Assignment 2
Terrorism and Homeland Security, 9e
CHAPTER 6 Jonathan R. White
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Learning Objectives, Part 1
Explain the nature and characteristics of nationalistic and ethnic separatist terrorism.
Describe the emergence of the modern IRA and terrorism in Northern Ireland.
Outline the basis for negotiating peace in Northern Ireland.
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Learning Objectives, Part 2
Summarize the nature of Basque culture and its separateness from Spain.
Explain the impact of the Spanish Civil War on the Basque region.
Summarize the birth and evolution of the ETA.
Explain the rise of the GAL.
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Learning Objectives, Part 3
Outline the Spanish government’s approach to Basque separatism.
Describe the rise of the LTTE and the role of the Tamil Diaspora.
Summarize the unique aspect of LTTE suicide bombings.
Describe the end of the LTTE and the danger of possible reconstitution.
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Ethnic and Nationalist Terrorism
Ethnic terrorists are usually more nationalistic than religious terrorists.
Ethnic terrorists try to forge national identity; they appeal to the nationalistic background of a particular ethnic group.
Peaceful negotiated settlements have proved to be the most effective method for ending ethnic and nationalistic terrorism.
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Ethnic and Nationalist Separatism
Ireland
Incorporated terrorist techniques into their revolt against British rule
Basque region of Spain
The Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA) is Europe’s longest surviving ethnic conflict
Island of Sri Lanka
Tensions between the Sinhalese and Tamils
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IRA and the Modern “Troubles”
The movement was aimed at achieving adequate housing and education among Ulster’s Catholic population in an attempt to improve economic growth.
The IRA had not been dormant throughout the civil rights movement, but it had failed to play a major role.
Turmoil in Belfast and Londonderry was halted by the British army acting as peacekeepers.
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The Army and Overreaction
Early policies of the British army played an important role in the rebirth of the IRA.
The British army had little or no appreciation of the historical circumstances behind the conflict.
The British army mistakenly allied itself with one of the extremist positions.
The policies of the British army had done much to set hostile forces in motion.
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Unionist Terrorism
Unionist organizations have a long history of terrorism; they represent the Unionist and Loyalist side of terrorism.
Historically, it has appeared in three forms:
Repression
Vengeance
Revolutionary violence for political change
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Negotiating with Terrorists
Belfast Agreement
Independent human rights investigations, compensation for the victims of violence, and decommissioning of paramilitary groups
Independent Monitoring Commission
Police Service of Northern Ireland
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Rational Political Goals and Negotiated Settlements
Terrorism in Northern Ireland no longer grabs attention as it did in the past.
The major campaigns are over and the groups have disbanded.
The situation remains volatile.
Unionist and Republican activists carried out 124 attacks against each other in 2009.
Two British soldiers were killed.
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Articles:
Seven people face terrorism charges
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/may/19/colin -duffy-relative-court-terrorism
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/may/18/northern-ireland -republican-terror-charges
The curse of the conflict junkies
http://www.economist.com/node/17631051
Discussion Questions:
Do you think the IRA would cease to exist if its goal was achieved? Or has it become so much of a “nationalist” movement that it would persist?
Do you think the IRA’s motivations have more to do with class structure, religion, or nationality?
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Basque Nation Background
Basque separatists beliefs:
Develop a homeland in Spain
Maintain a separate culture and language
War of the Spanish Succession
The new monarchy granted the Basque region semiautonomy within the realm.
Although the Basques considered themselves “un-Spanish,” Spanish power gradually enfolded the region into the twentieth century.
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The Spanish Civil War
Francisco Franco forcibly campaigned against Basque national identity.
Many Basques believed the Allies would assist their bid for independence.
The U.S. courted Franco’s fascist government in return for American air bases in Spain.
This resulted in a resurgence of Basque nationalism during the 1950s.
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The Basque Conflict
Basque separatists want a homeland completely independent of Spain.
The Basque region has its own language and culture, though it has never been independent.
ETA began a campaign against Spain in 1959.
They were responsible for assassinating Franco’s probable successor and many other officials.
ETA declared an end to hostilities in October 2011.
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The ETA Turns to Terrorism
In 1968, the group started a true terrorist campaign, although members did not view terrorism as a full-time activity.
Most members engaged in terrorism for only about three years, then returned to their full-time occupations.
As ETA violence expanded, women grew more active in the movement.
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ETA Tactics and Spanish Death Squads
As Spanish repression increased in the 1970s, the ETA escalated its attacks.
The ETA began a Marighella-style campaign of assassination, robbery, and banditry.
The government responded with martial law.
Death squads, such as Warriors of Christ the King and the Basque Spanish Battalion, began to torture and murder suspected terrorists and their supporters.
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Reframing the Conflict
Government tried to delegitimize the ETA by fostering democracy in Basque region.
Creation of a Basque national police
Basques were given total control of the educational system.
The ETA and its political wing became more entrenched in working-class ideology.
In 2011, the ETA announced that it was abandoning its military campaign.
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The Sri Lankan Conflict
The Tamils felt they were systematically excluded from Sri Lanka’s economic life.
LTTE formed to fight for the Tamil minority.
LTTE known for child kidnapping, suicide bombings, and assassinations
Sri Lankan military and police forces launched a major offensive against the LTTE in 2008.
Fighting ended in May 2009, bringing one of Asia’s longest violent separatist conflicts to an end.
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The Origins of Tamil Dissatisfaction
Tamil minority in Sri Lanka was concerned about maintaining its ethnic identity among the Sinhalese majority.
Sinhalese majority forced the government to adopt a Sinhalese-only policy.
Buoyed by religious differences and ethnic support, Tamil separatists could begin a guerrilla campaign by waging terrorist war.
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LTTE Tactics
Standard guerrilla tactics
Ad hoc navy
Robberies, bombings, and murder
Anti-Tamil riots
Terrorist training camps
Suicide bombers
Small-scale sea battles
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Fighting Renewed
Facing a weakened LTTE, Sri Lankan security forces created “no-fire zones” and moved into Tamil areas.
Tamil Tigers fought a defensive battle against conventional assaults.
Many of the commanders began blowing themselves up instead of surrendering.
Fighting ended in May.
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Repression after Victory
Sinhalese majority government has reverted to policies similar to the ones that caused earlier Tamil unrest.
Tamils are not free to move, and many remained in internment camps.
Women in the north constantly victimized
They don’t have the means to protect themselves or the means to address their grievances.
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Chapter Take Aways, Part 1
Ethnic and separatist movements involve attempts to gain full or partial independence.
When such groups employ terrorism, it may be possible for each side to negotiate an end to violence because each position is based on a logical, attainable political solution.
Despite the promise of negotiated peace, these movements seem to be more violent than ideological or religious terrorism.
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Chapter Take Aways, Part 2
Modern terrorism in Ireland grew from dissatisfaction with Catholic emancipation in the North.
Basque separatism became violent when the ETA launched a terrorist campaign in support of Basque independence.
Both of these cases have resulted in a peace settlement through negotiations, although radical extremists would like to disrupt the agreements.
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Chapter Take Aways, Part 3
Sri Lankan violence ended with the military elimination of the LTTE.
Rather than negotiate with the defeated Tamil minority, the government has continued to routinely suppress them.
This may lead to renewed violence and the rebirth of the LTTE or a similar organization in the Tamil Diaspora.
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