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A couple drink whilst they look at Spanish TV at a bar in Pamplona northern Spain, showing members of the Basque separatist group ETA. AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos

No talks with ETA following ceasefire, says Spain

The Basque separatist group ETA announced that it would lay down its arms yesterday – but the Spanish government has ruled out talks.

SPAIN HAS SAID there will be no talks with the Basque separatist group ETA – even as it welcomed an end to four decades of bombings and shootings following the group’s announcement it was laying down arms.

ETA announced yesterday in a historic statement that it was ceasing its 43-year-long campaign for an independent Basque state in territory straddling northern Spain and southwest France.

However, the group stopped short of declaring defeat and called on Spain and France to open talks on the conflict.

Spanish Defence Minister Carme Chacon told Spanish National Television there is nothing to negotiate with ETA.

He added that ETA had not achieved any of its aims and that the decades “of pain and crime have not served them (ETA) at all.”

Chacon said this was the “beginning of an end that has to be managed intelligently”.

ETA’s decision was welcomed by Spanish politicians across the board, with Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero saying it was a victory for democracy.

ETA, which killed more 800 people in its violent campaign, made the announcement in a video of three its members wearing trademark Basque berets and white cloth masks with slits for their eyes.

At the end of the clip, they defiantly raised their fists in the air demanding a separate Basque nation.

Spain’s Interior Minister Antonio Camacho paid homage to the security forces who helped bring about ETA’s change of heart and said:

We have ended a part of our task. The most complicated part remains: guaranteeing, by means of strict adherence to our laws, that never again should a generation of Spaniards have to bear the burden of a barbarity that has dragged on our progress and compromised our future.

Spain in recent years has repeatedly refused any negotiations with ETA — talks in 2006 went nowhere.

Relatives of victims killed by ETA also insisted that group disband and tell authorities where its guns and bomb-making material are hidden.

“It is the hoped-for end, but not the desired one,” said Angeles Pedraza, president of the Association of Victims of Terrorism. “The victims want the attacks to stop, but we want them to pay for what they have done. We want the total defeat of ETA.”

ETA’s statement made no apology for having killed hundreds of people.

ETA emerged during the dictatorship of Gen Francisco Franco, who suppressed Basque culture.

Many Basques argue they are culturally distinct from Spain and deserve statehood.

But the wealthy and verdant region also has many inhabitants who consider themselves Spanish, or both Basque and Spanish, and have long been opposed to the militants.

In 1973, ETA planted a bomb on a Madrid street after weeks of tunneling and blew up a car, killing Franco’s Prime Minister Luis Carrero Blanco.

But even as Spain returned to democracy in 1978 and the Basque territory and other Spanish regions were granted sweeping autonomy over the following years, ETA became even more violent, killing hundreds of people.

Classified as a terrorist group by Spain, the European Union and the United States, the group’s power and ability to stage attacks waned over the last decade, especially after the September 11 attacks and the 2004 Madrid train bombings by radical Islamists.

ETA preceded Thursday’s announcement with a cease-fire in September 2010 which it then declared permanent in January.

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3 Comments
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    Mute Jules Lucas
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    Mar 4th 2013, 12:48 PM

    The impact of this scandal has done wonders for the local village butcher, which we are better off buying our meat from anyway in my opinion!

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    Mute Christmas Carroll
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    Mar 4th 2013, 12:56 PM

    Completely agree! Never mind the fact that at least you know what you’re getting is the real deal, it’s much healthier and tastes a hell of a lot better… Makes the extra money spent worth it!

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    Mute Figo murphy
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    Mar 4th 2013, 1:01 PM

    I agree. My local butcher is flying. He just bought a new car, he got rid of that old horse he used to go around on.

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    Mute Christmas Carroll
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    Mar 4th 2013, 1:03 PM

    Dammit Figo :-P

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    Mute Dodge Challenger
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    Mar 4th 2013, 12:53 PM

    Will this horse meat issue ever go away? It’s not that much of a big deal. Not to ruin any appetites but could you imagine the amount of little insects and other creatures that get minced in with the meat supply that we never know about.

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    Mute susanna smyth
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    Mar 4th 2013, 12:56 PM

    Burgers are tested for horse meat only. What other nasty could be in there disguised as beef ?

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    Mute Bo11ocks_to_this
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    Mar 4th 2013, 1:19 PM

    Did anyone else see the article from SA about water buffalo, horse and others found in beef. I’ll try find a link

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    Mute mcgoo
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    Mar 4th 2013, 1:15 PM

    A bit ironic that “Kanter” did the study eh?

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    Mute pat aherne
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    Mar 4th 2013, 1:21 PM

    When we were starting our then 18 month on meat (2years ago) my wife decided to get supermarket burgers just in case he did not like them – well to tell you the truth he pretty much threw the burger back at her. I said why not try butcher meat it will taste alot better and healthier for the child. She got a 1/4 pounder and he ate 2/3 of it. Hence even an 18 month old knew the taste of quality !!

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    Mute clareo79
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    Mar 4th 2013, 2:07 PM

    You gave an 18 month old a burger?!

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    Mute mister
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    Mar 4th 2013, 12:51 PM

    Interesting article. If I’m reading those stats correctly, does this indicate that ordinary local butchers have not experienced a bounce in trade? And if not, I wonder why?

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    Mute Hippocrateeth
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    Mar 4th 2013, 12:57 PM

    In other news, the number of horses commuting on the Dart has risen by over 800% in the past week. Community watch locals report a growing number of incidences involving horses some described as having ‘brazen attitudes’ and ‘brass balls’ towards concerned travellers waiting on the platforms for their respective trains. In a more striking example of the intimidation by the footloose horses, a 6-pack box of Silverdale frozen burgers was kicked at an elderly man’s head causing the man to curse loudly at the ebullient edible equine. The man was later taken for questioning. A file has been sent to the office of the DPP and a request for legal aid has been sought.

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    Mute Dave Kavanagh
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    Mar 4th 2013, 1:18 PM

    Great the media is loving this story and in doing so are systematically destroying one of Irelands core industries. Dont get me wrong I am totally for a free press but some of the sensationalism printed about this scandle (storm in a teacup) in relation to its connection with Ireland has been pure speculation and even when facts where established the Irish connection was still bigged up. Journal well done on being responsible and accurate if only other media would follow your example.

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    Mute Barry McSweeney
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    Mar 4th 2013, 3:22 PM

    If anyone is destroying one of Ireland’s core industries it is those who sold contaminated meat, the officials who refuse to admit that traceability “from farm to fork” is a lie, and the businessmen who refuse to speak publicly about what happened in their factories.
    Burying your head in the sand and “pulling on the green jersey” as you advocate will never work.

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    Mute АЛЕКСАНДРЪ ХАИШ
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    Mar 4th 2013, 5:47 PM

    Completely agree with you on this one, Dave!

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    Mute sid
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    Mar 4th 2013, 1:07 PM

    @ dodge

    I figure its a very big deal , nobody has any idea where what horses were used, could have used anything to bolster up the weight

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    Mute АЛЕКСАНДРЪ ХАИШ
    Favourite АЛЕКСАНДРЪ ХАИШ
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    Mar 4th 2013, 5:21 PM

    “FSAI” IS STILL WORKING ON CONTAMINATED MEAT PRODUCTS ???, WHILE THERE IS POISONOUS MILK AND DAIRY PRODUCTS RAPIDLY SPREAD ACROSS IRELAND! Disgrace!

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