As the peace process degenerates, Zapatero and his ministers are still clinging to the vague hope that members of the Basque Nationalists Batasuna party has nothing to do with the arson attacks on local councillors amid growing evidence to the contrary.

Zapatero, Spain's first minister wishes for his time in government to be a time of peace. Peace in the Basque country, peace in Irak, peace in Cataluya, Galicia etc.

It is unfortunate that his very first foray into diplomacy has thus far ended with failure - but with the Betasuna party clearly in internal disarray it is easy to visualise an agent provocateur from within the party causing the arson attacks.

Without discipline in the ranks of the Basque people and a reolve to continue to a peaceful solution, regretfully Zapeteros dreams of having his administration remembered as the administrators of peace is a forlorn hope...