Friday, March 31, 2006

France's Possible Oui to Prisoner's Transfer

More good news after ETA's call for a ceasefire.

This time is France's Defense Ministry the one stating that a transfer of Basque political prisoners to jails in or nearby Iparralde could be a possibility.

The note appeared at EITb:

French Defence minister admits prisoner's transfer to Basque jails

The French Defence minister, Michèle Alliot-Marie, has affirmed that it would be possible to suggest the transfer of those Basque prisoners in French jails to prisons near the Basque Country if "a real ceasefire will (by ETA) is tested."

When asked about a possible transfer of inmates, the minister, former mayor of Donibane Lohizune (Saint Jean de Luz), has affirmed that "provided that in the future we realise there's a real ceasefire will, every issue will be tackled." "And I say every issue," she has added emphatically.

Around 150 Basque people are imprisoned in French jails.

The minister has explained that ETA's ceasefire, announced last week, must be faced "with hopes and prudence," in statements during a visit to Donibane Lohizune (Saint Jean de Luz). Alliot-Marie has reminded that, up to this moment, the armed band's stops have been wasted "sooner or later."

The French Government had only talked about hopes and prudence with regard to ETA's ceasefire up to this moment.
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Thursday, March 30, 2006

The Atxaga File

An essay by Bernardo Atxaga regarding ETA's ceasefire has been making the rounds in the internet.

The original appeared at the International Herald Tribune under the title "The End of a Nightmare, and a Dream".

Here you have the note about such essay that appeared at IBLNews:

The Basque Spring

The story that began when a group of university students founded Basque Homeland and Liberty, the organization known as ETA, has finally come to an end with its announcement last week of a permanent cease-fire. If a satellite could detect surges of relief and happiness rather than clouds or storm systems, then the entire southwestern part of Europe would appear on every television screen, and the weatherman of the hour would describe "a sudden reduction in the force of gravity in the region of the Pyrenees," along with breezes and winds that can cure any melancholy.

Jueves, 30 marzo 2006

REDACCIÓN, IBLNEWS
March 29, 2006

"These are uncommon phenomena," the weatherman would add, and he would certainly be right. Happiness is always rare, and even more so for the Basques, with 40 years of political violence behind us.

An old proverb has it that "if the thorn doesn't scratch when it first emerges, it will never scratch." The opposite can be said of the organization those students founded: it scratched from the beginning. Already in the early 1960's, its leaders spoke of the need for active resistance against Spain's dictator, Francisco Franco, "son of Adolf and Benito."

They defined, in passing, what they meant by the word "gogortasuna," or toughness: "It means sabotage, guerrilla warfare, frequent strikes, attacks against electrical plants. That is the path we must follow, that is the path of all peoples of the world, the path of liberty." The old-fashioned nationalists who'd taken the losing side in the Spanish Civil War were out of the game as those prepared to sacrifice themselves for Euskadi — the Basque homeland — took their stand.

For several years that attitude seemed little more than swagger, since "active resistance" amounted to some graffiti and the burning of a few Spanish flags. But then, on June 7, 1968, a 23-year-old named Xabier Etxebarrieta shot and killed an officer from the Guardia Civil, Spain's military police force, who'd asked him for his identification card. Hours later, a Guardia Civil patrol ended that young militant's life.

On that particular day, some bricklayers were working on our house. One of them turned to my father and asked, "Zer gertatuko da orain?" or, "What's going to happen now?" He suspected that the event had something to do with politics, and that it would affect us all.

The dead Guardia Civil officer, José Pardines, was buried in his native Galicia after a discreet funeral. As for Xabier Etxebarrieta, he was transformed into "the first martyr of the revolution." Pamphlets distributed during the days after his death waxed eloquent about his decision to abandon a promising career as an economist in order to be "closer to the People," comparing him to Che Guevara.

What was more, they promised revenge: "As of this moment we issue a warning. For us, Txabi Etxebarrieta is worth much more than all the members of the Guardia Civil put together. They have robbed us of him and for that they will be made to pay." The pamphlets were followed by poems and songs, and the image of Etxebarrieta — a skinny kid with nerdy glasses — became as ubiquitous as a popular singer's.

Forty years later, we need no special satellite to see the underside of that heroic posturing. Now our attention is fixed on the savage attacks the ETA perpetrated at the end of the 1980's — like the one in the Hipercor supermarket in Barcelona (21 dead) or the one at the Guardia Civil barracks in Zaragoza (11 dead, among them five little girls).

But back at the beginning, almost everyone accepted a vision of ETA as a band of young idealists prepared to risk their lives to defend a homeland and a language that since the bombardment of Guernica had been victimized by Franco. When, two months after Etxebarrieta's death, another of those young idealists assassinated a police inspector, Melitón Manzanas, the Spanish left publicly celebrated, saying that a "torturer of Communists, Catholics and many other people" had passed on to a better world.

Though we forget this, or don't want to accept it, a great many political nightmares begin as a dream, a shared notion of utopia. That's what happened with the Basques.

Now, after the cease-fire, no satellite can send us a map of the future, but everyone wants to be a weatherman or a prophet. Some lovers of metaphor speak of Pandora's box and foresee great hatreds let loose. Others believe that pessimism is a sign of intelligence, and they recommend taking ETA's communiqué with many grains of salt. At the opposite extreme are those who call for a reconciliation, right this minute, between the country's two "sensibilities" — Basque nationalism and Spanish nationalism — starting with the creation of a monument that would record, together, the names of all the victims, those killed by ETA alongside ETA members killed by the police.

There are other positions, as well. Many other positions. But still and all, through the clamor of opinion, the feeling of happiness, of lightness, doesn't go away.

From my window I can see some bricklayers working on the facade of the house next door. They're talking boisterously, jumping from one scaffold to the next; they've got the radio turned up full volume. Their mood is nothing at all like that of the bricklayer who, in 1968, asked my father, "What's going to happen now?"

* Bernardo Atxaga is the author of "Obabakoak" and the forthcoming novel "The Son of the Accordion Player." This article was translated by Esther Allen from the Spanish.

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Christian View Over ETA's Truce

Forgiveness.

Not everyone is able to act in accordance to this principle.

But it is exactly what some Christian groups are asking from the Spanish government in the aftermath of ETA's ceasefire declaration.

The note appeared at a site called Ekklesia. Here you have it:

Spanish Christians urge forgiveness to make ETA ceasfire work -30/03/06

The cease-fire by Basque separatist group ETA will need to be accompanied by justice and forgiveness if it is to achieve a lasting peace, a group of Spanish evangelical Christians has said, reports Manuel Quintero for Ecumenical News International in Switzerland.

