What does ETA stand for?? and what do they do?

*shakes head*

At least the IRA has been rather quiet recently...

ETA = Euskadi ta Askatasuna (Basque Fatherland and Liberty)

They fight for the independence of a Basque state in northern Spain and south France. Here is a more detailed definition:

"What is ETA?
ETA is a leftist group that uses terrorism in hopes of forming an independent Basque state in parts of northern Spain and southwest France. ETA stands for Euskadi ta Askatasuna, which means “Basque Fatherland and Liberty” in the Basque language. The State Department lists ETA as a foreign terrorist organization, and the United States and the European Union have frozen ETA assets since the September 11 attacks. Spain has long fought ETA and opposes an independent Basque homeland, though its 1978 constitution designated an autonomous Basque region with responsibility for education, health care, policing, and taxation.

Who are the Basques?

The Basques are a linguistically and culturally distinct Christian group that has lived since the Stone Age in the mountainous region that straddles the border between modern-day Spain and France. The Basques have never had their own independent state, but they have enjoyed varying degrees of autonomy over the centuries under Spanish and French rule. About half of the 2.1 million residents of the three provinces that make up the autonomous Basque region speak fluent Basque or understand some of the language. Basque nationalists include other areas with smaller Basque-speaking minorities—the Spanish province of Navarre and three departments in southwest France—in their vision of a Basque homeland.

Who and what does ETA target?

Mostly national and regional officials and government buildings in Spain. In 1973, ETA operatives killed the aging dictator Francisco Franco’s apparent successor, Admiral Luis Carrero Blanco, by planting an underground bomb below his habitual parking spot outside a Madrid church. In 1995, an ETA car bomb almost killed Jose Maria Aznar, then leader of the conservative Popular Party and now Spain’s prime minister. The same year, investigators disrupted a plot to assassinate King Juan Carlos. And in 1999, Spanish investigators foiled a truck bombing of Madrid’s Picasso Tower, a skyscraper designed by the architect of the World Trade Center.

In addition to these ambitious targets, ETA has also targeted many regional officials and institutions in Basque regions, and in recent years ETA has also targeted journalists and civilians. Spanish officials arrested two ETA militants in December 2003, broke up plots to detonate two bombs at Madrid train stations, and discovered two bombs at Aragon train stations. About eight hundred people have been killed as a result of ETA violence since the 1960s.

Has ETA carried out attacks since September 11?
Yes. ETA has been quieter than usual since September 11, but experts say this may reflect successful law enforcement pressure rather than any moral or tactical retreat from terrorism by ETA. However, since September 11, ETA has been implicated in several attacks. These include:

* In May 2003, ETA allegedly killed two policemen and seriously injured two civilians in a car bomb attack in the village of Sanguesa, Navarra region.
* In March 2002, Spanish authorities defused a bomb planted at the stock exchange in Bilbao, a bomb exploded outside the home of a local politician, and a town councillor was assassinated. Spanish authorities suspect ETA in these incidents.
* In November 2001, ETA killed a judge and two police officers in the Basque region, and a French gendarme was shot, reportedly by ETA.
* In October 2001, ETA set off car bombs in Vitoria, the capital of the Basque region, and in Madrid; the latter attack injured a hundred people. "

Link:

http://www.terrorismanswers.org/groups/eta.html


Interesting, though, how the link states that ETA has no ties to al Qaeda, even though al Qaeda terrorist cells have been discovered in Spain...

After 9/11 I was hoping the US would use diplomatic skills to create an alliance against all forms of terrorism, including basque, IRA and others but we got sidetracked into chasing after unrealistic unwinnable goals and a reverse domino theory. Too bad.

What does this attack have to with the Al Qaeda?

Ok, I see what you're saying about 3/11.