 Spain's Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. AFP photo |
Spain's Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has rejected a permanent cease-fire declaration from armed Basque separatists ETA, saying he wants nothing less than their dissolution.
Zapatero was responding to the first unilateral declaration of a permanent cease-fire in ETA's campaign of bombings and shootings for a homeland independent of Spain, which has claimed the lives of 829 people.
"The only thing we are waiting for from ETA is a statement on its definitive dissolution," he told Antena 3 television, ruling out dialogue and saying ETA's only choice was to disarm and respect the law. Achieving an end to ETA's violence would be a costly and difficult process, Zapatero said. "We are without any doubt on the horizon of seeing that end to violence but it will take time," he added. "We must remain united, with strength and intelligence and defending the democratic state. That way we will achieve it. I have no doubt."
ETA's statement Monday had talked of a cease-fire, but there was no promise to disband or disarm. "ETA has decided to declare a permanent and general cease-fire which will be verifiable by the international community," the group said in a video declaration. "This is ETA's firm commitment towards a process to achieve a lasting resolution and towards an end to the armed confrontation." The video showed three ETA members in white hoods and black berets, sitting in front of a table and reading the statement aloud in the Basque and Spanish languages.
They called on Spain and France to end "repressive measures" and abandon their attitude of "denial" towards the Basque Country; and they urged Basque people to agree on a future with independence as a possibility. Jose Marco, vice-president of AVT, an association of victims of ETA attacks, dismissed the offer as "more of the same."
The Basque Country's interior minister Rodolfo Ares said the statement was a step in the right direction, but was "insufficient, because ETA has not decided to abandon terrorist activities."
Spanish media on Tuesday dismissed ETA's cease-fire declaration as a "decoy" and "tactical step" to allow the political arm of the Basque separatist group to field candidates in municipal elections.
Centre-right daily El Mundo said ETA "maintains the same demands that have led it to kill over 800 people and it is obvious that it is offering the cease-fire as a tactical move to try to return to political institutions." Conservative daily ABC said the only novelty in the group's message - which it deemed "laughable" - was the offer to make the cease-fire verifiable.
Left-leaning El Pais urged the government to maintain the hard-line against ETA which it adopted since the group called off its last cease-fire in June 2007, citing a lack of progress in its tentative peace talks with Madrid.
ETA announced a "permanent cease-fire" in March 2006 within the framework of negotiations with Madrid. But nine months later, it set off a bomb in the car park of Madrid-Barajas airport, killing two men.
Zapatero was responding to the first unilateral declaration of a permanent cease-fire in ETA's campaign of bombings and shootings for a homeland independent of Spain, which has claimed the lives of 829 people.
"The only thing we are waiting for from ETA is a statement on its definitive dissolution," he told Antena 3 television, ruling out dialogue and saying ETA's only choice was to disarm and respect the law. Achieving an end to ETA's violence would be a costly and difficult process, Zapatero said. "We are without any doubt on the horizon of seeing that end to violence but it will take time," he added. "We must remain united, with strength and intelligence and defending the democratic state. That way we will achieve it. I have no doubt."
ETA's statement Monday had talked of a cease-fire, but there was no promise to disband or disarm. "ETA has decided to declare a permanent and general cease-fire which will be verifiable by the international community," the group said in a video declaration. "This is ETA's firm commitment towards a process to achieve a lasting resolution and towards an end to the armed confrontation." The video showed three ETA members in white hoods and black berets, sitting in front of a table and reading the statement aloud in the Basque and Spanish languages.
They called on Spain and France to end "repressive measures" and abandon their attitude of "denial" towards the Basque Country; and they urged Basque people to agree on a future with independence as a possibility. Jose Marco, vice-president of AVT, an association of victims of ETA attacks, dismissed the offer as "more of the same."
The Basque Country's interior minister Rodolfo Ares said the statement was a step in the right direction, but was "insufficient, because ETA has not decided to abandon terrorist activities."
Spanish media on Tuesday dismissed ETA's cease-fire declaration as a "decoy" and "tactical step" to allow the political arm of the Basque separatist group to field candidates in municipal elections.
Centre-right daily El Mundo said ETA "maintains the same demands that have led it to kill over 800 people and it is obvious that it is offering the cease-fire as a tactical move to try to return to political institutions." Conservative daily ABC said the only novelty in the group's message - which it deemed "laughable" - was the offer to make the cease-fire verifiable.
Left-leaning El Pais urged the government to maintain the hard-line against ETA which it adopted since the group called off its last cease-fire in June 2007, citing a lack of progress in its tentative peace talks with Madrid.
ETA announced a "permanent cease-fire" in March 2006 within the framework of negotiations with Madrid. But nine months later, it set off a bomb in the car park of Madrid-Barajas airport, killing two men.
No comments:
Post a Comment