Until recently, you could attribute every bomb going off in England to the IRA and you wouldn’t be far from the truth. Likewise, all bombs in Spain could be attributed to Basque separatist group ETA. Both of these nationalist organizations must have realized their efforts were futile decades ago, but only now have they adopted a practical orientation. ETA and IRA leaders have taken peacemaking measures in light of the new player on the field - al-Qaeda.
An expert with the International Institute of Strategic Studies in London put forth the theory that these groups don’t want to be seen as competing with the Arabs for attention, because that would undermine their goals. They don’t want to be associated with this type of terror in the public eye. ETA and IRA have called ceasefires and all they want now is to negotiate. The threat posed by al-Qaeda has increased willingness on the part of Western powers to tolerate repressive measures, toughen anti-terrorism laws and share intelligence. Previously Spain and Britain faced severe criticism for cracking down on ETA and IRA. At the present such policy can only make the US and other Western governments green with envy. With al-Qaeda, there is no one to identify, no one to negotiate with and no one to arrest.
IRA killed 1770 people over 27 years, and ETA – about 800 from 1968 to 2003. These death tolls are hardly staggering compared to al-Qaeda’s deadly mission. Old World terrorism is definitely taking a step back in favor of the Middle East. IRA began to disarm in 2001, specifically after September 11 of that year. ETA called ceasefire after March 11, 2004, when al-Qaeda blasted the commuter trains in Madrid. Spanish authorities attempted to pin this crime on ETA. IRA instructed its members to dump their weapons and renounce violence with political goals. The organization had ruled out both these moves for ten years. A veteran of IRA informed that the September 11 attacks made it politically impossible for the organization to break the ceasefire it had agreed to in 1997.
Another potential threat is Hamas, the movement of Palestinian nationalists. It took years and years for ITA and ETA to offer a truce. How long will it take for al-Qaeda to walk the road to peace?
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