Arrests for Attempted Bombings of Ducasse's Ostape

By MOIRA CHAMBERS in Paris Five people were arrested on Tuesday, February 8, 2005, in connection with attempts to blow up properties belonging in part to Alain Ducasse, according to Agence France Presse (AFP). All five were suspected Basque militants, detained near the Spanish border in southwest France. In November 2003 and March 2004, gas bottles linked to timed explosives failed to go off at Ostapé; another failed to fire at Iparla. The arrests were made in connection to Ostapé only; no suspects have been found in connection to the Iparla attempt. Suspects were to be released within a few days if no charges were brought against them. "Investigators suspect the devices were part of an extortion racket that Basque militants sometimes operated on business owners in the region, AFP reported. (For more on the Basque separatist movement, Euskadi Ta Azkatasuna (ETA), read background articles by the BBC and The Economist.) Iparla and Ostapé are located in the village of Bidarray about 30 km inland from Biarritz, near Ducasse's birthplace (see map) and only 6 km from the Spanish border. Jennifer Leuzzi of Epicurious.com visited Iparla in October 2004 (click here to read her article). Previous articles: Xmas Spirits: "Club Rocco" Brand? Les Enfantes Terribles devient terriblement vieux Alain Ducasse: Hyper Chef -- Now Serving Mars Blue Hill: Everybody Must Get Stoned