Armed group ETA seeks international mediators - report

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Reuters

Armed group ETA seeks international mediators - report
1 hour 3 mins ago

The Basque separatist group ETA, which declared a truce this month, has called for international mediation to end one of Europe's longest guerrilla conflicts, the Spanish daily Gara said on Sunday, citing a press release.

ETA, seeking an independent Basque homeland formed from parts of northern Spain and southern France, has been badly hit by recent arrests of key members and by concerted action by Spanish, French and Portuguese police to search out arms caches.

The ETA statement urged the international community "to push for and participate in the organisation of a democratic process to give a permanent, just and democratic solution to a centuries old political conflict."

The group, which has killed over 850 people since 1968, called a truce on September 5 but gave no details of its duration or plans to disarm, leading Spain's government to dismiss the announcement.

Read more: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/22/20100919/tpl-uk-spain-eta-61a15b8.html

[Judi Lynn]

1. Basque separatists want talks with Spain

Basque separatists want talks with Spain
By HAROLD HECKLE
The Associated Press
Sunday, September 19, 2010; 6:54 AM

MADRID -- The armed Basque separatist group ETA says it is willing to accept international mediation to help solve its long-running conflict with Spain's government.

Two weeks after it announced a cease-fire, the group said in a statement published by Basque newspaper Gara on Sunday that it is willing to "jointly explore" with overseas mediators the steps required for a democratic process, "including commitments to be taken by ETA."

Since launching its violent campaign for an independent Basque homeland in the late 1960s, ETA has killed more than 825 people. The group previously announced what it called a permanent cease-fire in 2006, but ended it with a car bombing at Madrid's main airport that killed two people and destroyed a parking garage later that year.

Spain's government has repeatedly said progress can only be made when ETA renounces violence for good.

More:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/19/AR2010091900763.html

[xchrom]

2. Hopefully this is good news. Nt

[COLGATE4]

3. Hopefully the Spanish government will be more accessible

this time around. Hard to understand their reluctance to grant more home-rule to the Basques when they've done it in other regions of Spain (Catalunya, for example). But, for whatever reason, Basques seem to be the perennial burr under their blanket.