Basque separatists

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Out of an Assassination, a Most Unusual Friendship
He Assassinated Her Husband.
They're Friends Now
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He Assassinated Her Husband. They're Friends Now

'Guardian' tells the story of a widow who agreed to meet with her husband's killer in Spain

(Newser) - In July 2000, Luis Carrasco stood lookout as a fellow member of his assassination squad executed a perceived enemy inside a crowded cafeteria in Spain. Carrasco and his two partners—the shooter and a getaway driver, though they alternated duties—belonged to the Basque separatist group ETA. The man they...

Mob Chases Sarkozy Into Bar
 Mob Chases Sarkozy Into Bar 

Mob Chases Sarkozy Into Bar

French prez meets hostile crowd at campaign stop

(Newser) - Yesterday was a tough day on the campaign trail for Nicolas Sarkozy. The French president was forced to take refuge in a bar after being confronted by a hostile crowd in the southwestern city of Bayonne, the BBC reports. Hundreds of angry protesters—a mix of Basque nationalists and supporters...

Basque Group ETA Calls Cease-Fire After 43 Years

Move could end last armed militancy in Europe

(Newser) - The Basque militant group ETA called an end to a 43-year violent campaign for independence today and said it now wants talks with Spain and France—a groundbreaking move that could pave the way for ending Europe's last armed militancy. ETA had already declared a cease-fire last year, but...

Basque Militants Declare Permanent Cease-Fire in Spain

But statement falls short of government hopes

(Newser) - The militant Basque separatist group ETA declared a permanent cease-fire today in what it called a firm step toward ending its bloody, decades-long independence fight—but the Spanish government quickly demanded it disband outright. Masked ETA members announced the cease-fire in a video distributed to Spanish media, and ETA's statement...

Basque Militants ETA Declare Ceasefire

The group intends to use 'a democratic process'

(Newser) - Basque separatist group ETA has announced a ceasefire, the BBC reports . The armed group, considered terrorists by many, has led a campaign for Basque independence that resulted in more than 820 deaths over the past 40 years. After previous statements by the Spanish government that it will not negotiate with...

Car Bomb Kills Police Inspector in Spain

(Newser) - A senior Spanish police inspector was killed in the Basque region's city of Bilbao this morning in a car bombing, the BBC reports. The regional government blamed the attack on the Eta Basque separatist group. If that’s confirmed, it will mark the group’s first fatal attack since the...

Basque Separatists Hand Over Power After 30 Years

After 30 years, separatists lose power in Spanish region

(Newser) - Security has been ramped up in the Basque region of Spain today as it prepares for the inauguration of its first non-separatist government in 30 years. Spain's national left- and right-wing parties have come together to form a unity coalition, ending decades of rule by Basque separatists. The terrorist group...

Basque Military Chief Nabbed in France

'Txeroki' had hand in ETA violence the past five years, say investigators

(Newser) - A military leader of the Basque separatist organization ETA linked to police murders and the 2006 Madrid airport bomb attack has been busted in France, reports the Times of London. The man, who goes by the nom de guerre of Txeroki, was arrested  in a small town in the Pyrenees....

Spain's ETA Unleashes 3 Attacks in 24 Hours

Basque terror group launches 3 attacks in 24 hours

(Newser) - A car bombing blamed on the armed Basque group ETA killed an army officer and wounded 6 people in northern Spain this morning. It was the third such attack in 24 hours in what appeared to be a stepped-up ETA offensive. The explosion happened as the building was being evacuated...

ETA Behind Blasts in Northern Spain
ETA Behind Blasts in Northern Spain

ETA Behind Blasts in Northern Spain

Bombs in tourist towns mark Basque group's summer awakening

(Newser) - The Basque separatist group ETA detonated five bombs in northern Spain yesterday in a coordinated attack, the Telegraph reports, though only one injury was reported. Four bombs went off in tourist resorts; a fifth targeted a bank near Bilbao. The explosions marked the traditional summer bombing campaign ETA has waged...

France Arrests Basque Terror Group's Leader

ETA's No. 1 busted in joint police sting with Spanish

(Newser) - The suspected leader of the ETA, the Basque separatist group and terrorist organization, has been arrested by a joint Spanish and French police operation. Some 30 armed officers raided the Bordeaux apartment of Javier López Peña, who is believed to have headed the ETA since 2004. López...

Cops Injured in Bilbao Blast
 Cops Injured in
 Bilbao Blast 

Cops Injured in Bilbao Blast

ETA fingered for attack on Socialist headquarters

(Newser) - A powerful car bomb believed to be the work of the Basque separatist group ETA exploded today in Spain, injuring at least seven police officers. The blast, which was preceded by a warning call, occurred outside the headquarters of Spain's ruling Socialist Party in the Basque city of Bilbao. The...

Spanish PM: Basque Group Killed Pol

Eta separatists trying to disrupt elections, Zapatero says

(Newser) - Spain’s Prime Minister is blaming Basque separatist group Eta for the shooting death of a party functionary a day before national elections, the BBC reports. Jose Zapatero, whose Socialist Party is expected to win the contest, painted Isaias Carrasco’s murder as an attempt to disrupt elections, but vowed...

Spain's PM Tells Church to Get Out of Election

Zapatero meets with Vatican rep over campaign to oust him

(Newser) - Spanish PM José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is meeting today with a Vatican representative to protest the Catholic Church's call for voters to oust his Socialist party in the March 9 general election. Zapatero was infuriated by bishops' publication of "moral guidance," calling on parishioners to vote out...

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