At the same time, the leader of Spain's Roman Catholic Church has also urged politicians to unite and work for peace.

"The unity of rulers and political representatives, society's collaboration, patient work, open mindedness and hope that sustains the journey are good guarantees to reach the goal of full peace," said Bishop Ricardo Blazquez of Bilbao, the president of the Spanish (Catholic) Bishops' Conference, told journalists on 27 March 2006. He said the church was prepared to contribute to this goal in any way it could.

Separately, in a letter to Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, the Federation of Evangelical Religious Entities of Spain (Ferede), expressed its hope that this time the end to violence would be final.

And a statement by the Evangelical Alliance of Spain (AEE) - the oldest interdenominational evangelical organization in the country, founded in 1877 - asked for justice and forgiveness so that peace may be attained.

"As Christians, we know about the great regenerating power of forgiveness, which is perfectible compatible with justice, although totally contrary to revenge," said the AEE without referring specifically to any group.

The Evangelical Council of Madrid said the time had come for Spanish evangelicals to speak out in theological language that may pave the way towards peace, even at the risk of being called "naïve".

ETA (which stands for "Basque Homeland and Freedom" in the Basque language, was founded in 1959. It has killed about 850 people and fomented street violence in its campaign for the creation of an independent state separate from France and Spain for the Basque people, who straddle the two countries.

[With acknowledgements to ENI. Ecumenical News International is jointly sponsored by the World Council of Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and the Conference of European Churches.]


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Batasuna in Donostia

Batasuna leaders (L-R front) Marije Fullaondo, Joseba Permach and Pernando Barrena address the media at a press conference in San Sebastian March 30, 2006. Spain's High Court granted bail to the leader of an outlawed Basque separatist party on Wednesday after unexpected support from the public prosecutor, one week after ETA declared a ceasefire. Arnaldo Otegi, a key figure in any possible peace process, had been expected to be sent to jail, pending trial, for belonging to a terrorist group. His party, Batasuna, has been outlawed due to its links to guerrilla group ETA. The banner reads in Basque language, 'Respect the decision of the Basque people. Now the country, now the peace'. REUTERS/Pablo Sanchez

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Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Patxi's Hope

Is this the time for Patxi López to emerge as a real politician?

Will he continue to be the PSOE's instrument of sabotage in the Basque political landscape?

Is he on the verge of becoming a man?

It is all conjetures when it comes to Patxi, but in the mean time, here you have an article about his comments after his meeting earlier today with Ibarretxe:

Socialist López shares Basque premier's hope for end of terrorism.

The socialist PSE-EE secretary general, Patxi López, has affirmed after meeting the Basque premier that "it's time to confirm the ceasefire is a reality" and not for "individual aspirations."

López has had a meting with Juan José Ibarretxe within the round of talks the latter has started in the morning with leftwing nationalist Aralar, to be continued tomorrow and the day after tomorrow to analyse the situation arising from ETA's ceasefire announcement.

After the meeting, López has admitted there has been a "positive and collaborative climate" he expected would also be present at Tuesday's meeting between Basque premier and Spanish president.

In fact, López has assured he had asked Ibarretxe to keep on supporting the president of the central Government in this process "as he has been doing up to this moment," since "unity is essential for success." "It's time to confirm the ceasefire is a reality and all kind of terrorist violence disappears: attacks, threatens, extortion and street violence," he has added.

He has affirmed that this is what "the road map defines," a road map parties supported in Congress last May.


Hopefully this will be the end of Madrid's state sponsored terrorism also.

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Otegi Back in Madrid

Batasuna leader, Arnaldo Otegi gestures as he arrives at the High Court in Madrid, March 29, 2006. Otegi was due to appear before a judge on Wednesday after a strike he called turned violent. Basque separatist group ETA declared a permanent ceasefire one week ago after almost four decades of attacks in Spain, potentially bringing an end to one of Western Europe's most active separatist movements. REUTERS/Andrea Comas

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Patxi and Ibarretxe

President of the Basque Socialist Party (PSE) Patxi Lopez (L) talks to Basque regional president Juan Jose Ibarretxe in Vitoria, Spain March 29, 2006. Ibarrtexe is holding a round of meetings with local political leaders to discuss the political situation, following the previous week's ceasefire declaration by armed separatist group ETA. REUTERS/Vincent West

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Today in Brussels

Bernat Joan, co-president of the European Parliament's Cross Party Support Group for the Basque Peace Process, addresses a news conference in Brussels March 29, 2006. The group said it welcomed very warmly the decision of ETA to declare a permanent cease fire from March 24, 2006. REUTERS/Yves Herman

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Sunday, March 26, 2006

Today in Biarritz

Parents of Basque prisoners and members of the Basque association 'Etxerat' (Return at Home) during an extraordinary general meeting in Biarritz, southwestern France, Sunday, March 26, 2006. Etxerat called on the French authorities to respond in a positive way to the new situation after ETA declared a permanent cease-fire. (AP Photo/Bob Edme)

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The "Guernica" to Gernika

A boy runs past a ceramic copy of Pablo Picasso's iconic painting, 'Guernica', in the Spanish Basque town of Gernika, March 26, 2006. Underneath the mural written in Basque, 'Guernica to Gernika', refers to a long-term vindication of Basque nationalists that the painting, currently in Madrid's Reina Sofia museum, should reside in Basque Country. Picasso's 1937 work came about as a reaction to the destruction of the town by Nazi bombers. REUTERS/Vincent West

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Saturday, March 25, 2006

An Even Handed Comment

Tired of moderates that do not realize they take sides when they burden only one side with the full responsability of a peace process?

Tired of the same propaganda by the Aznar-Bush clones that pollute the blogosphere?

Well, then you must read "Comment; Spain ETA cease-fire" at Wanabehuman.

This is the part I like the best:

Point two is also easily solved. Although Aznar has always argued that the Basque country has more autonomy than any other region in Europe this is probably not so. Scotland, for example, has long had its own educational system and judiciary. When the Pan Am jetliner was blown up by Libyan terrorists over Lockerbie a special Scottish court was agreed to on Dutch soil to try the Libyans. No Basque court today could wield this degree of independence. Moreover, more recently Scotland has been given its own parliament and has opened its own diplomatic missions overseas.


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A Kurdish Voice

Most excellent.

Mizgin, a Kurdish blogger, has drawn some interesting paralells between the ceasefire announced by ETA, the alleged willingness of Rodríguez Zapatero to find a democratic solution, and the situation between the Kurds and Turkey in his post "The ETA example" at his blog Rasti.

