The Web and The Basque Conflict

This is an old article, but the way things are right now I think it is a good idea to republish it:

Basque conflict spreads to Web

By CNN Madrid Bureau Chief Al Goodman

MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- The Basque separatist group ETA has fought nearly 33 years for an independent Basque homeland. But recently a few dozen Web sites on the subject of the Basque conflict have begun appearing on the Internet.

Some of these sites favour Basque independence and even seem to laud the efforts of ETA, which officials blame for about 800 killings since 1968 and which the Spanish government calls a "terrorist" organization. Various other sites are devoted to peace groups opposed to the violence and to ETA in particular.

Experts in Spain say none of these sites is audited by the major independent companies that track Web usage, so the impact of these sites is hard to measure.

But analysts say the sites seem to have dedicated, if small, followings. And in a sign of the deep feelings that the Basque conflict provokes, there have been several instances of anti-ETA users trying to block the sites deemed to be pro-ETA.

One recent instance occurred on March 23 when hackers blocked the main page of the Basque newspaper Gara at www.gara.net, where ETA typically publishes its policy statements and its notices claiming responsibility for various attacks.

The hackers posted the following notice in Spanish: "Esta web ha sido hackeada en recordatorio a las victimas de ETA y sus familiares. Basta Ya. No somos hackers, somos espanoles indignados." (Or: "This Web site has been hacked as a reminder of ETA's victims and their families. Enough is enough. We are not hackers, we are outraged Spaniards.")

The Basque conflict sites can be found through major search engines, such as Google or Buscopio. Various listings appear by typing in such search words or phrases as ETA, MLNV -- which stands for Movimiento de Liberacion Nacional Vasco, or Basque National Liberation Movement -- or Basta Ya, an oft-used phrase by peace groups opposed to ETA and the name of one such group.

Among the sites is www.euskal-herritarrok.org, the site of the radical left Euskal Herritarrok political coalition, which favours Basque independence and which the government and many other Spaniards say is the political wing of ETA. Another site is www.manos-blancas.uam.es, which shows some of the activities of a peace group opposed to ETA.

Source : Time Magazine

Noticed how the Spaniard are the ones on the offensive but yet they claim to be the victims?

By the way, Time Magazine can count this blog as one of the pages "inspired" by the so called Basque conflict. Also, they can label it as a pro-independence and pro-human rights Basque page.

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