Why tourist-magnet Catalonia is Spain's fertile ground for terrorists

Madrid

DESPITE its long experience in fighting terrorism, Spain failed this past week to prevent two deadly attacks in Catalonia - a key tourist magnet but also the Spanish region most vulnerable to such assaults, analysts say.

In attacks claimed by the Islamic State group, suspected jihadists killed 14 people and left 120 wounded, using vehicles to mow down pedestrians in Barcelona on Thursday and in the nearby seaside resort of Cambrils on early Friday.

Spain has five decades of experience fighting against the Basque separatist group ETA, which killed over 800 people until it declared a ceasefire in 2011.

But it was jolted to another di…