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| Basque Group Is Said to Disable Some of Its Arms | Basque Group Is Said to Disable Some of Its Arms |
| (7 months later) | |
| MADRID — ETA, the Basque separatist group, has disabled some of the weapons that allowed it to wage a lengthy terrorist campaign for independence that has killed more than 800 people, an international verification commission said Friday. | |
| The weapons surrender was corroborated by the commission, set up to help broker a Basque peace agreement. The commission called the gesture significant at a news conference in Bilbao, Spain, and it presented an inventory of the weapons given up by ETA, which included a handful of guns and 36 pounds of explosives. | The weapons surrender was corroborated by the commission, set up to help broker a Basque peace agreement. The commission called the gesture significant at a news conference in Bilbao, Spain, and it presented an inventory of the weapons given up by ETA, which included a handful of guns and 36 pounds of explosives. |
| The commission, however, has never received any mandate from the Spanish government to negotiate with ETA, and since the separatist group announced a unilateral cease-fire in October 2011, the government has repeatedly insisted that the group needs to disarm as part of an unconditional surrender, without any outside intervention. | The commission, however, has never received any mandate from the Spanish government to negotiate with ETA, and since the separatist group announced a unilateral cease-fire in October 2011, the government has repeatedly insisted that the group needs to disarm as part of an unconditional surrender, without any outside intervention. |
| The commission said in a statement that it had verified that the weapons had been “sealed and put beyond operational use” by ETA. | The commission said in a statement that it had verified that the weapons had been “sealed and put beyond operational use” by ETA. |
| The Spanish government had no immediate response to the weapons announcement. But speaking on Thursday in Paris before the announcement, Jorge Fernández Díaz, Spain’s interior minister, played down the importance of any partial concession by the group, saying, “The government will not contribute to any theater staging by ETA.” | The Spanish government had no immediate response to the weapons announcement. But speaking on Thursday in Paris before the announcement, Jorge Fernández Díaz, Spain’s interior minister, played down the importance of any partial concession by the group, saying, “The government will not contribute to any theater staging by ETA.” |
| He added, “To disarm is very easy; it is enough to give the locations where the caches are found.” Much of ETA’s weaponry is believed to be on French soil. | He added, “To disarm is very easy; it is enough to give the locations where the caches are found.” Much of ETA’s weaponry is believed to be on French soil. |
| One of the government’s main concerns has been to prevent ETA from gaining any political capital from a weapons surrender, a result that would then help its members make a smooth transition to the Basque political scene. | One of the government’s main concerns has been to prevent ETA from gaining any political capital from a weapons surrender, a result that would then help its members make a smooth transition to the Basque political scene. |
| At the same time, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has been concerned about angering hard-liners who have called on Madrid to stick to its demands for an unconditional surrender by ETA. | At the same time, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has been concerned about angering hard-liners who have called on Madrid to stick to its demands for an unconditional surrender by ETA. |
| Next May, in the European parliamentary elections, Mr. Rajoy’s Popular Party will face a challenge from a new rightist party, Vox, which is not expected to become a significant political force but has criticized Mr. Rajoy’s handling of ETA. A founder of Vox, José Antonio Ortega Lara, was a hostage of ETA. | Next May, in the European parliamentary elections, Mr. Rajoy’s Popular Party will face a challenge from a new rightist party, Vox, which is not expected to become a significant political force but has criticized Mr. Rajoy’s handling of ETA. A founder of Vox, José Antonio Ortega Lara, was a hostage of ETA. |
| The ETA matter has been complicated by the fact that Mr. Rajoy’s government lost an international court case in October that forced Madrid eventually to release about 50 of ETA’s longest-serving prisoners. The court, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, ruled against a Spanish law that had allowed the Madrid government to extend the imprisonment of convicted terrorists and members of ETA. | The ETA matter has been complicated by the fact that Mr. Rajoy’s government lost an international court case in October that forced Madrid eventually to release about 50 of ETA’s longest-serving prisoners. The court, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, ruled against a Spanish law that had allowed the Madrid government to extend the imprisonment of convicted terrorists and members of ETA. |
| Since ETA declared its cease-fire, Madrid has continued to pursue its members, in close cooperation with other police forces. Last week, the British police in London detained Antonio Troitiño, who was released in October after the Strasbourg ruling but whom Madrid accuses of having rejoined ETA since then. | Since ETA declared its cease-fire, Madrid has continued to pursue its members, in close cooperation with other police forces. Last week, the British police in London detained Antonio Troitiño, who was released in October after the Strasbourg ruling but whom Madrid accuses of having rejoined ETA since then. |
| The international verification commission that visited Bilbao is led by Ram Manikkalingam, who was involved in brokering peace in his native Sri Lanka. The commission was set up in September 2011, shortly before ETA announced its unilateral cease-fire. A spokesman for the commission said that it received its funding “from different private and public philanthropic sources” but that he did not know their names. | The international verification commission that visited Bilbao is led by Ram Manikkalingam, who was involved in brokering peace in his native Sri Lanka. The commission was set up in September 2011, shortly before ETA announced its unilateral cease-fire. A spokesman for the commission said that it received its funding “from different private and public philanthropic sources” but that he did not know their names. |
| ETA was formed in the late 1950s and is considered a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union. Its goal has been the establishment of an independent Basque homeland in northern Spain and southwestern France. | ETA was formed in the late 1950s and is considered a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union. Its goal has been the establishment of an independent Basque homeland in northern Spain and southwestern France. |
| Independent of the cease-fire, ETA has been weakened in recent years to the point that security experts believe that it now has fewer than 50 active militants capable of organizing an attack. | Independent of the cease-fire, ETA has been weakened in recent years to the point that security experts believe that it now has fewer than 50 active militants capable of organizing an attack. |