Daavon's Blog
ETA: Separatist Terrorism in SpainBreaking News
Spain Arrests Two ETA Suspects
October 20, 2009
As this blog comes to a close with this last breaking news article so too it seems things are slowing down for ETA. In this article posted only hours ago on Monday, October 19, it is stated that two more ETA suspects have been arrested: one a man by the name of Aitor Elizaran Aguilar who was in charge of ETA’s policy making branch and a woman by the name of Oihana San Vicente who worked as a part of ETA’s political apparatus. They as the criminals from the article Spain Nabs 10 People Linked to Basque Separatists were found with fake I.D.’s, a stolen car, and weapons. Apparently López’s plan is going rather well because 70 ETA suspects have already been arrested in this year alone.
This article continues the positivity that comes from López’s rule as leader of the Basque government. Instead of former leaders who condoned terrorist activity, López is really making an effort to solve this horrible and tolling problem of terrorism in Spain. Even though new members of ETA will eventually fill the shoes of all of the people who have been arrested, there will eventually come a point where no more members will exist to replace them due to either arrest or just giving up. As López mentioned it’s a matter of time before this great problem is taken care of.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/10/19/spain.eta.arrests/index.html
ETA Threatens Incoming Basque Government
October 20, 2009
Shortly before Patxi López, mentioned in the previous post, was officially named head of Basque government, there were many threats by ETA. They said that a government under him would be like fascism and rights wouldn’t be respected. They also said it would not be democratic in the least bit and that the government under him will be ETA priority target for the coming months—as long as it interferes with their goals.
Reading this article right after the prior one is quite disheartening. He has still, six months later, not yet been murdered, and I hope he never is, but it is scary to think that he is their main target. I have seen a few clips even of this video and it is frightening. It is very similar to the videos sent to America by al-Qaeda with threats and warnings, but hopefully these threats and warnings won’t be carried out.
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,4171435,00.html
López Attacks Weakened Separatists
October 20, 2009
In an interview from May 2009 with new Basque President Patxi López, hopes for an end to ETA and peace from the Basque region have been assured. In order to get elected as the first non-nationalist president in 30 years, López had to unite both the Basque socialist and conservative parties. In his efforts he has run into many threats from ETA and terrorism in general, but still seems to be an ethical man, who will stick to his promise of taking down ETA. He is making great efforts to make the transition go fast and smoothly, from a government terrorized and controlled by ETA, to one that will prospectively be ETA-free very soon. In order to take down ETA, he is uniting the forces of the Basque police and those of the French Basque reason and offering them all of the resources they’ll need to be successful. He is also greatly focused on doing what is in the interest of the Basque citizens and not only those of the portion of the population that is nationalist. He seeks to have a good relationship with the central government in Madrid, while still trying to maintain a more independent autonomy without putting themselves entirely above the nation as a whole.
This article has given me so much hope for a Spain without this horrible burden of terrorism that has pillaged its citizens and visitors for so long. The fact that López is so positive and optimistic about this transition and attempt to overturn ETA is oddly heartwarming. Although I have not found much else about what he has been personally doing to take down ETA, I have read about the cooperation of police forces among the Basques and French and it seems they have been able to crack down on the leaders of ETA, arresting 4 in the past while. Things are actually looking pretty great for Spain and bleak for ETA.
http://www.euronews.net/2009/05/25/lopez-attacks-weakened-separatists/
Spain Nabs 10 People Linked to Basque Separatists
October 17, 2009
On Tuesday October 17 of 2009, a Basque politician, Arnaldo Otegi, and four others were arrested in Spain for “trying to regroup the leadership of the so-called Basque left movement in order to carry out ‘the ETA’s orders.’” They were, in fact, apprehended during a meeting in San Sebastían in an office of the Basque Union LAB. There were others arrested as well: two more in a nearby town named Hernani and three more even in Pamplona. Otegi has actually already had trouble with the law on similar circumstances, but this time for glorifying terrorism.
It’s not that I’m glad to see a current article about ETA, but it is relieving that I don’t have to pick out old ones, especially with an article of this magnitude. I am always interested to see how effective the Spanish police is being with this investigation of ETA. In this case, it is really great that they were apprehended in the Basque Region, maybe showing that the Basque Region’s police forces are somehow involved in the investigation, which would be rather helpful, although the article doesn’t specify.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/10/14/spain.basque.arrests/index.html
Spain Hails Arrest of Man Seen as ETA Leader
October 17, 2009
The suspected (now former) leader of ETA, Jurdan Martitegi Lizaso, was apprehended by the French police in Perpignan in August of 2009. He was found during a “joint sweep with the Spanish authorities.” Luckily he was caught before he was able to carry out the attack he had allegedly been planning. He also happens to be the fourth leader of ETA arrested since May 2008, which is quite a sizable number. He was arrested along with two other men, and “guns, bomb-making equipment and cars with false license plates” were also confiscated at the scene. ETA apparently uses stolen vehicles to transport explosives between France and Spain.
