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07 May 2003

State Department Expands Basque Terrorist Group Designation

(Executive Order 13224 now includes Basque groups Batasuna, Euskal
Herritarrok, and Herri Batasuna) (370)
Three groups associated with the Basque terrorist group ETA are being
added to the list of groups named under Executive Order 13224, which
blocks property and prohibits transactions with persons who commit,
threaten to commit, or support terrorism.
The designation of ETA under Executive Order 13224 is being amended to
include the groups Batasuna, Euskal Herritarrok, and Herri Batasuna,
which "have supported ETA's acts of terrorism" in Spain, according to
the State Department.
Following is a State Department announcement:
(begin text)
U.S. Department of State
Press Statement 
Richard Boucher, Spokesman
Washington, DC
May 7, 2003
DESIGNATION OF BATASUNA, EUSKAL HERRITARROK AND HERRI BATASUNA UNDER
EXECUTIVE ORDER 13224
Today the Secretary of State is amending the designation, under
Executive Order 13224 on terrorism financing, of Basque Fatherland and
Liberty, known as ETA, to add the group Batasuna and its two
predecessor groups, Euskal Herritarrok and Herri Batasuna.
The Secretary of State designated ETA in [November] 2001 pursuant to
section 1(b) of Executive Order 13224, which as amended authorizes the
Secretary to designate foreign entities and individuals that he
determines -- in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, the
Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security -- to have
committed, or to pose a significant risk of committing, acts of
terrorism that threaten the security of U.S. nationals or the national
security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States.
The action to amend the Executive Order 13224 designation of ETA to
include Batasuna, Euskal Herritarrok, and Herri Batasuna is based on
substantial and credible information from a variety of sources that
those entities were formed at ETA's direction and functioned as part
of ETA. Batasuna, Euskal Herritarrok, and Herri Batasuna have
supported ETA's acts of terrorism. The Batasuna leadership and
membership have included a number of people convicted of ETA-related
terrorist acts. Since its establishment in the 1960's, ETA has been
responsible for over 850 deaths in Spain.
As President Bush said in Madrid in June 2001, the United States
stands with Spain in its fight against terrorism. Spain has continued
to be a strong ally in the global war against terrorism.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)