MADRID: Violent Basque separatists ETA announced a halt to attacks on elected Spanish politicians, a Basque paper said on Saturday, but a government source said the move fell well short of its condition for talks.

Basque newspaper Gara reported that ETA sent it a communique saying its decision was motivated by recent "political changes."

Spain's Socialist government said in May that it would talk to ETA, which has killed around 850 people in a four-decade independence campaign, if it laid down its arms.

"The government considers it totally unacceptable that ETA discriminates or chooses its criminal targets," a government source said in reaction to ETA's announcement.

ETA, which once tried to kill former Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, called a ceasefire in September 1998 but rescinded it in December 1999. It started killing again early the following year and since then has killed about 10 politicians, the last in 2002.

The government's peace overtures angered the main opposition Popular Party and many Spaniards and a so-called anti-terrorist pact between the Socialists and Popular Party has dissolved. ETA said that was one of the motives for its decision, effective on June 1.

"I think they are trying to divide and confuse... They reckon they can be more effective if they only have to deal with the Socialists," Charles Powell, professor at San Pablo-CEU University, said.

The group, which has been weakened in recent years by dozens of arrests of alleged leaders and other members, wants a Basque homeland carved out of northern Spain and southwest France.

(China Daily 06/20/2005 page8)