Roe and Wolf - mucho gracias for setting the record staight and confirming the historical accuracy of what the International Brigade(s) were all about. We need more accurate 'history profs' on the board!

I posted the following in another thread - but it appropos here There is a section on the Basque area - a group of people and an area she loved - strongly suggest anyone interestwd in these subjects read both the above and Thieves World (same author) 1994.

You go Abe Lincoln, I mean Mr. Aznar. Keep the Spanish Union is the battle cry! And never give up or give in to cowardly terrorists!!!!!!!!

In the past week the two main bosses of ETA have been arrested in France, three active cells have been also arrested, important documentation taken, and the ability of ETA commiting assasinations lowered (they are still able to bomb and kill however).

Two days ago the president of the basque government did a proposal of secesionism with a formula of "co-sobereignity" in the Basque Country that would be a relationship like the one between Puerto Rico and the United States of America.

Following that proposal the non-nationalist political parties have stated that the proposal is incompatible with the constitution, with the European Union and that it lacks of any legal basis, not to say that they are against the desintegration of Spain.

Interesting political times...

Fernando

Fernando you are correct, very interesting times here. Sadly PNV has decided to take a political course that is distructive and dangerous. The more the PNV leadership speaks the more they resemble the crazy Batasuna leadership.

They have suggested that they are a crusified Christ figure along side two thieves. Advancing the idea that PP and ETA are equvialant.What nonsence!

They have been trying to appeal to former Batasuna voters with a tone that is repulsive to the rational 95% of Spain. Illegal rallies organized by ETA-Batasuna have been permited to proceed. For every mild condemnation of ETA, there are 3 sharp denouncements of the Spanish government. I have to ask myself, whose side are they on.

The Spanish people who live in the Basque provinces are being betrayed by their politicians who are undertaking an agenda to destroy the 500 year of a united strong Spain. My thoughts and prayers go out to those PSOE and PP poltiicans who represnt the regions despite the constant threat of assasination. I wish PNV would show the same concern for those in the Basque region who live under threat of death every day, as they show for their own deranged philosophy.

Fernando and Shawn,
You're forgetting that three people have died during the last week.
Two terrorists died when the explosives that they were carrying in their car accidently went off (too bad!). Of course one of them was named 'hijo predilecto' immediately after it happened, in his HB ran hometown.
And the next day, a 'guardia civil' was victim to a really coward trap. He went to dismantle a banner related to ETA or HB (I'm not sure, but, who cares?) and at that moment a bomb exploded. Of course, that same day his young widow had to know about HB's several demonstrations of sorrow for the previous day's deaths, while only 50 people dared demonstrating against her husband's brutal killing in the village where the couple lived, some of those brave people being other widows who probably feel they don't have much left to lose.

Right on Pim,

I didn´t forget it, but I´m glad you brought it up. Those outside of Spain must understand the madness of ETA. I wanted to throw-up every time the news reports showed images of the would-be killer who died before making a young bride a widow, or before making a family childless. I only wished more etarras had the same kind of accidents.

The news media properly block the identities of the police officers and military personel who risk their lives to save the lives of others. I only wish that they wouldn´t show the repulsive faces of dead or captured terrorists. These animals don´t need any publicity, and to see brainwashed townspeople in parts of the Basque region carring images of dead etarras is enough to loose my cool. I don´t support censorship, but the new agencies should be more responsable in their reporting of ETA.

PIM, see you Oct 5?

TOTALLY RIGHT ON, SHAWN!

See you there!

Both of you are right, I forgot to tell about this men (the etarras who died by their own bomb and the guardia civil). ETA is coward, and will continue killing anytime they can.

Perhaps somewhen we will see the end of this madness...

Fernando

Carrot and stick, simplistic but very Effective.
The Basques ARE Spanish and should remain so.
It's time for the rest of Spain to remind them of this, AHORA!

Cutting off Batasuna did nothing more than drive ETA further underground. Now you have a reaction from moderate Basques, seeking a referendum, which will probably happen, with or without the blessings of Madrid. If they don't get the referendum, rest assured the Basques will become more beligerent, and the attacks against the Madrid government will escalate far beyond what you've seen in the past.

Since the Madrid government keeps insisting that the vast majority of people in Basque Country don't agree with the seperatist movement, why on earth wouldn't they allow the vote? It worked in Quebec province in Canada, with the Seperatist movement there. Why not in Spain.

Wolf (Who thinks the Madrid government has cooked the books on their figures.)