For those of us who believe on the right of the Kurds to a free and independent Kurdistan, I recommend you read this post in particular and his blog in general.

Here I present to you the part I liked the best about his post:

Now this makes me think: What if someone or some group had been talking with some seriousness to Kurds under Turkish-occupation for four years, especially with PKK, especially after 1999? What if the five-year unilateral ceasefire had been a time when Turkey allowed the Irish, for example, to act as mediators? Where would we be now? Here we have a country, Spain, who has suffered some 850 deaths as a result of ETA operations, yet it is willing to negotiate. Or we have Northern Ireland, where some 1800 died as a result of IRA/Sinn Fein operations, yet they managed to negotiate with the British.

The problem appears to be one in which the British government and the Spanish government seek peace, seek negotiation, seek to end grievances, with Spain willing to consider more autonomy for Spanish provinces, while the Basque province enjoys a number of rights that Kurds under Turkish occupation can only dream of. The Basque Country enjoys its own language rights, education and health care systems, police force and radio and TV stations. It enjoys one of the best economies in Europe, with the GDP per capita at 20.6% higher than the European average.

Today, the Basque provinces have their own regional police force, television station and education and health systems, and collect their own taxes. Euskera is taught in schools and universities, though only one-quarter of Basques speak the language. It is unclear whether most Basques even want full independence.


On top of all this, it became clear that Tony Blair, as well as the Norwegian foreign ministry facilitated and encouraged secret talks between the Zapatero government and ETA.

We are constantly reminded that ETA was considered by the US and the EU to be a "terrorist" organization, but that didn't stop Northern Ireland, Britain and Norway from spending time and effort in order to get ETA and Spain to talk to each other.

Let Zubeyir Aydar go to Northern Ireland and seek to begin a process of negotiation for PKK. Then let Murat Karayilan go too. In the meantime, let someone from the Turkish government go to Spain to learn what negotiation is. If this doesn't happen, what shall we make of the UN scheme for "Alliance of Civilizations," which Spain and Turkey have recently agree to co-chair? What good will it be?

Am I dreaming? Is it not possible for these things to happen for Kurds?


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Democratic Solution

Demonstrators carry giant letters reading 'Solution' and a banner with the slogan 'No to Repression. In favour of a Democratic Solution' during a demonstration in Pamplona, Spain, Saturday, March. 25, 2006. ETA, blamed for more than 800 killings since launching a campaign for Basque independence in 1968, on Wednesday March 22, 2006, announced a permanent cease-fire that took effect midnight Thursday. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza)

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Batasuna in Bilbo

Supporters of the outlawed Basque pro-independence party Batasuna carry a banner reading,'Nobody without rights in Basque Country', in front of the Spanish Government delegation building in Bilbao March 25, 2006. Basque separatist group ETA has declared a permanent ceasefire after almost four decades of attacks in Spain, potentially ending one of Western Europe's bloodiest guerrilla campaigns. REUTERS/Vincent West

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Ikurriña and Presoak

A man walks by a mural of the Basque flag, left, and a pro-ETA mural reading 'Basque prisoners back home', in Alsasua, Spain, Saturday, March 25, 2006. ETA, blamed for more than 800 killings since launching a campaign for Basque independence in 1968, on Wednesday announced a permanent cease-fire that took effect midnight Thursday. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza)

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Friday, March 24, 2006

Hopefully an Independent Tomorrow

Here you have a report on Batasuna's press conference earlier today:

By Jim Fish
BBC News, San Sebastian

In a Pamplona hotel, just outside the boundaries of Spain's Basque region, a group of mainly young people are being shepherded for the cameras onto a makeshift stage.

In front of the gold and orange Basque regalia, they blink and giggle nervously into the lights. Their average age must be in the 30s - there are only a few grey hairs to be seen.

What follows is a snapshot of the difficulties littering the road ahead towards peace.

Three of them, two women and a man, step forward in turn to the microphone and read an official statement from the party they lead, Batasuna: first in Basque, then French, and lastly, in Spanish.

This in itself is something of a breakthrough and a challenge.

Batasuna has been formally outlawed by the Spanish government in Madrid for the past three years because of its close ties with the militant group, Eta.

After Wednesday's ceasefire announcement by Eta, the government responded with a demand for deeds, not words, to prove Eta's sincerity.

Moving forwards

If the Batasuna event in Pamplona was meant to be the next exchange in the game of "ping-pong diplomacy" with the Basques, it was - to an observer at least - a let-down.

The Batasuna statement was creaking with words and phrases from the past such as "militants", "struggle" and "solidarity", but with very few concrete signs that a new era has dawned.

Batasuna's articulate, smoothly-spoken frontman, Pernando Barrena, sheds a little more light.

Eta is sincere, he insists, but like the IRA in Northern Ireland, the peace process here needs real encouragement and engagement from the government in Madrid for a political space to open up and a dialogue to begin.

But if Eta is sincere, and this really is the end of conflict, what is the point of Eta?

Batasuna, after all, can speak for that constituency of peaceful Basque nationalists, and there are other nationalists in the Basque parliament and government in Vitoria.

Mr Barrena says Eta is not going to dissolve itself yet, because this is a "process which has only just begun".

In Vitoria's medieval Gothic old town, there are other nationalist voices which do presage an end to Eta.

"Eta is going to disappear," insists Begona Errazti, leader of the Basque Solidarity party.

A small, feisty blonde lady, she attracts shouts of support from passers-by in the square. She says Eta is not the problem, it is a symptom of Madrid's failure of nerve.

"We need the political recognition of our country. If we can get this, Eta will disappear totally."

Future prosperity

In the one hour that it takes to drive from Vitoria to the fashionable Basque seaside resort of San Sebastian, the landscape shows both faces of the Basque identity.

The rugged mountains from which Basque clans resisted the invader for more than 2,000 years; from Romans to Visigoths to the dictator, General Franco.

Just occasionally, a tiny hamlet glints in the late afternoon sun like a precious stone set in the green foothills.

And in the valleys, brand new industrial parks stretch out for miles alongside the motorway - the urban, industrialised face of the country.

Once you reach the graceful promenade of San Sebastian, with its crescent of pristine golden sand curving around the bay, you can begin to understand the pressures on Eta to disarm.

Nobody here wants the instability that threatens this prosperity. Basques hope, like Spain's prime minister, that this is the beginning of the end of their 38-year nightmare.

But they know each other well enough - and the politicians in Madrid - to sense that the end is not yet in sight.

