Page 8 - aruba-today-20180421

A8 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 21 april 2018

Basque militant group ETA: 'We really are sorry'

By ARITZ PARRA been demanding an apol-
MADRID (AP) — The Basque ogy and that the group
militant group ETA on Fri- take a further step and dis-
day offered an unprec- band.
edented apology for the The official Basque region-
pain caused during its al broadcaster ETB, which
more than four decades of has in the past had ac-
armed campaign for inde- cess to the organization's
pendence from Spain and plans, reported this week
France, and vowed not to that ETA's dissolution would
return to violence. be announced in the first
ETA, which killed around weekend of May. ETB said
850 people including po- that an event to mark the
lice, politicians and en- end of ETA — a Basque-
trepreneurs, is due to an- language acronym for Eus-
nounce its final dissolution kadi Ta Askatasuna, mean-
early next month, ending ing Basque Homeland and
one of Europe's last stand- Freedom — will be held in
ing violent nationalist con- southern France before the
flicts. After nearly half a In this file image made from video provided on Oct. 20, 2011, masked members of the Basque final announcement by
century of car bomb at- separatist group ETA raise their fists in unison following a news conference at an undisclosed loca- the group. In Friday's state-
tacks, shootings and kid- tion. ment, ETA said it is commit-
nappings, the group gave Associated Press ted "to finally overcome
up its violent campaign in the consequences of the
2011. One year ago, the It added that Friday's an- Basques have a distinct what was known as the conflict and not to fall into
organization also handed nouncement was "nothing culture and an ancient lan- Spanish government's "dirty its repetition," adding that
over to authorities most of more than another conse- guage, Euskara. war" against the group. "this political and historical
its remaining arsenal. quence of the fortitude of In the 80s, shadowy death Both France and Spain, conflict should have had a
In a statement published on the rule of law that has de- squads killed and tortured where ETA committed most fair and democratic solu-
Friday by Basque newspa- feated ETA with the arms of dozens of ETA militants in of its deadly actions, had tion a long time ago."q
pers Berria and Gara, ETA democracy."
acknowledged its respon- ETA's victims were also criti- American woman sentenced to
sibility for the pain caused cal of the announcement
by assassinations, torture, because it sought the for-
forced to leave the Basque didn't have a direct par- life in Canada for deadly plot
kidnappings and people giveness of victims "who

country, in a vague refer- ticipation in the conflict" —
ence not only to ETA's vic- apparently excluding those HALIFAX, Nova Scotia (AP) plot. Rosinski also said that vannarath credit for time
tims but also to the plight of who had been specifically — An American woman if the plan to kill unsuspect- served in custody, so she
some of its own militants. targeted by ETA. who plotted to go on a ing shoppers had not been will be eligible for parole in
"We want to show our re- AVT, a national association Valentine's Day shooting interrupted by an anony- seven years.
spect to the dead, the in- of terrorism victims, said the rampage at a Canadian mous tip and the quick Police thwarted the
jured and the victims that statement aimed to "whit- mall was sentenced to actions of local police, it planned attack after re-
ETA's actions have caused," en" ETA's past, while CO- life in prison Friday with no would have been carried ceiving an anonymous tip,
the statement said. "We re- VITE, another victim group chance of parole for nearly out. Rosinski said his sen- but Souvannarath had al-
ally are sorry." based in the Basque town a decade. tence was partly shaped ready boarded a plane in
Spain's government, which of San Sebastian, said the Lindsay Souvannarath of by the principles that apply Chicago bound for Nova
considers ETA a terrorist or- distinction between "guilty Geneva, Illinois pleaded to terrorism. While he told Scotia.
ganization, welcomed the and innocent victims" guilty last year to conspir- the court the motivations Her co-conspirator, James
organization's move but treats them "as collateral acy to commit murder in and intentions in the case Gamble, killed himself as
said the apology came too damage in the imposition a plan that involved open- aren't precisely the same police surrounded his Hal-
late. of a totalitarian project." ing fire at a mall in Halifax, as those related to terrorism ifax-area home. Souvan-
"ETA should have sincerely ETA emerged in the late Nova Scotia in 2015. activities, he said the crime narath was arrested at the
and unconditionally asked 1950s during the dicta- Nova Scotia Supreme requires the court to "send airport.
for forgiveness for the dam- torship of Gen. Francisco Court Justice Peter Rosinski a clear message" to those A third accomplice — a lo-
age caused a long time Franco with the stated aim said that Souvannarath is conspiring to kill multiple cal man described in court
ago," the government of of forming an independent and will remain a threat to people that "they will pay a as the "cheerleader" of the
Prime Minister Mariano Ra- state from Basque areas on society. He said she has not heavy price." plot — was previously sen-
joy said in a brief note. both sides of the Pyrenees. expressed remorse for her The judge also gave Sou- tenced to a decade in jail.