Many other terrorist groups that are not affiliated with the widely known terrorists group, Al-Qaeda, from the Middle East, are present around the globe. Out of the many other foreign terrorist groups, ETA happens to be one of the largest from Europe. Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA) is a leftist organization from northern Spain and southwest France who strive for independence from the seven regions of the Basque area.
After visiting Spain and seeing ETA spray painted on walls and Basque flags displayed on t-shirts and souvenirs, I was motivated to uncover who ETA is and what their goals are. Euskadi Ta Askatasuna stands for Basque homeland and freedom, which is what the Basque people strive for: freedom from the Spanish government to be an independent country.
It all started in 1937 when Franco took full control of the Basque regions and denied self-government to the Basque people. As time passed, people were becoming enraged because they were not allowed to speak their native language, Basque, or practice their own choice of religion. Soon in 1959 a group of young student activists who were furious at Franco’s containment of the Basque language and culture joined to create what is now known as ETA. Their one goal was, to regain independence. Before ETA began to be noticed as a terrorist group, they mainly protested, destroying infrastructure and Spanish symbols and hanging forbidden Basque flags.
Over the last four decades, ETA has killed over 800 people (abc news). In July of 1961, ETA attempted to derail a train on its way to San Sebastian carrying Franco’s supporters to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the occurrence of the Civil War. The attempt to derail the train did not result in any deaths although it did give police lead to some prime suspects and many were tortured and arrested. It is said the first known deadly attack took place in 1968 by ETA member Txabi Etxebarrieta, a native of Bilbao, was killed by Meliton Manzanas (wikipedia). Manzanas who was the chief of the secret police in San Sebastian and also known as a torturer for Franco, rid of Etxebarrieta while stopping him at a road check. Later Manzanas was gunned down on the doorstep of his own home. That was the stroke that led to a deadly retribution, which was the first assassination for ETA. In December of 1973, Prime Minister Admiral Luis Carrero Blanco is assassinated in Madrid on account of the execution by the government of Basque militants. Placing a bomb under the sewer in a spot where Blanco usually parked every day did the assassination. Once again, ETA succeeded. On September of 1998, ETA confirmed its first truce on cease-fire. Unfortunately ETA continued to take action and attack on account of lack of communication or agreements between them and the Spanish government.
Although nowadays ETA does take part in deadly attacks, they target mostly national and regional officials and government buildings in Spain. Unfortunately there are occasions where ETA makes an attack and innocent bystanders are wounded and killed. A distinctive action ETA does on some occasions to distribute them from most terrorist groups is they call authorities with just enough time ahead to give innocent bystanders time to evacuate and not do extensive damage. Not only do they assassinate but they also perform abductions and their most used tactics are car bombings. It was interesting to see red wet paint plastered on a government building one night in San Sebastian. As we passed the building I wondered if it had anything to do with ETA and brought even more interest to me.
In recent activities, Last year of March 2006, ETA announced a permanent cease-fire with the objective being to compel the democratic process. Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, the Spanish president, took a brave stand and decided to make negotiations with ETA. Spain’s conservative party did not agree to take such actions and withdrew support for the peace talks and began protesting against the negotiations in Madrid. In December 2006, after months of heavy peace talks and no steady ground, ETA attacked again in a parking garage at the Madrid Barajas international airport killing two men in a car bomb. Consequently in June 2007, ETA announced to end the cease-fire and that they are planning attacks for late summer. One of the biggest bombings to occur recently in Madrid that brought direct attention around the globe was the metro bombing. On March 11, 2004, between Alcala de Henares and the Atocha stations in Madrid, with ETA being responsible by a backpack bombing, they took the lives of 30 bystanders and wounded many. This went down as one of most destructive bombings in Europe since the Lockerbie bombing of 1988.
So is it a fight for freedom and independence, or is it just another burden to our world? I believe it could be both, although it does take the cost of innocent blood shed to grasp what you think is rightfully yours from the beginning. ETA is an organization standing up for their people and their cultures lineage. If only peace could be that easy, the world would be a safer place.
One night in San Sebastian Paul and I came across graffiti possibly done by ETA supporters.
http:///abcnews.go.com/Internaational/wireStory?id=3345798.
“BBC NEWS ETA: Key events.” 2007/01/02. 10 Jul 2007
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/europe/545452/.stm.
“Basque Fatherland and Liberty.” Council on Foreign Relations. 2007. 10 Jul 2007
http://www.cfr.org/publication/9271,
“ETA,” Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. 2007. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 10 Jul 2007
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ETA#During_Franco.27s_dictatorship.
Katz, Samuel M., (2004). At any cost: national liberation terrorism. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications,
Kurlansky, Mark, (1999). The Basque history of the world. New York: Walker.
Nunez, Luis C., (1997). The Basques: their struggle for independence. [Cardiff] Wales: Welsh Academic Press.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
The big difference!
June 3 Tuesday
The traditional class room experience: Just another day in San Antonio at Palo Alto College with your professor in the front of the class room lecturing you on some palace in another country with much more beauty than the book itself can show. You nudge your fellow student who is falling asleep slouching in the seats while the time is dragging. Its hard to concentrate especially since you can’t stop thinking about tonight’s episode of House that you have been dieing to see and would not miss anything for it, not even your prompt on the journal entry for that day which the professor just announced. Eventually the hour passes by and it is time to leave the class and go to work or run errands as usual.