Just one thing for you Mr. Fish; Iruñea, the city you know as Pamplona, is not just outside the boundaries of the Basque Country, for it is the capital city of Nafarroa (Navarre), the historic land of the Basques.

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A Final Solution

This note appeared at People's Daily Online:

Spain: ETA ceasefire is just first step to final solution

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said on Friday that the ETA ceasefire is just the first step to the final settlement of the whole issue.

Zapatero made the remarks at the Brussels press conference held after a European Council meeting.

He said he would appear before parliament this summer with a plan to move forward if an end to violence is verified.

The Basque separatist group ETA announced to begin a ceasefire from 2300 GMT Thursday.

The group said it ended a campaign that began in 1968 and left some 850 people dead and thousands wounded.

A survey published by Friday's Spanish newspapers shows that 80 percent of Spaniards believed that Zapatero was obliged to explore dialogue with ETA.

Eighty-six percent of respondents said that the largest opposition People's Party should support the government without quibbles in the process.

Source: Xinhua

The good news is that it is Rodriguez Zapatero and not Aznar the one talking about a final solution.

Last time someone in the same wave lenght as Aznar's mentioned a final solution, things went really bad for the Roma and the Jewish communities in Europe, to mention a couple of examples.

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Mural in Etxarri Aranaz

Two men chat next to a mural painting that demands the transfer of pro independence armed Basque group ETA imprisoned members to the Basque country, in the northern Spanish village of Etxarri Aranaz, near Pamplona. A "permanent ceasefire" by ETA took effect as an opinion poll found the vast majority of Spaniards want a government still urging caution to engage in talks with the armed Basque movement.(AFP/Rafa Rivas)

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Alec Reid in Bilbo

Irish Catholic priest Alec Reid, who encourage negotiations in the Basque country, speaks during an interview with Reuters in Bilbao March 24, 2006. Basque separatist group ETA has declared a permanent ceasefire after almost four decades of attacks in Spain, potentially ending one of Western Europe's bloodiest guerrilla campaigns. Reid also worked for peace in the Irish conflict. REUTERS/Vincent West

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Aaron the American Basque-Phobe

Thanks to his unique way to link to the worst right wingers in the blogosphere, über Basque-phobe Franco Alemán guided me to one of those blogs that allows you a peek into the minds of the most backwards elements of American society.

These individuals are so obsessed with the self righteous war on terrorism that they are willing to side with good old fascists all over the world, as long as their red-white-and-blue point of view is echoed as to ensure that the present war for oil profits is presented to the public as a holly war against those who hate our western values.

In his post called "Time Out", this gentleman by the name of Aaron Hanscom goes on and on about how bad things are in Spain now that Francoist José María Aznar does not run the show. It is funny how someone that quotes Islamic law is so willing to side with a fella who belongs to a party founded by Manuel Fraga, a minister in Franco's regime who is known for being a Holocaust denier.

The post presents so many meaty statements that I will have to dedicate more than one post to correct all the misconceptions and lies.

So, lets get started with the very first paragraph:

Fifteen years ago 12 year-old Irene Villa lost both of her legs in a bombing by the Basque terrorist group ETA. On Saturday, she elegantly expressed why hundreds of thousands of Spaniards were braving the freezing cold and rain of Madrid to protest their Socialist government. “We want to make sure that [the government] does not negotiate with murderers and that terrorism is not seen as a way to achieve a political end," she said, with other victims of ETA at her side. Unfortunately, the Spanish prime minister has a habit of listening less to the victims of terrorism than to the very terrorists themselves.
He starts out with a tear-jerker and then goes into a lie. Hundreds of thousands of Spaniards, heh, the PP can only wish to summon all that people in a Spain that today understands what the right wingers stand for, which is deception.

And right off the bat, an attack against Rodriguez Zapatero. If Rodriguez Zapatero is honest on his announcement that he wants a peaceful resolution to the Basque conflict, then he will be making sure that there is no more victims of violence in Spain, not among the Spaniards, nor among the Basques . Everybody wins, including the victims that joined the PP tugs on that march, because there will be no more people joining them.

An important thing to point out here is that Irene Villa belongs to an association called Asociación Víctimas del Terrorismo, known as AVT. The AVT is a satellite group for the Partido Popular that among other things, rejects entrance to the victims of the actions by the GAL, and also harasses the victims of 11-M because the latter refuse to give José María Aznar's government a clean slate on what took place in Madrid that day and the way they handled the situations in the first couple of days after the attacks.

More son this soon to come.

Oh, and before I forget, Aaron, a Basque-phobe is just the same as an anti-Semitic, meaning, someone that hates an entire society just because of what the members of that society are. Just like other people hates the Jewish community for no reason, there is those like you that hate the Basques just because your friend José María Aznar hates them.

And gosh darn it, Aznar was your ally in the war for oil profits, sorry, the war on terrorism.

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Etxerat Speaks Out

Intza Aldana, left, daughter of exiled Spanish Basque activist and Stanilas Etxeburu member of 'Etxerat' (Return at Home) Basque association during a press conference in Bayonne, southwestern France, Friday, March 24, 2006. Etxerat calls on the French authorities to respond in a positive way to the new situation after ETA declared a permanent cease-fire. The poster behind shows pictures of members of the Basque separatist group ETA currently in prison in Spain and France and reads 'We want prisoners and exiled to come back home'. (AP Photo/Bob Edme)

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Permach in Irunea

Batasuna Basque separatist party's spokesman Joseba Permach addresses the media at a news conference in Pamplona March 24, 2006. Basque separatist group ETA on Wednesday declared a permanent ceasefire after almost four decades of bombings and shootings in Spain during its campaign for independence. ETA said the truce would start on Friday. Banner reads in Basque language: 'Respect the decision of the Basque people. Now the country, now the peace'. REUTERS/Pablo Sanchez

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Thursday, March 23, 2006

I Was Proven Wrong

And I am darn happy it happened!

There is people able to see through the fog of lies and deceptions in the main stream media.

Here you have an example from a blog called The Artesian Wells:

Eta Lays Down Arms

For nearly half of the past century, certain radical Basque Nationalists resorted to terrorism to achieve their goals. Wednesday, a video was released by the ETA claiming to herald an end to their terrorist activities.
...

The Basques have fascinated me for some years. They are quite possibly the longest inhabitants of Europe, pre-dating the Iberian Gauls, Romans, Franks, and all other inhabitants of their particular slice of France and Spain. The Basque people is not apparently related to any other people group in Europe, nor is their language, Euskara. The closest match would be Finnish, which is still a ways off.


