly let go
- Food-safety lawyer's wish: Put me out of business
- Rediscovering Moab, 'the most beautiful place on Earth'
- It's possible to recover a life lost to hoarding
- Child-support error costs nearly $21,000
- Architects, chefs find 'kid' within to build Gingerbread Village
- 'The Road' takes Viggo Mortensen to Mount St. Helens and Astoria, Ore.
- Taste | The Great Pie Bake-off pits friends and fruit

