It's Good To Talk

Talking to the Basque terrorist group eta has long been anathema to Spanish governments. But Socialist Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero seems prepared to bite the bullet this time.

The Spanish Congress last week passed a resolution giving the government authority to negotiate with eta — if it lays down its arms. Batasuna, the banned political party close to eta , welcomed the move. "We think it's a step in the right direction," says Arnaldo Otegi, Batasuna's spokesman. The opposition Popular Party (PP) and victims' groups are livid, accusing Zapatero of providing eta with...