The author, AW, gives us some more of his own version of the Basques in history, and at the end closes his post with this paragraphs:

Lastly, it is the Basque nationalists who are responsible for my favorite graffiti: 4+3=1. It is a reference to the four provinces in Spain and three in France, making up one united Basqueland. Of course, the great irony is that, to the best of our knowledge, there has never been a united Basqueland in the history of the world, so I'm still unsure as to why the Basques are so adamant on the subject. But, until the day that a united Basqueland rises, here's to the Basques, and may their rich culture never again be overshadowed by a single violent faction!


At last, someone that wishes good to the Basques, not like the ones riding the Spaniard horse.

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ETA's Ceasefire, The End of Spanish Colonialism?

That could very well be the title for Joe Gandelman's post about the decision by ETA to give peace a chance in the resolution of the Basque conflict. He instead called it "Basque ETA's Permanent Cease Fire: The End Of Basque Terrorism?".

I know I said I was not going to waste any ink on the posts by ill informed Americans regarding the issue of the ceasefire.

But there is one thing you can not call Joe Gandelman, and that is that he is ill informed.

He is very knowledgeable about a lot of issues, including the Basque conflict. The problem with his post seems to be on the point of view he choses in this case. Yes, being moderate can be tricky when it comes to a centuries long drive for self determination.

More so, his opinion in this matter sheds light on a simple fact, Americans do not take the side of the underdog anymore.

But lets cut to the chase.

For starters, the opening question:

Has Spain finally seen the day that many Spaniards have prayed for? Is the era of Basque terrorism finally over?

Maybe the Spaniards should pray so they can leave behind their colonialist past, and also to make sure that the people they elect to public charges do not use their power to repress an entire nation. Violence generates violence, and Madrid has the upper hand when it comes to who is responsible for the bloodshed in the Basque Country for the last 500 years.

Then he gets into the business of making the king look good:

During the final months of the Franco government, ETA was Enemy Number One. And, indeed, ETA literally changed Spain's history forever when in 1973 it killed prime minister Carrero Blanco by planting a massive bomb under his travel route on a street in central Madrid. Franco had planned on Blanco as his successor. So he had to instead choose Prince Juan Carlos — who proved to be a democrat at heart and what Spaniards called "the motor of change" in transitioning Spain to democracy and helping integrate it into the European community.

If the king was such a democrat at heart, then there was only one thing to do at the death of his master; renounce to the crown and go hide somewhere. Let me remind you here and now that if Juan Carlos is the head of a monarchy today is thanks to the actions of people like Francisco Franco and Adolph Hitler.

And just to say it plain and simple, democracy and monarchy are not two concepts that you can mix, they oppose each other on the basis of what they stand for.

What is funny is that there is so many out there that are willing to call Spain a democracy. Would you describe a country in which you can go to jail for speaking your own language a democracy?

Spain as a democracy has closed down schools, worker unions, news papers and political parties just because.

That can not be considered a democracy, unless you see it from the view point of someone that comes from a country were people feels perfectly fine with something called the Patriot Act.

Now check this paragraph:

Once Franco died it became clear that Basque separatism was not going to go away, even as the new government began to give more autonomy to Spain's various regions. Predictions that the Basque separatists could be brought into negotiations and eventually work with Basque moderates seemingly fizzled. There were periodic announcements of truces. And then it'd be bloody business as usual.

Here you have the classic media non sense. The Basque drive for self determination has nothing to do with separatism. What the Basques desire is independence, pretty much what the USA got from England. And the move by the bulk of the Basque society towards their right to self determination can not be shoved in some file under ETA's armed struggle. I can go into some generalizations about Americans that would include the KKK and Timothy McVeigh.

And Spain can do as it pleases when it comes to giving more autonomy to Spain's various regions, they are welcomed to do so. What they can not do is to dictate the future of the occupied nations of Navarre (the Basque Country), Catalunya and Galiza.

The right of those nations to their self determination is protected by the UN Charter, the same piece of paper that gave the Jews the chance to have their nation, Israel.

Don't expect the right-wing Israelis and the right-wing Jews to defend this right to the self determination of all nations, after all, that would require for them to accept the existance of Palestine and the Palestinian people, and that takes a huge amount of courage.

And now, the kicker:

Still, as the news reports suggest, Spaniards have had their hopes raised many times when it comes to ETA, only to resign themselves that domestic terrorism would not go away. Will it be truly different this time?
Joe, don't ask ETA, they already did the right thing.

Go ask Mariano Rajoy, José María Aznar, Angel Acebes and all the other PP members who made sure that all the crimes commited by the Francoist would go unpunished, but that today are very eager to put all kinds of roadblocks in front of the Basque nationalists and the members of today's Spanish government willing to find a peaceful solution to the conflict.

Because that is something that many people around the world forget about this young democracy in Spain, that not a single Francoist was ever put to trial for the crimes commited against people of all the nations that conform Spain.

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Do Not Derail the Peace Process

A man walks past a wall painted with graffiti of the Basque separatist group ETA with a partial visible text written in Basque 'We all have to sacrifice ourselves a bit so that others don't have to sacrifice everything' in San Sebastian, Northern Spain, Thursday, March 23, 2006. The Basque separatist group ETA called Thursday for peace negotiations with Spain and France and said its 'permanent' cease-fire will go into effect just after midnight. The group urged the French and Spanish governments not to thwart the groundbreaking process launched by its decision to lay down arms after nearly four decades of bombings and shootings that have claimed more than 800 lives and made ETA one of Europe's last armed militant groups. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza)

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In Quotes

Here you have a stark recount of the comments by some of the actors in this drama called the Basque Conflict.

Reaction in quotes from Spain and abroad to news that the militant separatist group Eta has declared a permanent ceasefire:

JOSE LUIS RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO, SPANISH PRIME MINISTER

The government's position is one of caution, of prudence... After so many years of horror and terror [it] will be a long and difficult process.

MARIANO RAJOY, HEAD OF SPANISH POPULAR PARTY (OPPOSITION)

This ceasefire being announced to us now is a pause. It is not a renunciation of criminal activity. It is a reaffirmation of their desire to continue to exist. It does not repent of anything and it does not ask the victims of terrorism for forgiveness.

Again they say to us that the objective is to begin a process that will lead to the same objective as ever - the right to self-determination - and again they impose on us the same conditions as ever.

SPANISH ASSOCIATION OF VICTIMS OF TERRORISM

The only announcement that [we are] waiting to hear from Eta is that it has disbanded and that its terrorists will be handed over so they can be tried in Spain.

