ETA announced today that it was declaring a "permanent cease-fire." Not good enough. They set conditions, including a referendum on Basque independence and the legalization of their front political party, Batasuna.

Only unconditional surrender is acceptable. ETA has announced cease-fires before and has returned to violence. And giving in to ETA's conditions is rewarding the terrorist murders of more than 800 people.

ETA has been gravely weakened and is only willing to negotiate now because its terrorist campaigns have failed. No negotiations. They started the violence and now they have to completely renounce it, with no compensation of any sort.

Step One should be ETA's turning over all of its weapons to the government. When they do that, then I'll believe they're serious.