The United States Government has added Batasuna, the political wing of Basque armed separatist group ETA, to its list of terrorist groups, according to an official announcement from the Federal Register. The decision, which makes the group liable to sanctions in the US, came after pressure from Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar’s, currently in Washington for talks with President George W Bush. Mr Aznar was a staunch ally of Mr Bush’s in the run-up to the war against Iraq, supporting US moves to win United Nations Security Council backing for military action. Batasuna is already permanently banned in Spain on the grounds that it is part of the “terrorist network” of ETA – a charge Batasuna members vehemently deny. The ban, which was upheld by Spain’s supreme court in March, was the first ban on a political party since the death in 1975 of dictator General Francisco Franco. Full Story
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