Until now, Eta has tried on a number of occasions to fool the public and our leaders with false proposals of a truce - during which the terrorists have taken the opportunity to reorganise their commands, rearm themselves and return to kill and to sow terror in our society.

JAVIER SOLANA, EU FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF

The declaration seems to me to be good news for the whole Spanish people and for all Europeans.

JUAN JOSE IBARRETXE, BASQUE REGIONAL PRESIDENT

This declaration of a permanent ceasefire by Eta is an enormous relief to all of the Basque society. It opens a window of hope that nobody should close. We all have to work definitively to open the door to the peace process that will bring a final dialogue and bring an end to violence.

FERNANDO BARRENA, SPOKESMAN FOR BATASUNA (ETA'S BANNED POLITICAL WING)

The socialist [Spanish] and UMP [French] governments must contribute to the development of a democratic process with an ongoing dialogue and political negotiation, bearing in mind the key element of respect for the Basque autonomy.

SEAN MCCORMACK, US STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN

Any decisive steps taken by Eta to walk away from the use of violence and terror should be welcomed. We're going to be in contact with the Spanish government... to get more clarity about the details of this announcement.

SPOKESMAN FOR FRENCH PRESIDENT JACQUES CHIRAC

He believes [the announcement] raises great hopes for Spain and for the fight against terrorism.
SPOKESMAN FOR UK PRIME MINISTER TONY BLAIR

We welcome the Eta statement and we hope to see it delivered in practice and the commitments made in their statement to be delivered.

... One thing we have learned in Northern Ireland is that it could be useful to have external support but the details have to be sorted out between the parties on the ground.

GERRY ADAMS, LEADER OF SINN FEIN (POLITICAL WING OF IRA)

Eta's announcement provides all sides to the conflict with an opportunity of historic proportions. Today's announcement gives a considerable boost to the development of a conflict resolution process.

It is incumbent on all sides to the conflict to grasp this opportunity, and to do everything in their power to make political progress a reality.
Of course, the BBC shows its tendency to close ranks with the right wing actors.
Mariano Rajoy is the opposition, yes indeed, he opposes anything peaceful, just and reasonable.
Now, the PP's gang known as the AVT demands for ETA members to be put to trial, but they have never ever demanded the same treatment for those who pepetrated so many crimes against the Basque society during the 60 years old state sponsored terrorist campaign in Euskal Herria. Some victims are more important than others according to them, tha GAL and the 11-M victims for example do not count for the AVT.
And until today, Madrid has not been able to prove that Batasuna is indeed ETA's political arm, which moves me to remind the BBC that in a democracy, you are innocent until proven guilty.
Funny how no one is asking commitment from Madrid to approach this opportunity with honesty.


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ETA's Move Towards Peace

I have been browsing the reactions about ETA's announcement of their decision to call a ceasefire, both on the news and at the blogosphere.
The reactions are far from surprising, everyone is following the script.
This comes to show that a lot of people were profiting from the status quo, and that such a huge step towards peace will not be accepted as such.
Just one little example, the reaction by known Basque-phobe Franco Alemán:
UPDATE II. Well, I'm looking for the translation of the communique into English; from what I've seen in Spanish, ETA's ceasefire is contingent to their claims for an independent Basque country is met, and this is going to be difficult. What they are doing is to say they'll stop the violence as long as a negotiation towards that end is started, which implicitly means they can go back to killing is they're not satisfied. The conclusion is that they're still using violence, or the threat of violence, a part of the political process. Doesn't sound like the end of ETA to me. That would be if they had announced they regret all they've done in the past, asked for the victims' forgiveness, and turned in all their weapons.
There you go, following the same line of tought dictated by the Francoist vermin like Rajoy and San Gil, that today from the Partido Popular told the world that they do not want peace, that it is more profitable for them to continue with the violence.
It is quite unique that Franco Alemán demands "...That would be if they had announced they regret all they've done in the past, asked for the victims' forgiveness, and turned in all their weapons...", how convenient for him not to demand the same from the PP, a political party that is a lair of present and former repressors and murderers.
Of course, there is a chorus of ill-informed American bloggers who think that this has something to do with Bush's murderous invasion of Iraq. Their opinions are so dumb that I will not waste one second trying to inform them and educate them about the complexity of the Basque issue.
One thing is for sure, I will give ample coverage of what is to happen regarding the way Madrid and Paris are going to handle this new situation. And mostly, the reaction of the international community to this call for peace, and how all the countries in the world have to realize that it is their duty to ensure that all the nationalities in this planet enjoy their right to their self determination.
The road is clear of excuses, it is time everyone respects the will of the Basque people.

Update: Here you have our favorite Basque-phobe's less than inspired answer to my post:

SO I WRITE A COMMENT on ETA's ceasefire yesterday and, apparently 1/ I peddle some party line when in fact I wrote it 23 minutes after the announcement, more than an hour before any official reaction from any party or the government, 2/ I am a Basque-phobe, because I mistrust an offer by a Basque terrorist group. Basque nationalists like this guy like to accuse everybody who is critical of ETA of demonizing the Basque people (an absurd accusation in my case, but I'm not going to give personal explanations here) because, they say, it's as if we were saying that all Basques are ETA terrorists. You'll notice the irony: if I criticize ETA, why is he jumping to defend the Basques? Isn't him who equates Basques and terrorists?


How sad than an hour ahead of time he was saying what Mariano Rajoy was to say, which does not come as a surprise, knowing how basic the thinking process of the Francoist vermin is.

By the way Franco Aleman, you earned the title of Basque-phobe long before ETA's call for a cease fire, so once again, it is you the one mixing Basques and terrorists, as usual.


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The Text in English

For the English speaking crowd, thanks to the BBC here you have the text that was part of ETA's call for a ceasefire:
Basque separatist militants ETA have declared a ceasefire after nearly 40 years fighting for indepedence.

The statement, published below, is the full text of the Eta declaration which was released in part on Wednesday. It first appeared in full on Thursday in the online version of the Basque newspaper Gara, the usual vehicle for Eta statements.



Message from Euskadi Ta Askatasuna [Eta] to the Basque people.

The Basque revolutionary socialist national liberation organisation Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (Eta) wishes to make known via this declaration the following decision:

Euskadi Ta Askatasuna has decided to declare a permanent ceasefire as from 0000 (2300GMT) on 24 March 2006.

The aim of this decision is to promote a democratic process in Euskal-Herria (the Basque Country) in order that the Basque people might implement the political change they need through dialogue, negotiation and agreement.

