Revolutionary and counter-revolutionary terrorism Chapter 10 Babette Protz University of South Carolina Lancaster

Learning Objectives: Chapter 10 Define revolutionary and counter revolutionary terrorism. Outline the history, philosophy, and influence of the Tupamaros. Summarize the emergence and current status of FARC and the ELN. Describe the function and purpose of the MeK. Describe the rise, fall, and resurgence of the Shining Path.

Learning Objectives: Chapter 10 Explain the Maoist rebellion in Nepal. Outline the issues surrounding Naxilite terrorism. Explain the operations and tactics of the New Peoples Army. Describe the rise, fall, and transformation of revolutionary terrorism in Europe. Explain the rise of death squads as a reaction to revolutionary terrorism.

Revolutionary Terrorism Global movement expressing dissatisfaction in the wake of anticolonialism An insurgent strategy in the context of internal warfare or revolution An attempt to seize power from a legitimate state for the purpose of creating political and social change Involves the use of terrorism to achieve this goal

Tupamaros A group of revolutionaries that surfaced in Uruguay in the early 1960s Tupamaros epitomized urban terrorism Democracy and freedoms faded as Uruguay’s economic woes increased Waiting for the Guerrilla Reforming the government and creating economic opportunities

Tupamaros Tupamaros organized to do battle inside the city, following the recent guidelines of Carlos Marighell In 1968, the Tupamaros launched a massive campaign of decentralized terrorism Kidnapped high-ranking officials and foreign diplomats

Counter Revolutionary Terrorism Torture became a standard police tactic Rapes, beatings, and murders were common Some suspects were tortured over a period of months or even years Torturing prisoners served several purposes: Provided a ready source of information Serviced as a determinant

Early Successes Tupamaros reach the zenith of their power by 1970; they established several combat and support columns in Montevideo In 1971, Tupamaros had alienated potential electoral support through their terrorist campaign Soundly defeated in national elections Brutal counter-terrorist campaign followed

Tupamaro Organization The Executive Committee was in charge, but it ran a highly decentralized operation Main power came from the internal rule enforcement provided by the Committee for Revolutionary Justice Tupamaros lacked a unified command structure for routine functions Operational power in the Tupamaros was vested in the lower echelon units

Influencing Modern Terrorism The Tupamaro structure and tactics were mimicked by such groups: Red Army Faction Direct Action Red Brigades The Tupamaros offered an alternative to this tradition by making the city a battleground

Would-Be Revolutionaries Plan Colombia Goal of Plan Colombia was to disarm all FARC, ELN, and AUC and to deal with an endemic cocaine trade Violence has been reduced, but Colombia still accounts for the lion’s share of cocaine production

Plan Colombia: Cashing In on the Drug War Failure http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1iQn8lEmYA Discussion: What was your overall view of the video? How is the failure of Plan Colombia explained? Provide examples. Would you say conditions such as seen in Colombia feed a terrorist movement? Support your position.

Would-Be Revolutionaries Alvaro Uribe Claimed Colombia’s contribution to the war on terror would be the elimination of FARC, ELN, and AUC FARC has been weakened by setbacks: Uribe’s aggressive counterterrorism policy Aggressive military action Rescue mission freed 15 hostages who had been in captivity for many years

Would-Be Revolutionaries FARC had about 9,000 guerrillas at its strongest point. After Uribe’s offensives, FARC lost its ability to operate in Colombia’s rural jungles Though they remain active, Uribe has forced the AUC to disband ELN is smaller than FARC and less active It abandoned the rural philosophy shifting to urban center

Mujahedin-e Kahlq Founded in 1965 to overthrow the Iranian government and designated as a foreign terrorist organization by US It have an estimated 3,800 members Saddam Hussein used its services during the Iran and Iraq War Supported the American embassy takeover

Peru’s Shining Path Peru’s indigenous people sought to free themselves from European rule Shining Path launched a campaign in rural Peru Guzman led the Shining Path in a twofold strategy: Guerrillas operated in rural areas Campaign of violence against peasants The fighting ended in 2000 with all guerrillas abandoning terrorism and the fall of Fujimori

People & Power - The New Shining Path http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTpcBD23_HY&feature=related Discussion: Remnants of the Shining Path have taken a new direction according to this video – would you consider the current group to be more or less violent than in the past? Support your position. Given their involvement with the narcotics trade, would you now consider the group as narcoterrorists?

