🚀 go-pugleaf

>Basque separatists seek support from Ireland

By Kevin Smith

DUBLIN, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Leaders of the political wing of the Basque
separatist group ETA called on Ireland on Tuesday to help persuade the Spanish
government to seize the opportunity presented by the guerrilla group's
ceasefire.

``We call on the international community as a whole, and the Irish in
particular -- since they have been through a similar process -- to persuade
the Spanish government to grasp this historic opportunity,'' members of the
executive of Herri Batasuna told a news conference in Dublin.

The party, the legal political arm of ETA (Basque Homeland and Freedom) which
last month called a truce in its 30-year battle for independence, said it saw
Ireland as ``a brother.''

``We trust very strongly the Irish people -- we feel we have come to our
brother's home,'' party member Loren Arkotxa said.

``We urge the Irish government and the Irish people to help the Basque people
get a new political scenario...to help take the Basque people to freedom and
justice.''

ETA has killed about 800 people in Spain in its campaign for a state
comprising Basque provinces in Spain and France. Its ceasefire is modelled on
the truce called by the Irish Republican Army (IRA).

The Spanish government has reacted cautiously to ETA's move, demanding that
the guerrillas lay down their arms and disband.

Herri Batasuna's Esther Agirre said the surrender of weapons would take place
only after an agreement was reached.

Employing the same language used by the IRA's political allies, Sinn Fein,
before Northern Ireland's peace deal signed in April, Herri Batasuna said a
political solution for the Basque region could be reached only through
inclusive talks.

``The process should start with multi-party talks with no preconditions
imposed on participants,'' Arkotxa said.

ETA has long had links with Sinn Fein, forged because of common opposition to
what they saw as rule from another country -- London in the case of Sinn Fein,
Madrid for ETA.

Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams, in the Basque region last week to show
solidarity with Herri Batasuna's leadership, urged all parties involved in the
conflict to learn lessons from the Northern Ireland process.

13:56 10-13-98 <