Hmmm.. I'll believe it when I see it but I do hope it's true.

I keep my hope, but there's still a long way to walk.

Hopefully this sentiment can spread to other parts of the world. But I suppose the US has to foster these ideas instead of indirectly causing them because of our big-bully attitude. :o (

Here's to open-mindedness and common goals of hope/unity everywhere, especially in our own country.

Been a while since I've visited, MM...but with news like this, I couldn't stay away. This is good news, but we've seen "treguas" before, most recently in 1998 in addition to the one declared in 1989. Those didn't seem to last.

The bottom line is there's a larger enemy to fight here, and ETA is lumped in with the rest of the west when the discussion turns to al-Qaeda. ETA realizes this, and, in a moment of weakness, has agreed to lay down arms...por ahora.

I welcome any sign of capitulation on the part of the etarras, as I do not advocate this sort of struggle for political purposes. It looks as if the no dialogue/no concession stance of Spain's government begun prior to Z's reign has borne fruit.

When the enemy is so apparent, it's easy to band together against it. ETA is one of those "easy" targets. Spain in general, and Basques specifically, including those in my family, have rejected this violent path as a means to an end.

As a footnote: I respectfully disagree with RLS's opinion of the US as a "big bully" since I also see al-Qaeda as an "easy" target from the perspective of their agenda as it relates to freedom. Would that the world would be so united in its rejection of violence perpetrated by al-Qaeda as Spain has been in recent years in its anti-ETA actions.

Any news of this nature is positive and necessary if Spain is to finally resolve this problem. Plus, the circumstances are very different from the last one in 1998. In that time, ETA wanted to recover and reorganize. It seems that ETA is weaker today than it's ever been. But ETA never does anything without trying to gain from it.

Chances are it will try to use this as leverage in negotiating, and it's going to get tricky and messy. The major political forces may band together against ETA, but that doesn't mean they have the same voice concerning Batasuna or the future of the Basque Country; and the other nationailist parties will want to benefit from this new situation.

The government will have to make concessions on certain issues, because that is what these processes are all about. The IRA in Northern Ireland was allowed, for example, to disarm in private.

What worries people is what those concessions will be.

So, any official step towards the end of violence must be taken as good news. We'll see what happens from here on.

As long as the negotiators on all sides do negotiate rather than play politics for their own purposes there will be a better chance of success. Agree with both Calibasco (good to see you back ) and Murdy in that the extent of the concessions will be crucial - asking too much will negate the peace process.

Good to be back, Puna. Been a while, indeed...

Talk is cheap. It is the action that will take some proving. Myself, I smell a con game.

"Would that the world would be so united in its rejection of violence perpetrated by al-Qaeda as Spain has been in recent years in its anti-ETA actions."

Yea weird isn't it, only the world is united in it's rejection of violence.
Except what their united against is violence and torure perpetrated by the "Bush/Blair USA/UK and neocolonial aggression both militarily and economically
I guess it depends on one's own perspective.