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

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. Plan Colombia: Cashing In on the Drug War Failure
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.

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. People & Power - The New Shining Path
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?

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

23. Message on the 43rd Anniversary of the NPA
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.

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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

27. 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

28. 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?

29. 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.

30. 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.

31. 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.