ETA has used a wide variety of methods to conduct their attacks. Bombings,
shootings, and assassinations are the most common types of attacks. These
attacks have often focused on important Spanish political figures, and other
symbols of the government. This study will use a few examples of previous ETA
attacks, to see if there is a pattern, or a typical ETA attack we would expect
to see. This will be useful if ETA ever continues terror attacks; understanding
the methods and tactics of ETA will be essential to making sure they do not
commit more violence in the future.

            One famous attack that ETA executed occurred in 2005 in Madrid, Spain. This attack
targeted a convention center where King Juan Carlos and Mexican president
Vicente Fox were going to appear. This attack used a car bomb, and over 20
innocent people were wounded[1].
 Bombings, especially against
political figures, are a main method that ETA is known to use. This is not the
only incident involving King Juan Carlos either. ETA made many attempts to
assassinate him over the years. As the most visible political figure in the
country, he was seen as an extremely valuable target to ETA.

            King Juan Carlos was by no means the only politician that ETA targeted. On February
22, 2000, Basque politician Fernando Buesa was killed along with his bodyguard
by an ETA bomb[2]. The
response by the Spanish public showed widespread disagreement with ETA, as
thousands protested in the streets after the attack. This attack demonstrates
that ETA’s primary focus was the targeting of political figures. Although
civilians were killed as well in most of their attacks, it was more common for
ETA to have a specific, political target.

            Another incident took place at the funeral of a man killed by ETA. A Basque councilman
had been shot, and many important regional politicians gathered for his
funeral. Despite a thorough police sweep of the site beforehand, a bomb placed
in a flowerpot near the grave remained undiscovered[3].
The bomb failed to go off due to a technical problem, but this event could have
been a tragedy if the bomb had functioned correctly.

            By analyzing these attacks, a pattern starts to emerge in how they occur. They are
usually targeted at high profile political targets in Spain. This means that
large public events, and other times political officials are moving through
public, are prime targets for ETA attacks. We could usually expect a bombing,
likely a car bomb, to detonate in a public area. This would most likely occur
in close proximity with the political official they were targeting. In many
cases in the past, the attack has failed to kill the actual target, but still
results in widespread collateral damage.

            The timing of possible ETA attacks isn’t easy to predict, but it would most likely
be in broad daylight, when public events are going on. Their targeting of
political figures and events shows that their goal of political autonomy
remains extremely connected to their attacks. In the past, most attacks by ETA
were done in high profile places that were designed to maximize their
psychological impact, and get headlines in the media. ETA has shown they are
not afraid to undertake even the most ambitious of terror operations, as we can
see from their numerous attacks directed on the King of Spain himself.

            Following an attack, police or soldiers would secure the immediate area. It is likely
that many people would be wounded, due to the type of bombing that terrorists
typically employ. This type of bombing uses a large amount of shrapnel, or
flying pieces of metal, to injure as many as possible. In the case of a car
bomb, the car itself can act as the shrapnel when it is ripped apart by the
bomb. For this reason, treating the wounded would be the first priority for any
government officials.

            Following the immediate cleanup of the attack, the government of Spain would likely learn
that ETA was responsible, either through the organization claiming
responsibility, or through evidence gathered from the scene. It would also be
possible to guess which group was responsible, based on the context. If it were
an ETA attack, the target would be a known political figure that ETA was after.

            The aftermath of this hypothetical ETA attack would be chaotic. Government
officials would need to care for the wounded and their families, find out the
culprit of the attack, and pursue a rational, lawful course of action to bring
justice to those responsible. This is extremely difficult to do with a group
that is as insular and underground as ETA. For this and many more reasons, it
is essential we understand how a typical ETA attack happens, where we could
expect an attack, and what the proper course of action would be following an
attack.