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Grupos Antiterroristas de Liberación (Antiterrorist Liberation Groups) were death squads illegally set up by officials within the Spanish government to fight ETA. It was financed and protected by the Spanish Interior Ministry.
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History
GAL operated mainly in the Basque Country, mostly on the French side of the border, but kidnapping, tortures and economic crimes were also carried out in other parts of Spain. The victims were both members and supporters of ETA, and people unconnected to terrorism. The groups were active from 1984 to 1986 committing 23 murders. This period is often referred to as part of "La guerra sucia" (The dirty war) in Spanish history.
The kidnapping and later murder of Joxe Antonio Lasa and Joxe Ignacio Zabala in October 1983 and the kidnapping of Segundo Marey in 1984, marked the beginning of the group.
Suspicions that Felipe González, then Prime Minister of Spain, was allegedly involved with the GAL, influenced the campaign for the elections of 1996 in which Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) was surpassed by José María Aznar's People's Party (PP) for the first time. Felipe González then resigned as leader of the party. With the exception of Ricardo García Damborenea, PSOE leaders have never acknowledged responsibility for the GAL, and have condemned their crimes verbally. González himself has never been charged with a GAL offence, but he's asked publicly for pardon for his former subordinates. In general, PSOE leaders refuse to treat ETA and GAL crimes in the same way. Aznar's government was generous in granting pardons to Socialists convicted of GAL crimes.
In the late 1980s, the French government adopted a harsher attitude towards Basque refugees, denying the status of political refugee to new applicants, and facilitating extraditions asked for by Spanish judges. This evolution weakened ETA's veterans, but settled a dangerous precedent, proving that the administration of a country member of EEC could shift their policy fulfilling demands of a terrorist group. This contradicted one argument the Spanish government had used to refuse to negotiate with ETA. It is believed that the GAL were a major factor in ensuring ETA's survival into the 1990s and beyond, helping to preserve the image of an authoritarian state in war against the Basque people.
Convict GAL members
The actual attacks were carried by members of the Spanish Policía Nacional or French thugs.
Some of the members of the GAL are:
- José Barrionuevo Peña, minister of Interior.
- Rafael Vera, director for the Security of the State.
- Ricardo García Damborenea, secretary general of PSE in Biscay.
- Francisco Álvarez, Antiterrorist Fight Czar.
- Miguel Planchuelo, chief for the Police Information Brigade of Bilbao.
- José Amedo Fouce, police chief.
- Julián Sancristóbal gobernador civil (representative of the Spanish government) in Biscay.
Similar groups
Members of Batasuna call "green GAL" to an alleged group of the Guardia Civil (they wear green uniforms) based in the Intxaurrondo barracks at San Sebastián, who would have attacked ETA members illegally.
External links
- The stain of Spain's dirty war (Irish Democrat) (http://www.irishdemocrat.co.uk/news/2001/dirty-war/)
Books
- Dirty War, Clean Hands -- ETA, the GAL and Spanish Democracy by Paddy Woodworth - ISBN 0-300-09750-6de:Grupos Antiterroristas de Liberación
es:Grupos Antiterroristas de Liberación pl:Grupos Antiterroristas de Liberación