Spanish police clamped a ring of steel around Barcelona yesterday paralysing much of the city. Thousands of extra riot police, F-18 fighters and warships were called in to protect EU leaders at tomorrow's summit from possible Islamist and Basque terrorists.
City authorities warned of tailbacks stretching up to 100 km on some approach roads into Barcelona after an area of the city was shut off to all but summit delegates. Traffic was restricted on the routes to be used by the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, and other visiting leaders.
Spain has also temporarily suspended its membership of Europe's free transit-Schengen Zone and set up border controls at its northern frontier and on air routes from other Schengen member states to keep out anti-globalisation protesters suspected of planning violence.
NATO agreed yesterday to send an AWACS surveillance aircraft to patrol above the city to provide warning of any potential air attack. Seven of NATO'S AWACS aircraft have been operating in a similar role in the United States since October, replacing US aircraft sent to support military action in Afghanistan. Two F-18 fighter aircraft and two smaller air force jets have already been flown in to Barcelona's airport to intercept any unauthorised aircraft that might approach the city during the two-day summit. Missile-bearing warships and fast patrol boats have been positioned in the city's port.
Terror attacks by Islamist radicals or by the Basque separatists ETA were considered the main threat to security. Anti-globalisation protesters were also being watched.
The radio station, Onda Cero, reported yesterday that Spanish authorities had been tipped off by Egypt about a possible attack on Mr Blair.
British diplomats said they had not been informed but said that it was "normal for there to be a flurry of threats" before international summits.
Spanish police have twice in the past six months captured ETA units which were preparing to disrupt the summit with car-bomb attacks.
Anti-globalisation protesters insisted they would remain peaceful and avoid the fenced off summit zone, but officials from Spain's right-wing People's Party claimed that terrorist groups would use the protests "to fish for new members". - (Guardian Service)