Leaving behind the current framework of negation, partition and imposition, a democratic framework must be built for Euskal-Herria, recognising the rights as a people which are its due and guaranteeing the opportunity to develop all political options in the future.

At the end of this process, Basque citizens must have the say and the decision on their future, thus giving a democratic solution to the conflict.

Eta considers that it is for all Basque agents to develop this process and to adopt the appropriate agreements for the future of Euskal-Herria, taking into account its plurality and its totality.

The Spanish and French states must recognise the results of this democratic process, without interference or limitations of any kind. The decision we Basque citizens make on our future will have to be respected.

We call on all agents to act responsibly and to be consistent with the step taken by Eta.

It is time for agreements. We must all accept our responsibilities to build together the democratic solution which the Basque people need. It is time to take important decisions, moving from words to deeds.

Eta calls on the Spanish and French authorities to respond positively to this new situation, and not to obstruct the democratic process, leaving repression aside and showing the will to give a negotiated solution to the conflict .

Lastly, we call on Basque citizens in general and the members of the radical Basque nationalist Left in particular to get involved in this process and to fight for the rights as a people which are our due.

Eta expresses its desire and will for the process which has begun to reach its end, thereby achieving a truly democratic situation for Euskal-Herria, ending the long years of conflict and building a peace based on justice.

We reaffirm our commitment to continue taking steps in the future in accordance with this will and to keep fighting until we obtain the rights of Euskal-Herria.

Ending the conflict, here and now, is possible. This is the desire and the will of Eta.

Euskal Herria, March 2006

Euskadi Ta Askatasuna

Eta


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Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Grim Faces

Check this picture:



Talk about three very upset Francoists mad because their last excuse to persecute and repress the Basque people was taken away from them with one simple and clear call to a ceasefire.

Maybe the Bush can get them jobs as enforcers of the Patriot Act.

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Gara in Donostia


Gara's Special Edition Posted by Picasa


A worker delivers a special edition of Basque newspaper 'Gara', the usual vehicle for Basque separatist group ETA statements, to a kiosk in San Sebastian March 22, 2006. ETA declared on Wednesday a permanent ceasefire after almost four decades of bombings and shootings that marked its campaign for independence from Spain. ETA said it hoped the truce, due to start on Friday, would move forward its desire for Basques to be recognised as a people. REUTERS/Pablo Sanchez
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Pivotal Step Towards Peace

Not much to add, here you the note from the BBC:

Eta declares permanent ceasefire

The Basque separatist group Eta has declared a permanent ceasefire.

Eta is blamed for killing more than 800 people in its four-decade fight for independence for the Basque region of northern Spain and south-west France.

In a statement released to Basque media, the group said its objective now was "to start a new democratic process in the Basque country".

Spain's deputy prime minister said it was "good news for all Spaniards", but appealed for "more caution than ever".

"It is our desire and our will that this should be the beginning of the end," Teresa Fernandez de la Vega said.

The Eta announcement was made by three masked men, wearing black Basque berets, sitting behind a desk.

"At the end of this process, Basque citizens will be able to have a voice and the power to decide their future," their statement said.

"An end to the conflict is possible today and now," it said. "This is the hope and desire of Eta."

It said the ceasefire would begin on Friday 24 March.

First step

The group's activities have been waning, with the number of bombings falling in recent years.
The last deadly Eta attack was in May 2003.

In the 1970s Eta killed 100 people or more every year, many of them Spanish police, judges and politicians.
There have been several small bombs in recent weeks but the BBC's correspondent in Madrid, Danny Wood, says Wednesday's announcement could be the first step towards a formal peace process between the group and the Spanish government.

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has said a permanent end to hostilities by Eta is a condition for any talks between the organisation and the government.

A spokeswoman for the government said it was "analysing" the statement.

Wave of arrests

Eta, which is classed as a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union, declared a full ceasefire in 1998.

The truce was rescinded a year later, and Eta embarked on a renewed bombing campaign.

However, Spanish and French police responded with a wave of arrests which were said to have hit the organisation hard.

Some analysts said its campaign became virtually untenable after the bomb attacks on Madrid in March 2004, blamed on Islamic extremists, that killed nearly 200 people.

Widespread revulsion at those attacks made deadly violence politically unthinkable for Eta, they said.

.... ... .

Saturday, March 18, 2006

Back in Business

As you may have noticed, I have been away from actual blogging for a while now.

But that finally came to an end.

I'm here to tell you that blogging as it is intended to be is now back.

Sorry for those who did not take advantage of this hiatus, I noticed that the mentions of the words Basque in the blogosphere decreased quite a bit, despite the recent second anniversary of the bombings in Madrid.

So what is new?

Not much, José María Aznar is not occupying Slobodan Milosevic's now available cage in The Hague.

And the repression against the Basque society has not receded.

So, I still have a few reasons why to continue to post here.

And by the way, I found it too hectic and too demanding to run a blog besided the two I dedicate to Euskal Herria and the Basque community around the world, so I do not forsee a new version of the now extinct "Berri Berriak / Bitxikeriak" coming out.

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Thursday, March 16, 2006

Once Upon a Time in Donostia

There were those who got caught on film while welcoming a member of an imposed monarchic family:


Those who obey to dark designs guarded the little prince:


Those with dignity and integrity "unwelcomed" the crowned prince of a king imposed by the fascist powers of last century's Europe:


And for that, they had to suffer the police harassment:


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Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Lunatics in Bilbo


Conservative Spanish opposition leader, Popular Party (PP) President Mariano Rajoy (C), chats with Basque regional PP President Maria San Gil (2nd R), PP congress member Ignacio Astaloa, and local councillor Antonio Basagoiti (R), while a supporter signs a petition calling for a national referendum about a proposed government plan to increase autonomy for Cataluna, in Bilbao, Spanish Basque country March 14, 2006. The PP strongly opposes the plan. REUTERS/Vincent West

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Monday, March 13, 2006

Demonstration in Support of Otegi


Batasuna sympathisers march in support of Basque separatist leader Arnaldo Otegi in Otegi's hometown Elgoibar March 13, 2006. Otegi, spokesman of the banned Basque separatist party Batasuna, was summoned to appear at a Madrid court but sent a fax through his lawyer saying he was suffering with bronchitis and could not attend the hearing on Monday. The banner reads in Basque language 'Yes to solution, no to repression'. REUTERS/Pablo Sanchez

.... ... .

