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Spanish Daily Urges Caution in Response to ETA Cease-Fire

Posted on: Thursday, 23 March 2006, 15:00 CST

Excerpt from unsigned editorial: "Between caution and scepticism", published by Spanish newspaper La Razon website on 23 March

The vast majority of citizens have for too long been wishing for ETA to disappear from national life for good. Spaniards younger than 40 do not know what it is to live without ETA terrorism and no news would please them more than the announcement of the dissolving of the band. The communiqu\ issued yesterday may open that path. Nevertheless, it should be received as what it is: the promise by an organization that has murdered more than 800 people over the last 40 years and that has broken its word on several occasions. The positive side of the news must therefore be viewed with utmost caution, in the knowledge that it is not enough, nor is it convincing. ETA's decision must be analysed with coolness and rigour, to avoid a repeat of old frustrations, like in 1998 when ETA declared an "indefinite and total cease-fire" which turned out to be a trick. [Passage omitted]

If any certain conclusion can be drawn from yesterday's communiqu\ it is that the rule of law has crushed the terrorist band. With the police and the Civil Guard, the judges and the prosecutors, the law on [political] parties and the PP-PSOE [Popular Party-Spanish Socialist Workers' Party] pact against terrorism. ETA has not asked for "time out" because it has discovered democracy but because it feels cornered on all fronts. The question to be resolved now is whether the ETA pause is sufficient to set in motion formal negotiations. If we abide by the motion approved by the socialists and nationalists in the Congress on May 2005, such negotiations must be preceded by two conditions: [ETA] laying down its arms and dissolving itself. That is not the case now. Therefore it is up to the government, which reacted yesterday with studied prudence, to handle the prospects for the future with integrity. It is right to issue an invitation to the opposition, but first it must make quite clear that neither ETA nor Batasuna establish the timetable, as the communiqu\ suggests. [Passage omitted]

Zapatero is right to reach out to the PP. We have pulled no punches in criticizing the prime minister when he has moved away from the consensus and the national pact in the fight against the terrorists. Now, and even if he has taken longer than he should, with the same conviction we praise his wish to include the opposition in this process. His words yesterday are compatible with those of [PP leader Mariano] Rajoy, who has clearly defined the playing field: the surrender of ETA without political concessions, the antiterrorist pact and law on parties, the continuing of police and court actions, and an apology to the victims. [Passage omitted]

Source: BBC Monitoring European

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