Talking to Terrorists.

international | anti-war / imperialism | news report Tuesday January 27, 2004 13:03 by iosaf - ipsiphi Barcelona Catalonia EU

something that differentiates "us" from "politicians".

We in Ireland, know the importance of dialogue to conflict resolution. And we don't really need long complex explanations.

The democratically elected and formed tripartite government of Catalonia is under serious attack from Madrid and Europe this morning, the leader of the Republicans has resigned his role as "quasi-minister of foreign affairs". One which was central to the increased role of Catalonia in Europe and it's right to percieved as a nation though one without state. This morning the Irish Citizen EU official Mr Cox refused to meet Josep Carod Rivera, because yesterday the leader of the ERC had a meeting with representatives of ETA. Mr Cox awaits "confirmation" of the ERC's attitutude to terrorism.

This morning the Spanish national press, leads with stories implying that the tripartite will now end, or that the leader of the ERC whose 23 deputies guaranteed the co-alition must resign completely.

He _did not_ inform the other coalition parties that he was going to meet ETA.

He has met representatives of that group before, most notably in 2000, when he secured a non-agression policy against Catalans by that group. There have since been no ETA actions in Catalonia.

He has not been alone in meeting representatives of ETA.
"in his own words < all spanish governments have talked to ETA>
http://barcelona.indymedia.org/newswire/display/68221/index.php

the press statement with link to Nodo50 info on the last publicised communication between Catalan Independence Republican Socialists and the armed force tradition of Basque Republican Independence Socialists in 2000.
http://barcelona.indymedia.org/newswire/display/68216/index.php
http://www.nodo50.org/espacio/espacio/campa/euskadi/foro2.htm
note that Mikel Albizu "Antza", of the Basque's who met Josep-Lluís Carod Rovira, also met in the presence of the editor of the Spanish daily ABC, representatives of Aznar's government on May 19th of 1999 in Zurich.
http://barcelona.indymedia.org/newswire/display/68195/index.php

----{My morning coffee barman thrust the paper towards me, what do you think of this????
I paused, and mused that if anyone is talk to "them", then the best options are either Aznar (again) or "Josep". Peace is too important to leave to the nice new poster campaign.}---------- [but I am only a foreigner]

Everyone in this nation without state, knows that the long road to "independence" to "full recognition of Catalonia's right to exist as a people, as a european nation, has notably been without the presence of armed struggle".
Everyone knows that all democratic parties in this region, excluding the catalan PP, unequivocally condemn many policies of Aznar's government which have served to further alienate the Basque people. The President of the Catalan Parliament (whom I have jokingly referred to before as "an ceann chomhairle eile" has in the last weeks met representatives of the Basque political prisoner groups, to listen to their request for repatriation of their prisoners. Such a request was central to the Irish process of confilct resolution, such an initiative could have been seen as a natural compliment to the attempts of the Lehandakari's (taoiseach's) of the Basque region efforts to promote a Basque referendum on their future.

Yet Mr Cox won't meet him.

To insult and further alienate the Basque people, the Catalans are to be smeared as well?
¿what true and deep agenda is served by our European masters, that they may cabal such alliances in the dark- ¿Cox and Aznar?