MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Gibraltar diplomatic conflict “an important fire” says Spain, but friendship with UK must prevail
Spanish Foreign minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo addressing parliament on Tuesday described the current diplomatic conflict with the UK as an ‘important fire’ and blamed it on three apparently minor incidents: Gibraltar authorities having dropped the agreement with Spanish fishermen a year ago; the recent dumping of cement blocks in the bay of Algeciras (Gibraltar) and the construction of a new reef. Read full article
Comments
Disclaimer & comment rulesHow do you say 'back peddling' in Spanish?
Sep 04th, 2013 - 12:26 am - Link - Report abuse 0LOL
A minor point but how does he class the dumping of the blocks and the building of the reef as two separate incidents?
Sep 04th, 2013 - 02:25 am - Link - Report abuse 0I'm not sure if it's true or not but I've been told that most of the Spanish fishermen's catch is sold to Gib.'s many bars and restaurants ???
Sep 04th, 2013 - 02:41 am - Link - Report abuse 0Cheers !
Jim, in Madrid.
The Spanish will give in. They always do.
Sep 04th, 2013 - 03:21 am - Link - Report abuse 0So true @4. Nothing ever changes.
Sep 04th, 2013 - 03:26 am - Link - Report abuse 0Just more posturing like Argentina does that only ever results in its own defeat.
What part of in perpetuity don't they understand?
Sep 04th, 2013 - 04:46 am - Link - Report abuse 0Rayjoy & his corrupt government must be laughing now the Bongo drums calling for them to be beheaded have died down. The distraction from their corruption has worked. Time to start back peddling like crazy on all the ridicules claims they made against Gibraltar because now the European Commission is getting involved Spain will be dragged in-front of the EU courts & no doubt their lies about Treaty violations, not recognizing waters, targeting Britain's in Tax investigations & preventing the free movement of Europeans will not be looked upon kindly by the Commission.
Sep 04th, 2013 - 05:24 am - Link - Report abuse 0@1: It's like this: ''A mi vieja le encanta hacer petes''.
Sep 04th, 2013 - 06:18 am - Link - Report abuse 0You should go and tell everyone that, I bet no one will argue it.
“ and the construction of a new reef.”
Sep 04th, 2013 - 06:19 am - Link - Report abuse 0But it isn't new-it's already 30 years old made of old sunk vessels. Before which there were no fish in the area as it was flat sand.
Thanks to the boats sunk over the last 30 years there is already a reef.
Which has given rise to new sealife. That the Spanish have fished.
Now the reef has been added to. It is not a 'new' reef.
The Spanish, like the Argentines, aren't too hot on research are they?
Perhaps they note (at last?) that the UK can veto EU financial help, that UK tourists make up 25% of their tourist trade, that nearly every supermarket in the UK sells Spanish tomatoes, that Catalonia wants independence, that Morrocco is as happy at Spanish enclaves as Spain is about Gibraltar.
Wish I could attend the anti-bullfighting demo outside the Spanish embassy in London.
I understand there is also one outside the Spanish Embassy in Ireland.
@8 Please provide an accurate and approved translation. This site operates using the ENGLISH language. What is it about “IN ENGLISH” that you don't understand?
Sep 04th, 2013 - 07:46 am - Link - Report abuse 0@9 Spaniards are congenitally stupid. I gather that a lobotomy at one-week old is mandatory. Not that it's really necessary. What do you get when you cross a lunatic with a moron? It's a toss-up really. South of the equator you get an argie. North and you get a Spaniard.
'In the UN or any other international forum Margallo said that Spain will support Argentina in claims over the Falklands, a case similar to the rock'
Sep 04th, 2013 - 07:58 am - Link - Report abuse 0http://www.europapress.es/nacional/noticia-margallo-dice-espana-apoyara-argentina-reclamaciones-malvinas-caso-similar-penon-20130903214413.html
'The rock of Gibraltar and the Falklands'
http://www.europapress.es/nacional/noticia-margallo-dice-espana-apoyara-argentina-reclamaciones-malvinas-caso-similar-penon-20130903214413.html
'It highlights the British commitment to Gibraltar - London: the Gibraltar dispute threatens relations with Spain'
http://www.europapress.es/nacional/noticia-margallo-dice-espana-apoyara-argentina-reclamaciones-malvinas-caso-similar-penon-20130903214413.html
'“We want to Uruguayan companies in politics” - The Deputy “kelpers” Dick Sawle visited Uruguay to encourage companies in the country participate in the business generated from oil exploration in the Falklands.'
http://www.europapress.es/nacional/noticia-margallo-dice-espana-apoyara-argentina-reclamaciones-malvinas-caso-similar-penon-20130903214413.html
Silly Gibraltarians.
Sep 04th, 2013 - 10:19 am - Link - Report abuse 0Got themselves stuck in the middle of a problem that any given Spanish government -cannot- ... not won't... - cannot be seen to back down from.
