BASQUE terrorist cell ETA has announced that it would be prepared to hand in its weapons before Christmas this year.
Experts close to the separatist organisation say its leaders plan to make a public speech before the end of the year – which will be close to the seventh anniversary of the massive attack on Madrid airport which saw them break their truce – saying they planned to down their arms.
But the process will be 'slow', their communication will warn.
The terrorists will supply an inventory of their weapons, explosives and hidden arsenals of these, although they will probably not state immediately how and when they will start the process of handing them to the State in an orderly fashion.
To do so, they will use an 'independent organisation' as an 'intermediary' to officially witness the act, but will not go through the central government, whom they consider 'a closed route', or the Basque authorities.
Two years on from the last ETA ceasefire, the separatists say they are making this move because they 'cannot sit still and remain silent' for any longer with so many of their members in prison and given their political situation.
They are calling for terrorists belonging to the cell in jail to be released and reintegrated into society 'once they have recognised the damage they caused', and for all ETA members in prison who are seriously ill to be released.
The sources who revealed ETA's intention to hand in its weapons claim that they have no intention of going back on their word and recommencing their violent attacks.
ETA called a truce in March 2006, but broke its ceasefire on December 30 that same year when they planted a bomb in the car park of Terminal 4 at Madrid's Barajas airport, killing two Ecuadorian men.