Maoist Rebellion in Nepal The rebels sought to: Dismantle autocratic futile social structures Create a democratically conclusive government The Maoists executed prisoners, kidnapped citizens, conducted high-profile assassinations, and launched hit-and-run attacks Government reacted with brutal campaign of counterterrorism Peace treaty signed in 2006

Maoist Rebellion in Nepal The rebels sought to: Dismantle autocratic futile social structures Create a democratically conclusive government The Maoists executed prisoners, kidnapped citizens, conducted high-profile assassinations, and launched hit-and-run attacks Government reacted with brutal campaign of counterterrorism Peace treaty signed in 2006

Naxalites of India The Naxalites emerged in a 1967 uprising in West Bengal. Peasants staged a demonstration for right to land ownership and better wages Police confronted the demonstrators with deadly force; protests turned into rebellion The social separation between landlords and tenants was deeply ingrained in Indian society

Naxalites of India The Naxalites began to emerge again in the 1990s in a variety of smaller movements: People’s Guerrilla Army of the People’s War Group People’s Liberation Army of the Maoist Center of India Naxalite rebellion has become its number one internal security problem

New People’s Army (NPA) The NPA is the longest-running communist insurgency in the world It sustains operations by levying a “revolutionary tax” It sought to fight against the structure of political power and the distribution of wealth The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) have dehumanized the NPA

Message on the 43rd Anniversary of the NPA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndxy0Gkt-h8&feature=player_embedded#! Discussion: What is your overall view of the video? Were you aware of this group prior to viewing this video and reading the chapter? What message is the leader attempting to deliver on the anniversary? Do you see this group as freedom fighters or a terrorist group? Support your view.

Decline of Revolutionary Terrorism Pluralism of Western democracies opened the door to peaceful participation in the political system Violence no longer seemed an attractive method for groups to express grievances Three key events Berlin wall came down New nations formed from the former Yugoslavia Soviet Union dissolved

Revolutionary Struggle Two terrorist groups appeared shortly after democracy returned to Greece N17 group hated America, the West, and capitalism International pressure forced Greek police to take action against N17 Revolutionary Struggle (EA) emerged This may signal a return to left-wing terrorism

Economic Crisis The “Great Recession” has destabilized an already fragile European economic crisis Economic downturn has strengthened right-wing and xenophobic political movements Right-wing terrorism is often a response to left-wing violence

Death Squads Purpose of a death squad is to stop social change, and they terrorize those who threaten their position Tactics range from range semiofficial raids on governmental opponents to secret murder Mazzei’s theory They are against reform Three conditions give rise to death squads

The Future Is it possible to have a public policy concerning terrorism and to violate that policy in practice? If the United States establishes a relationship with the MeK, how can the Department of State maintain a listing condemning state sponsors of terrorism? What is the moral responsibility of democratic governments in maintaining standards about international terrorism?

Chapter Take Aways Revolutionary terrorists call for radical change in either the structure of government or the underlying political philosophy of governance. Its current origins can be traced to twentieth century movements in Latin America, especially from the urban philosophy of Uruguay’s Tupamaros.

Chapter Take Aways Groups such as the FARC and ELN were originally inspired by the Tupamaros, but they drifted into drug trafficking to survive. Other terrorists like the MeK of Iran fight for political dominance. Maoist revolutionaries mirror the revolutionary theories of the Communist takeover in China.

Chapter Take Aways Peru’s Shining Path was a pioneer Maoist group, and it inspired Communists in Nepal, India, and the Philippines. Counter revolutionary terrorism is frequently based on the formation of illegal military and police units who torture and kill suspected terrorists and their supporters. They are known as Death Squads.