Same on the British side. Basically just highlighted themselves as being a problem. Plus they can now say goodbye to their bunkering.
Expect a report from UN/EU.
Expect that report to either (a)support Spain or (b) Order Spain to do change its approach - this will either be ignored by Spain or gotten around with/without some technicality.
Oh we can't check for tobacco ... we'll I dunno ...emmm..we're checking for illegal immigrants, no diesel laundering, drunk drivers...we've changed our mind on the toll road...etc etc.
All because they decided to take a concrete dump in (what they consider to be) their own pool.
Expensive reef.
Gibraltar's territorial waters:
Sep 04th, 2013 - 10:56 am - Link - Report abuse 0http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmselect/cmfaff/memo/overterr/uct26402.htm
and
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmselect/cmfaff/memo/overterr/uct26402.htm
Time to call the Spanish bluff.
Vestige @12 seems to think that it is a disgrace that Gibraltarians exist.
Sep 04th, 2013 - 12:17 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Silly for having Spain as a neighbour...I don't think they have a lot of choice to move and still be Gibraltarians. Vestiga has the sort of attitude that threatens world peace.
I could not care less if any Spanish government cannot be seen to back down, the horrible scum need to be hammered into the ground if they continue with their attitude towards Gibraltar (never mind their actions).
Same goes for the horrible plastic Spanish expansionist scum that occupy the area of SOUTH (not Latin) America which calls itself Argentina.
@12 A report from the UN? But Spain won't go to the ICJ! Like argies they are cowards. And the bunkering will continue since it complies with all EU legislation. However, as we see “action” ramped up, watch for spanish pirates being sunk. And spanish thingys shot in the water. Or left to drown. Meanwhile Gibraltar sinks another 20 artificial reefs. Designed to rip the bottoms out of Spanish vessels. And then Britain is “considering” extending Gibraltar's territorial waters to 12 miles. Once accepted by the UN, we can sink anything within 12 miles without authorisation. I like that. raftLittle Spanish “pleasure” craft, Spanish poachers, Spanish state shit. Kill the lot!
Sep 04th, 2013 - 02:14 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“And the bunkering will continue”
Sep 04th, 2013 - 02:56 pm - Link - Report abuse 0...I wouldn't be so certain on that.
Nothing in this World is certain. Spain faces similar uncertainties to the UK and Argentina faces similar uncertainties to Venezuela... only without the oil.
Sep 04th, 2013 - 03:17 pm - Link - Report abuse 0When the USA starts bombing Syria, things will start to get even more uncertain.
Spain is already backtracking and retreating,
Sep 04th, 2013 - 04:26 pm - Link - Report abuse 0They say, ok let’s talk but not abt sovereignty, but this will always be on the agenda,
Or in other words,
They won’t discuss sovereignty because Gibraltar is not theirs,
It will always be on the agenda, as a way to say , we know we won’t ever get it,
As long as Gibraltar wishes to remain British, that is the be all, to end all, full stop..
Still,
Spain could always discus her territories in morocco could she not ?? .lol
Gollum Lite and his boss thought they could cause this diversion from the abysmal state of the economy and the Brits would not back the people of Gibraltar.
Sep 04th, 2013 - 05:15 pm - Link - Report abuse 0They clearly do not understand that if you smite one Gibraltarian you (attempt) to smite the Brits and the only reward will be consternation on your part.
Perhaps the fact that Britain can veto further money into what is clearly a failed Latino state came as a bit of a surprise to them.
(YES, I know it’s Mediterranean state but you cannot put a bus ticket between them both).
The Spanish are retreating?
Sep 04th, 2013 - 09:50 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Let's drop another 70 cement blocks and start again.
Hello everyone,
Sep 05th, 2013 - 05:30 am - Link - Report abuse 0Once again, this thread too, is filling up with nationalistic nonsense. It’s true that both Argentina’s and Spain’s present and past political masters are self-seeking sods, deeply in hock to multinational capitalism, but...
For heaven’s sake, the greedy, multinational bankers, many of whom are BRITISH and were leading players in Spain’s pre-meltdown economy, CAUSED THE WHOLE E.U. COLLAPSE.
Has anyone noticed that Spain’s Santander has taken just a few years to become one of Britain’s biggest Banks? Or that the new T.S.B. Bank –to be hived-off from Lloyds, with govt approval– will be managed by a Spaniard resident in the U.K.?
Without the participation of the huge, taxpayer funded arms manufacturers –who peddle weapons of mass destruction at grossly inflated prices, to all and sundry– THERE COULD BE NO LARGE SCALE WARS, saving huge sums which could be spent to fix almost all the world’s pressing problems, in very short-order.
So instead of insulting one another, why not wakeup to the REAL WORLD and focus your ANGER on the REAL CULPRITS?