The study-abroad experience: Hurry up! Do not miss that wake up call, you do not want to be late and have the bus leave with out you to the next city in Spain. Try to make it for breakfast because we have a long day ahead of us. What a hassle it is lugging around your suite case but it’s all worth it when you get to the next hotel. Spain is our class room and the teacher is not in front of you, but all around you. And instead of wondering how big that palace really is, I can walk right through the entrance and find out for myself. At the end of class I don’t just go home, I explore whole different world. As night falls I am reminded that tomorrow will not be like today. In Spain, everyday is a new adventure.
I enjoy both learning experiences. Although studying abroad helps expand my thoughts and keeps not only my body on the go but my soul as well.
This has been the first time I have ever traveled with out my family, especially to another county overseas. I loved comparing our country to another first hand. I have learned great deal, I did not imagine it would be so much. I have formed new friendships and in a short period of time. This is well worth it. Maturity is at a whole new level for me. I would definitely take in consideration a semester studying abroad.
The traditional class room experience: Just another day in San Antonio at Palo Alto College with your professor in the front of the class room lecturing you on some palace in another country with much more beauty than the book itself can show. You nudge your fellow student who is falling asleep slouching in the seats while the time is dragging. Its hard to concentrate especially since you can’t stop thinking about tonight’s episode of House that you have been dieing to see and would not miss anything for it, not even your prompt on the journal entry for that day which the professor just announced. Eventually the hour passes by and it is time to leave the class and go to work or run errands as usual.
The study-abroad experience: Hurry up! Do not miss that wake up call, you do not want to be late and have the bus leave with out you to the next city in Spain. Try to make it for breakfast because we have a long day ahead of us. What a hassle it is lugging around your suite case but it’s all worth it when you get to the next hotel. Spain is our class room and the teacher is not in front of you, but all around you. And instead of wondering how big that palace really is, I can walk right through the entrance and find out for myself. At the end of class I don’t just go home, I explore whole different world. As night falls I am reminded that tomorrow will not be like today. In Spain, everyday is a new adventure.
I enjoy both learning experiences. Although studying abroad helps expand my thoughts and keeps not only my body on the go but my soul as well.
This has been the first time I have ever traveled with out my family, especially to another county overseas. I loved comparing our country to another first hand. I have learned great deal, I did not imagine it would be so much. I have formed new friendships and in a short period of time. This is well worth it. Maturity is at a whole new level for me. I would definitely take in consideration a semester studying abroad.
Riot in the metro!
June 27 Wednesday
Today we were up and down going all over Sol in what I like to call downtown Madrid. We got a lot done, starting with taking the metro to Sol from the hotel and using the Internet cafe and phone booths to call our families at home.
Krystal, Geraldo, Sarah, Caroline, Erica and I were all walking to the metro and somehow we ended up getting a bit confused. I think in Madrid or in San Antonio, it could happen to anyone. Especially if you are hungry and have been walking in the sun all day like we were. We were all just so tired and could not wait to get back to the hotel and fall on bed in the fresh, air conditioned room to rest for a few minutes before dinner with the rest of the group. But meanwhile back at the metro station as we waited patiently for our metro to arrive, we could not understand why it was taking longer than usual. I began to think it was just me being inpatient, so I just leaned against the wall with all the other bystanders waiting for the same thing.
IAfter a while we began to hear dogs barking and men speaking louder than usual. As curious Americans, we began to shuffle our way down the crowd to the other side of the station. To my surprise, I saw many police officers rushing through trying to get inside the metro train.
Thankfully, this was all happening on the other train across from the one we are to be boarding.
As soon as the police shoved their way in the train a sudden burst of mace was shot into the crowd. Overhearing the locals talking, I understood it was only some hooligans acting up. Then, without notice, an officer began to clobber some guys in the head and a man got hit. It was all so sudden and from all the commotion, it looked as if it could have been a terrorist attack. Thankfully, it was only "punks" as one local put it.
This was such an interesting, yet chilling, moment that I will always remember when I see a metro or subway.
Today we were up and down going all over Sol in what I like to call downtown Madrid. We got a lot done, starting with taking the metro to Sol from the hotel and using the Internet cafe and phone booths to call our families at home.
Krystal, Geraldo, Sarah, Caroline, Erica and I were all walking to the metro and somehow we ended up getting a bit confused. I think in Madrid or in San Antonio, it could happen to anyone. Especially if you are hungry and have been walking in the sun all day like we were. We were all just so tired and could not wait to get back to the hotel and fall on bed in the fresh, air conditioned room to rest for a few minutes before dinner with the rest of the group. But meanwhile back at the metro station as we waited patiently for our metro to arrive, we could not understand why it was taking longer than usual. I began to think it was just me being inpatient, so I just leaned against the wall with all the other bystanders waiting for the same thing.
IAfter a while we began to hear dogs barking and men speaking louder than usual. As curious Americans, we began to shuffle our way down the crowd to the other side of the station. To my surprise, I saw many police officers rushing through trying to get inside the metro train.
Thankfully, this was all happening on the other train across from the one we are to be boarding.
As soon as the police shoved their way in the train a sudden burst of mace was shot into the crowd. Overhearing the locals talking, I understood it was only some hooligans acting up. Then, without notice, an officer began to clobber some guys in the head and a man got hit. It was all so sudden and from all the commotion, it looked as if it could have been a terrorist attack. Thankfully, it was only "punks" as one local put it.
This was such an interesting, yet chilling, moment that I will always remember when I see a metro or subway.
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