Spain fights terror with negotiations

The war on terror is usually

associated with the United States. However, since long before Sept. 11, 2001, European nations have been dealing with

terrorist organizations. ETA, a Basque separatist group listed as a terrorist organization by the European Union, the United States and Spain, has sought through violent

means the establishment of an independent, Marxist state since 1959. On March 24, Spain and ETA signed a

permanent cease-fire.

ETA is responsible for roughly 800 deaths in Spain, beginning in 1968 with the murder of Meliton Manzanas, the San Sebastian secret police chief, and

ending — hopefully — in May 2003 with the murder of two police officers. Additionally, the group is responsible for the 1979 assassination of Luis Carrer Blanco, the man expected to succeed dictator Francisco Franco, and the attempted murder of Jose Maria Aznar — former leader of the conservative Popular Party and Spanish president from 1996 to 2004.

Now, in the midst of the global war on terror, Spain has the unique opportunity to improve national security by reasoning with terrorists. This is to say, contrary to the American method, treat them like real people whose opinions warrant respectful consideration — even if they are extreme in the eyes of

democratic administrations.

Last year, the Spanish parliament backed President Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party on his proposal to hold talks with ETA — if the group would first renounce violence and lay down its arms. That time has come, but Zapatero’s administration is not out of the woods. A March 22 televised cease-fire announcement did not offer any comment on the relinquishing of arms, leaving both government officials and Spanish citizens cautious. ETA’s reliability is also in question, considering a September 1998 indefinite cease-fire that only lasted until

November 1999.

Zapatero’s challenge is to negotiate greater political freedom for the

Basques — or maybe even just the illusion thereof, if he is politically savvy

enough — while convincing everyone involved that the Basque region should remain part of Spain. The process will be lengthy, and I cannot imagine either the members of ETA or Basque pacifists ever sitting pretty until they achieve an independent state.

Whatever the outcome, this is a pivotal moment in our present world. Known terrorists and the president of a member state of the European Union are coming together for peace talks and the political independence based on ethnicity and geographic history. The international spotlight is on President Zapatero, and he has the opportunity to set global precedent regarding the positive collaboration between violent separatist groups and democratic governments. His promise to hold talks with ETA if they were to disarm gave rise to this ceasefire — the first hurdle has been successfully cleared.

Many will criticize him for meeting with the terrorists, calling it moral weakness or selling out Spain’s decades-young democracy. But I call it smart. It is easier to fight a known enemy. Invite them to your office, offer them coffee, even shake their hands.

These are real people with fundamental principles and beliefs that motivate their actions. Call them separatists, revolutionaries, rebels,

fanatics — they are real people. Zapatero has the chance to prove to the world that, unlike what President Bush would have us believe, you can reason with terrorists if you begin with a basic level of respect.

Searcy Milam is a Wiess College senior.

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