Spanish intelligence reportedly investigating market attacks

Source: Marketwatch


MADRID (MarketWatch) -- Recent periods of heavy selling in the Spanish stock market, in the wake of fears that worries over Greece will spread to other European nations, is reportedly being investigated by the country's intelligence service.

The unit of the National Intelligence Center that deals with economic intelligence has spent the last few weeks discussing the matter with Spanish companies and the stock exchange as well as other experts, according to a report in El Pais's English edition on Monday. An official could not be reached for comment.

The newspaper said the investigation is looking at whether there was any collusion in attacks by investors and the hostility shown by some sectors of the U.K. and Spanish press. Over two weeks ago, Spain's IBEX-35 /quotes/comstock/20r!iib (XX:IBEX 10,262, +36.60, +0.36%) saw its biggest one-day loss since 2008, in the wake of worries over Greece and fears Spain might have similar economic worries. See related story on Spain

The government has been battling a tidal wave of bad news and sentiment from inside and out.

Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has hinted on a number of recent occasions that criticism by the U.S. and British media is part of an effort to undermine the euro. El Pais said in private he has been taken aback by just how aggressive some parts of the foreign press have been with Spain.


Read more: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/spanish-secret-service-said-to-probe-market-swings-2010-02-15?reflink=MW_news_stmp

or....they`ll find it was a "natural reaction to the market"

Perhaps they keep better records of purchases in Spain than on Wall Street.

or so they hoped.

we also don't know if those trades were settled. You can bet your boots ya can't trade millions in options contracts anonymously. Someone knows who bet on 911.