We are not governed by our politicians but by their big banker masters. And I assure you that –so long as they’re allowed to keep making their enormous, immoral profits– the latter couldn’t give a sod for the ‘Janitos’, the ‘Kelpers’ nor for anyone else WHOMSOEVER!
And remember, even computer other apparently ‘benign’ companies depend on speculative share trading for survival.
I realize that there’s no EASY solution to humanity’s many problems. But that’s no reason for our capitalist media to keep so many millions of people in the state of abject ignorance manifested by some of those who POST HERE.
Cheers!
Jim, in Madrid.
21 JimHandley
Sep 05th, 2013 - 07:02 am - Link - Report abuse 0Why are the banks, and by that I take it you mean TRADING banks so big? It is because people have to make a return on their savings and they invest in the offer giving the most interest as long as the bank is reputable. As a retired person I would imagine you are, like me, are one of these people.
What really caused all the problems were the American mortgage scams which the stupid banks around the world bought into. I knew a guy who constructed the programme for one of the “investment banks” (a PhD mathematician) and he could not answer the simple question: but what if your “guesses” are incorrect? The answer is all too obvious now. The UK banks did not originate these scams and they did not even know they were scams, so you could say they were incompetent and greedy, but you are mistaken about them being the originators of the problem.
With regard to taxpayer funded arms companies. Do you think the like of BAE have a monopoly? Have you never heard of Russia and China both of which sell arms much cheaper than anyone else?
We would all like to have the utopia that you suggest where no one country had more firepower than rifles and pistols, but we are where we are.
Oh God help us!
Sep 05th, 2013 - 07:04 am - Link - Report abuse 0Well
Sep 05th, 2013 - 02:05 pm - Link - Report abuse 0We could close all the banks, building societies, money lenders,
And do away with corrupt incompetent irrelevant governments, [that mean all of them then]
We could thus close all military building, ships, planes , guns , ammo , ect ect,
Dismantle all militaries around the world, armies , navies , air forces ,
We could do away with all powerful people that are rich and or who own land and or property, till we all have the same [in theory]
We could do away with all elected leaders , ect ect,
But then what,
Who would do what, say what , enforce what ,
Who would pay for what, with what ,
Who would build the roads, villages, towns, repairs on them all,
Who would pay for the training of doctors , builders , specialist , ect ect.
Trouble is, you can call me a fool [fool lol]
But if you close one institution for what ever reason, you would have to close em all,
You see, no matter how silly it sounds, someone somewhere has to build these things, authorize , things , someone has to be in charge , someone has to lead , someone has to PAY for all this,
You see, MONEY we can’t really live with it or without it, for it breed greed , corruption , incompetence , rivalries , wars ,
Still………………….
What a funny old world we all live in, lolol.
Still 2
Even if we are went back to the trees,
Someone has to mow the damm grass ??
Enjoy…
.
22 ChrisR
Sep 05th, 2013 - 02:14 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Re:
Not by exploiting third world kids. Having worked in sub-Saharan W. Africa –where weekly, more than 40,000 kids die from the effects of abject poverty –I’ve seen things for myself so I’ve no need to consult one of the so-called intellectuals who so selfishly helped to plunge the world into this mess, in the first place.
Not much! Come arwf it, Mate!
Certainly not. But both the P.R.C. and Russia are run by CAPITALIST regimes –possibly worse than those of the West.
When in 1776, the Scot, Adam Smith published his ‘Wealth of Nations’, the planet was like a huge farm who’s limitless resources were entirely owned by a tiny WHITE population. Other races were thought little better than cattle, and to be exploited as such. In 1944, when the other Brit., John Maynard Keynes attended Breton Woods to plan post WWII Western economic governance, conditions weren’t much different from those the 18th century.
But since then, there’s been an exponential explosion of the world’s population and a correspondingly great diminution of its resources.
As a retired physicist, I reckon that today’s ‘CONVENTIONAL ECONOMISTS’ are blindly leading us along the path to the precipice. For, even if we discard the indubitably nefarious consequences of global warming, caused by our excessive consumption of superfluous goods, and CHANGE OUR WAYS, OUR CHILDREN ARE IN FOR A BIG SHOCK.
Cheers!
Jim, in Madrid.
25 JimHandley
Sep 05th, 2013 - 03:20 pm - Link - Report abuse 0No one is doubting your heartfelt sympathy for the poor, but in Africa, as in many other places, the poor are a function of their own government despite the millions in foreign aid sent by the UK.
This money AND all food and clothes immediately become the property of the local (usually) War Lord who keeps it for his own tribe and followers.
In Nigeria even the RCC are at it. In the oil delta (where I worked for a time) there were 12 or 14 churches (I can’t be sure now) in a small township near to the terminal servicing the offshore rigs. The people were in the same set of clothes day in and day out, the children, immaculately dressed for school, went around in RAGS after school.
So I think the message most people have is that it’s not all black and white regarding wealth (no pun intended).
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