Support for Otegi in Elgoibar


Men paste a poster supporting Basque separatist leader Arnaldo Otegi in Elgoibar March 13, 2006. Otegi, spokesman of the banned Basque separatist party Batasuna, was summoned to appear at a Madrid court but sent a fax through his lawyer saying he was suffering with bronchitis and could not attend the hearing on Monday. REUTERS/Pablo Sanchez

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Sunday, March 12, 2006

Otegi Speaks Out in Donostia

Arnaldo Ortegi, a leader of the outlawed Basque Batasuna party, right, listens to Pernando Barrena, another Basque leader during a press conference in San Sebastian, northern Spain, Sunday, March 12, 2006. Prosecutors will ask a judge to jail Ortegi for allegedly inciting violence during a strike and violating bail terms in a separate case, Spain's attorney general said. The Basque separatist leader, Arnaldo Otegi, responded by saying that if he is sent to jail, prospects for peace in the region would be 'seriously' affected. Otegi is on euro 400,000 bail (US$ 480,000) after an arrested in May and charged with being a leader of the violent separatist group ETA. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)

.... ... .

Saturday, March 11, 2006

Trouble in Ustaritz

Pierre Arrieta, a resident of Ustaritz, southwestern France, stands ona stone platform as he prepares to cross a flooded road following the rise of the Nive river, Saturday, March 11, 2006, after heavy rainfalls hit the region. (AP Photo/Bob Edme)

.... ... .

Mudslide in Baigorri


Pascal Indo, carries a video camera covered in mud, walks near his home, as a car is semi-submerged in mud alongside the house following a mudslide, Saturday, March 11, 2006, in Saint-Etienne-de-Baigorry, southwestern France, after heavy rainfalls hit the region overnight. (AP Photo/Bob Edme)

.... ... .

Swimming With the Cars


Rescue workers reach a partially submerged car after the river Arga burst its banks in Pamplona, northern Spain, Saturday, March 11, 2006. No injuries have been reported at this time. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)

.... ... .

Thursday, March 09, 2006

A Banner in Hernani


An unidentified resident walks past a poster with photos of the two dead ETA prisoners on a Basque flag and the Basque words saying, Roberto Soldiers, We Dont Forget, in Hernani, northern Spain, Thursday March 9, 2006, during the general strike called by banned Basque Batasuna party to protest for the death in prison of the two ETA prisoners last week. Police say one hanged himself and the other had a heart attack. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)

.... ... .

Demonstration in Gazteiz

A Basque flag waves while hundreds of independence Basque supporters protest in Vitoria, northern Spain Thursday March 9, 2006, during the general strike called by banned Basque Batasuna party to protest for the death in prison of two ETA prisoners last week. Police say one hanged himself and the other had a heart attack. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)
Yeah, as if the Spanish Inquisition is going to tell us the truth.
.... ... .

Demonstration in Donostia


Hundreds of Basque radical protesters demonstrate in San Sebastian March 9, 2006. Batasuna, a separatist party outlawed for its links to ETA, called for a regional general strike to protest against the Basque government's ban on people publicly paying tribute to two ETA members who died in jail last week. The banner reads 'No to dispersion of Basque prisoners. Basque people must take to the streets.' REUTERS/Pablo Sanchez

Maybe some needs to tell Pablo Sanchez that to this date, Madrid has been unable to prove any links between Batasuna and ETA, or between ETA and any other Basque group accused of belonging to the so called entorno for that matter.
Other little details you can observe in this lazy piece of photojournalism:
a) It was thousands of Basques, not hundreds of Basque radicals.
b) The demonstration was against the brutal practice known as "dispersión", a legal mongrel that applies only to Basque prisoners in which against Spain's own constitution, Basque political prisoners are incarcerated as far away from Euskal Herria as possible, a repressive measure that punishes the families and friends of those in jail.
Jeez, just about anyone can be a reporter in Spain, is obvious that Pablo Sanchez keeps a picture of the Generalísimo Francisco Franco in his wallet, right next to the nice euro-pesetas that someone in the Partido Popular makes sure to put there.

.... ... .

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

Patxi Vila's Win


Lampre team rider Patxi Vila of Spain celebrates on the podium after he won the third stage of the Paris-Nice cycling race from Julienas to Saint-Etienne March 8, 2006. Vila snatched victory in the third stage of the Paris-Nice cycle race from Floyd Landis although the American took over the leader's yellow jersey on Wednesday. REUTERS/Franck Prevel

Did I mention he's Basque?

.... ... .

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

Today in Baiona





Youngs protesters shout during a demonstration in Bayonne, southwestern of France, opposed to the French govemment's new plan for reducing joblessness, Tuesday, March 7, 2006. Unions said expect more than 500, 000 people to turn out for demonstrations around the country. The government has initiated legislation that makes it easier for companies to fire young workers _ in the hope that flexibility would spur hiring of 18- to 25-year-olds. (AP Photo/Bob Edme)

Just so you know, Bayonne is the French version of the Basque word Baiona.

.... ... .

Monday, March 06, 2006

Aviar Birds in Baiona


Didier Labat, a butcher at a Bayonne supermarket, southwestern France, checks chickens from the southwestern Landes region, Monday March 6, 2006. A lethal strain of bird flu has spread to a region on France's Mediterranean coast, with confirmation Sunday that a swan there died of the H5N1 strain of the virus. The placard at left reads : 'Farm chicken from the south-west (of France), 3 euros (USD 2,50) per kilogram'. (AP Photo/Bob Edme)

.... ... .

Sunday, March 05, 2006

Calling for General Strike


Arnaldo Otegi (L), leader of banned Basque nationalists Batasuna, speaks at a news conference in Bilbao, northern Spain March 5, 2006, next to nationalist trade union leader Rafa Diaz. Otegi called for a general strike in the Basque Country on Thursday, following the recent deaths of two ETA members in prison. REUTERS/Vincent West

.... ... .

Saturday, March 04, 2006

Biarritz Olympique's Defeat


L-R: Stade Francais' flanker Remy Martin and Biarritz's prop Census Johnston and lock Olivier Olibeau try to grab the ball after a line-out during their French Rugby Union Match at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, northern of Paris. Stade Francais mounted a second-half fightback to beat defending champions Biarritz 21-16.(AFP/Damien Meyer)

.... ... .

A Farewell to Ricardo


Basque leader Arnaldo Ortegi, centre helps carry the coffin of Ricardo Saiz, a Basque separatist group prisoner, who died in jail during a funeral in Portugalete, northern Spain, Saturday March 4, 2006. Several hundred supporters of the violent Basque separatist group ETA clashed earlier with riot police while protesting the deaths of two jailed ETA members, one through suicide and the other through suspected heart failure. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)

.... ... .