| ID | 164149 |
| Title Proper | End of the cycle |
| Other Title Information | assessing ETA’s strategies of terrorism |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Mahoney, Charles W |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | In May 2018, the Basque insurgent group Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA) officially disbanded after a 60-year struggle. This inquiry assesses ETA’s violent campaigns using recent conceptual and theoretical advancements from the field of terrorism studies. Three conclusions concerning the group’s strategies of terrorism are advanced. First, ETA regularly targeted civilians to achieve goals other than coercing the Government of Spain; these objectives included outbidding rival separatist groups and spoiling negotiation processes. Second, ETA’s most rapid period of organizational growth occurred as the result of an aggressive terrorist campaign, demonstrating that civilian targeting can serve as a stimulus to rebel group recruitment. Finally, while terrorism did not advance ETA’s primary political objective of creating an independent Basque state, it did enable the group to assume a leading position within the radical Basque separatist movement, helping extend ETA’s lifespan and making the group an embedded actor within the contentious political processes surrounding the question of Basque self-determination. Collectively, these conclusions support recent theoretical findings arguing that non-state terrorism often enables insurgent groups to prolong their lifespans while paradoxically making it more difficult for them to advance their long-term political objectives. |
| `In' analytical Note | Small Wars and Insurgencies Vol. 29, No.5-6; Oct-Dec 2018: p.916-940 |
| Journal Source | Small Wars and Insurgencies Vol: 29 No 5-6 |
| Key Words | Terrorism ; Insurgency ; Spain ; Repression ; ETA ; Civil War ; Basque |