Links between Batasuna and ETA aren't as direct as the Spanish government implies, but they like to blame everything on the whole. And blame them both for everything. You might remember when the trains in Madrid were bombed, they immediately blamed ETA and Batasuna and I immediately condemned Spain for that reaction. Even I knew it wasn't something the ETA would do, but the government out of habit and politics blamed them first. There is a reason there is no violence in the Basque country that's now part of France. Also, I've met that mayor of San Sebastian.
I was intrigued by the basque thing, so I was interested to see your reply. I think Batasuna's relationship with ETA is probably broadly similar to that between sinn fein and the IRA, in that they do not represent one and the same group bu are opposite ends of a continuum, one (relatively speaking)moderates, one extremists. I think the Spanish reaction was certainly hasty, given that the attack from the beginning had all the hallmarks of an al-qaida sponsored attack, but my feeling was that this was something that ETA lacked the capability rather than the will to do. I think, that while france clearly has a far better relationship with its basque citizens, I think there are two clear points: 1) For a long time france tacitly accepted an ETA presence in france as long as they only attacked south of the border. 2) France has not had to deal with the kind of hatred created in the basque country as a result of the franquist legacy.
The ETA doesn't do anything unless it's for political gain, and they don't target civilians. If civilians happen to be near when the Supreme Court Justice's car is blown up thats something, but civilians aren't the targets. Otherwise there is a lot of stuff like bending train tracks
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And blame them both for everything.
You might remember when the trains in Madrid were bombed, they immediately blamed ETA and Batasuna and I immediately condemned Spain for that reaction. Even I knew it wasn't something the ETA would do, but the government out of habit and politics blamed them first.
There is a reason there is no violence in the Basque country that's now part of France.
Also, I've met that mayor of San Sebastian.
Cheney: Only the good die young.
Turtle: Gross.
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I think the Spanish reaction was certainly hasty, given that the attack from the beginning had all the hallmarks of an al-qaida sponsored attack, but my feeling was that this was something that ETA lacked the capability rather than the will to do. I think, that while france clearly has a far better relationship with its basque citizens, I think there are two clear points: 1) For a long time france tacitly accepted an ETA presence in france as long as they only attacked south of the border. 2) France has not had to deal with the kind of hatred created in the basque country as a result of the franquist legacy.
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