Norway expels three ETA members after seeing no moves toward a peace process

The Norwegian government has decided to expel three members of ETA after seeing no signs of progress in the peace process initiated by the Basque independence group’s decision to abandon terrorism.

Josu Ternera and David Pla, members of ETA’s political leadership, and Iratxe Sorzábal, who headed the group’s military apparatus, had been in Norway for eight months, Spanish security sources said. The three are believed to have guaranteed a return to France, the location of ETA’s logistics operations.

The official position of the Spanish Interior Ministry is that it is not aware of the expulsions. However, police sources said the decision of the Norwegian government was backed by the Spanish administration.

During their eight months in Norway, Ternera, Pla and Sorzábal met on several occasions in Oslo and other parts of the country with international verifiers of the cessation of armed activity by the terrorist group.