An A319 flight crew received a 'TERRAIN TERRAIN PULL UP' warning on a night visual approach to ABQ Runway 26. They leveled until warning stopped and then continued approach to a safe landing.

Narrative

'Terrain; Terrain; Pull Up' on night visual to Runway 26 ABQ (no instrument approach to Runway 26). Clear night; no moon. ATIS indicates landing Runway 26; Departing Runway 21; wind 230 degrees at 9 KTS. Our arrival is the MIERA STAR from the east. We checked out the chart and briefed the terrain; especially the 2;928 FT peak on about a 6 miles final to Runway 26 (field elevation 5;355 FT). We decide to request Runway 3 for terrain avoidance. When we check in with approach control; we ask for Runway 3. They tell us and another aircraft that Runway 3 has a 35 KT tailwind on final. So we plan on Runway 26. Approach then gives us; turn right 360 degrees and descent to 9;000 FT. (9;000 FT MVA inside 10 miles). We are following an MD-80. That puts us on a 10 miles left base for Runway 26 directly over the mountains flying parallel to the ridge tops. With the field in sight; we are cleared for the visual. We turned a 10 miles final at 9;000 FT 3 bar VASI is white/white/white. We go gear down; flaps 2 degrees and boards 2;300 FPM down to get down toward a normal profile and get 'Terrain; Terrain; Pull Up; Pull Up' maybe 1 more 'Pull Up.' We discontinued the descent and the GPWS warning stopped. Safely clear of terrain; we continued to an uneventful landing. I believe the terrain warning was a GPWS mode 2 excessive terrain closure rate. I observed no yellow or red terrain displayed on the Navigation Display. Lessons learned: We planned Runway 3 for terrain avoidance. That plan didn't pan out so we accepted the visual approach profile issued by ATC. In hindsight; I would have rather requested vectors for a left downwind to Runway 26; or ILS 3 circle to Runway 26 or just accepted being high on profile and overfly the runway and turn downwind for Runway 26 and stay inside the high terrain to the west. The other option would be to request to FRIHO arrival instead of the MIERA at night. Per phone conversation between the Captain and Approach Control Supervisor; there is more terrain separation from the north than the south for the visual for Runway 26.