It is intriguing that there is a joint effort in the undertaking of shutting down ETA between the French and Spanish governments. It also shows how the group, in order to stay alive, travels in small numbers. With someone as important as the leader of the group traveling only with two other people, security in this organization is obviously of utmost importance.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/20/world/europe/20eta.html
‘Most Wanted’ ETA Suspects Seized at Ski Resort
October 17, 2009
In August of 2009 three members of the military branch of ETA were sequestered at a Ski Resort in southeast France called Le Corbier Villarembert. There names are Aitzol Etxaburu, Andoni Sarasola, and Alberto Machain. There were found with a cache with nearly 220 pounds of explosives, which could have proven volatile.
In this article there is a great meaning reanimated in the phrase one man can make a difference. If these three men were to have utilized all of the explosives, I am sure that they would have had a great influence on a large number of people, considering over 800 have already been killed by this rather small terrorist group. It also is fearful because if only three people had so many explosives, I can’t imagine how much more more people could prospectively have.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/08/19/spain.eta.arrests/index.html
Spain: Tourists safe from ETA attacks
October 17, 2009
In August of 2009 four ETA bombs were planted and detonated on the island of Mallorca, Spain, but did not have any fatalities. This occurred nearly two weeks after a car bombing in Mallorca that killed two officers of the civil guard. Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said that the Spanish people should not worry though because the government is keeping an eye out for any further activity. But with the over 800 people allegedly killed from prior ETA attacks and the fact that the bombers were never apprehended and could have fled or be in hiding in Mallorca still, one can not be sure.
It is interesting to read this article because it is a rather current occurrence. The Spanish government often says they have a firm grip on the situation, but it is impossible with ETA being such a secretive organization. This particular event was placed in an interesting strategic location, as far as attacks go. Mallorca is really a tourist destination and not one of great governmental power, such as Madrid. But the ones to be affected by this attack would have been tourists, who do not have much to do with this conflict.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/08/11/spain.eta.attack/index.html
ETA 50th Anniversary: Spain On Maximum Alert
October 10, 2009
This article is very similar to the former one about the four bombs in Mallorca, but it takes place a little earlier. This article posits that the attacks in Burgos (a car bombing that killed more than 60 people) and in Palma de Mallorca (a car bombing that killed two officers of the civil guard) were done to show that in the anniversary of their 50th year they are not dying out. The authorities are trying to apprehend two suspected members of ETA, who allegedly organized the bombing in Mallorca.
This is a more in depth analysis of the situation of these two bombings. The position, that it is to go against what the Spanish government is saying about ETA, that they are dying out, is a very interesting assumption, of which I, personally never would have thought. But it is a great supposition because it does seem to make clearer the motivation behind their more recent attacks.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/31/eta-50th-anniversary-spai_n_248438.html
Spain Arrests “ETA Police Killer”
October 10, 2009
A man by the name of Juan Manuel Inciarte is a suspect in the murder of five Spanish police officers and a wife of one of the police officers. The murder took place between 1983 and 1985 during the height of violence for the ETA separatist campaign. The man was recently found in Mexico and flown back to Spain with the police waiting for him there.
This article shows how the ETA have been getting away with murders and the like for some time now and not getting caught. It was just by happenstance that this man was found in Mexico, although I am sure there was an extensive investigation behind it. A man is found 20 years after six murders, five of which were police officers, does not sound like Spain has as much control over this issue as they would like to think. Although things are getting somewhat better in recent years, it seems that there is still a very long way to go.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8187737.stm
Socialist Elected as New President of Basque Region
October 10, 2009
In May of 2009 the former nationalist Basque President Juan José Ibarrexte was replaced with the new socialist president Patxi López. Ibarrexte was very critical of the political party shift, saying that new President López would not continue on the fight for an independent Basque Region. López said this was not so, but it is an interesting political situation, seeing as the Basque Region experiences more independence than most other Autonomies in Spain (Catalonia and Andalucia are also Autonomies moving toward an independent state).
I feel this is part way a move in the right direction, but his defense of continuing on the fight for Basque independence is a little questionable. I remember reading articles about Ibarrexte and finding him to be rather radical in that respect, but only time will tell how this new leader’s leadership will pan out. Although he did vow to fight against ETA, so all in all, I believe this to be a good move in the right direction.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/05/05/spain.basque.president/index.html
