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Basque Fatherland and Liberty
Spain
The ETA (Euskadi Ta Askatasuna) is an organization of Basque nationalists-a cultural minority living in the mountainous region between Spain and France. Its goals are the creation of an independent Basque nation, a goal vehemently opposed by the Spanish government. The ETA began in 1959, spurred by Spanish dictator Francisco Franco’s suppression of Basque language and traditions, and weary of the patience preached by more moderate nationalist groups. It has since engaged in a lengthy campaign of bombings and assassinations, targeting members of the Spanish government who oppose its goals. Its early years were marked by fierce opposition from the Franco regime, which struck hard against the Basques as a group. It initially received support from Spanish oppositionists in exile, who hoped its activities would destabilized Franco’s rule. It also had the tacit support of the French government, which quietly allowed ETA a safe haven in French territory without interference. Its actions culminated in the assassination of Admiral Carrero Blanco-Franco’s successor-in 1973. Some contend that Blanco’s death permitted the Spanish transition to democracy following Franco’s death.
The 1970s and ‘80s saw a continuation of ETA activities, now split into two groups: the ETA political military (pm) and the ETA military (m). With Franco gone, its traditional means of support were less eager to back it, but its activities did not cease. In September, 1985, it detonated a car bomb which killed Eugene Kent Brown, and in 1995 it tried to kill the leader of Spain’s Popular Party, Jose Maria Aznar. Several ceasefires have been declared over the years, but none of them has yet led to a lasting peace.
The 9/11 attacks on the US caused a great deal of hardship for the ETA. Embolden by new anti-terrorist measures, the Spanish and French governments cracked down hard on ETA activites. Train bombings in Madrid in 2004 were initially blamed on the ETA, but later turned out to be the work of Islamic militants. Even so, the public outcry following the bombings limited the group’s ability to operate unmolested. Perhaps sensing the negative ramifications of excessive casualties, its attacks softened to a certain extent, and the leadership often gives deliberate warnings before a bombing or attac in order to prevent innocent deaths. Nevertheless, an assault on Madrid’s airport in late 2006 indicates that it has no intention of ceasing operations.
The ETA bases its structure around a “military cupola,” which organizes and coordinates its activities. Beneath them stand a series of groups called talde commandos, operating out of a designated geographic area. Safe houses and secreted caches provide safety and security, and individual cammandos have been known to move around quite frequently, making arrest difficult in the extreme. Most estimates put the ETA at several hundred members, wth a number of other unspecified sympathizers. Financial support comes in the form of more overt criminal enterprises, including smuggling and extortion. The ETA espouses a socialist philosophy, which has garnered sympathy from the likes of Cuba and Nicaragua, and members have been known to train in areas such as the Lebanon and Libya, which have a history of supporting terrorist organizations.
In addition to more violent acts against the Spanish government, ETA encourages smaller acts of rebellion, such as street demonstrations, graffiti, and petty acts of vandalism. It organizes a number of youth groups in the Basque regions of Spain, hoping to tap in on young anger and resentment against the powers that be. It also engages in anonymous threats against chosen individuals, and has been known to kidnap people who don’t pay its extortionist “revolutionary tax.” The ETA doesn’t generally conduct operations in France, though that hasn
T prevented the French government working more closely with the Spaniards to root it out in recent years. In addition to official police forces, the ETA has historically grappled with the government-sponsored Antiterrorist Liberation Group (Grupos Antiterroristas de Liberación, or GAL), which conducted attacks and punitive raids against suspected ETA sympathizers. The group disbanded in 1987, but the ETA claims the Spanish government continues its tactics through surreptitious kidnappings, torture, and similar crimes.
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