Has Zapatero Reigned Grande-Marlaska In?

Could it be truth that the Spanish inquisidors have been called upon Madrid to carry out their duty with responsability and full respect for the law?

For too long judges like Baltasar Garzón, Juand del Olmo and Fernando Grande-Marlaska have behaved like if they were in charge of a witch hunt against the Basques. They did not have to prove anything, in their capability as prosecutors they would issue the most outlandish accusations and then as judges they would twist the law to make it fit their dark designs.

But even the leadership of Batasuna thinks there is a change in the way the Dark Lords of the Audiencia Nacional are behaving, perhaps because somehow they finally got it through their thick skulls that the time for peace is here.

This is the note about the issue that appeared at EITb:

Party leaders set free

For Batasuna, National Court ruling shows deep change in methods

Outlawed Batasuna leader, Karmelo Landa, has pointed out today that National Court judge Fernando Grande-Marlaska's decision to set Arnaldo Otegi and the other seven Batasuna leaders (including Landa himself) free after questioning shows "a deep change in forms, methods and ways to solve the problem."

In statements for radio station Radio Euskadi, Landa has said that we are witnessing "a cycle change" that, in his opinion, "must be noticed." "I think it's important to notice it," he has added.

Landa has admitted that the last few days have been "very intense and of much personal and collective tension" for the members of the executive committee, even if he has confessed he is "very happy" for the denouement of the case. "Not for personal repercussions, but for what it contributes to the perspective of a deep change in the forms, methods and ways to solve the problem," he has explained.

Although he has admitted that Grande-Marlaska "made a huge contradiction," he has noted that conservative opposition party PP makes just the same when they say they will cut relations with socialists because they will meet Batasuna." "Here -he has criticised- there is a trivialisation and a forgery of reality that I think we are happily overcoming."

For Landa, at the moment we are beginning to notice that "a basic and fundamental agreement is possible to leave aside these forgeries of reality that such judges as Grande-Marlaska or such parties as PP are making, and to tackle an irreversible and satisfactory way for the conflict."

Basque socialists' announcement

In turn, the Batasuna executive committee member has referred to Basque socialists' leader, Patxi López, and his announcement that his party will meet Batasuna, and has described it as a "very important fact" he interprets as a compromise to open a two-pronged scenario in the Basque Country. "The multiparty table in the Basque Country and the table for the Government and ETA in Madrid," he has listed.

Landa has insisted that he has "an optimistic attitude in the process," and has added that "this optimism could be consolidated after the last events."

In turn, he has referred to the words of PP leader Mariano Rajoy, who warned his party would cut relations with socialists if they meet Batasuna. "Batasuna has never been terrorist, and happily, is starting to leave illegality, the great condition for all political forces to take part in an integral process," he has affirmed.

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