<p>The Basque separatist group <em>Euskadi ta Askatasuna</em> (ETA) announced its dissolution this month, sending a letter to authorities stating that it had decided to dismantle all structures after its ultimate failure to solve the Basque &ldquo;political conflict.&rdquo; ;</p>
<p>&ldquo;ETA obtained nothing through its promise to stop killing, and it will obtain nothing by announcing what they call dissolution,&rdquo; said Spain&rsquo;s Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido, who promised authorities would continue pursuing the terrorists ;and investigating all unresolved crimes linked to the group. ;</p>
<p>The Spanish government made it clear that ETA would receive no concessions in return for disbanding, but may grant the group&#8217;s request to transfer imprisoned members to prisons closer to their homes in the Basque region. ;</p>
<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t believe in the end of ETA because there are lots of deaths that haven&rsquo;t come to light,&rdquo; said a Spanish economist living in the Basque city of San Sebastian. &ldquo;Lots of murders that have never been cleared up, lots of victims who have not been compensated.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Over 800 deaths have been attributed to the group, which sought to establish an independent state in the Basque region of northern Spain/southern France. Victims include police, military, politicians, entrepreneurs, civilians, and ETA deserters. ;</p>
<p>The ETA movement began decades ago in Francoist Spain, when a group of angry students joined together ;to oppose General Francisco Franco&#8217;s dictatorship. ;The group&rsquo;s methods drew widespread support ;from Franco&rsquo;s opponents. ;</p>
<p>ETA assassinated Franco&rsquo;s successor in 1975, but continued its armed insurgency against Madrid even after the government gave the region significant autonomy. ;</p>
<p>&mdash; ;</p>
<p>ETA&rsquo;s announcement marks the end of one of the longest terror campaigns in modern Europe. The victory here is historic, but somewhat unsurprising considering how long it has been since Franco&rsquo;s death. ;</p>
<p>&ldquo;The news reflected what has been evident for years, that ETA is a spent force, its ranks decimated by arrests, its popularity minimal in the Basque region,&rdquo; reports <em>The New York Times</em>. &ldquo;In their long struggle, the government has won.&rdquo; ;</p>
<p>ETA declared a ceasefire in 2011 and relinquished its weapons in 2017. The group plans to hold an official dissolution ceremony later this week. ;</p>
<p><strong>Editor&#8217;s note:</strong> In my Agency years, the ETA was always a major concern, albeit a localized one. ; It was a serious group, I&#8217;m glad to see it gone.</p>