Dialogue of the deaf...

Blimey, it's the dialogue of the deaf esto de Brussels, y eso que todavia no han empezado hablar.

Yo estoy segura que esto no tiene arreglo, mi querida Cynthia.

That's what my Charlie says. The probem is that they are trying to get a process going that is full of opposites. Verdaderamente, si uno quiere el soberanity, como decia el Moran, y el otro quiere su sovereignty, it becomes una casa de locos.

Mind you, lo que me mosqueo mas que un Spanish fly fue cuando el Hombre Paja said he would start a committee to discuss sovereignty, y hasta dijo algo del constitution. What suprises me is that no one has asked him what he meant, porque there is no point in talking if you dont know what it is all about.

Claro. Y el Pique dice estar profundamente agradecido al Hombre Paja porque on this occasion there is political will to find solutions.

Esto de huele a garlic. Parece que se han puesto de acuerdo over un drink in Brussels y quieren ir full speed ahead, como si fueran unos fast launches.

Bueno, hija, if you read los official comnuuniques como hace my darling husband you will know its about finding speedy solutions.

Pues mira, que hagamos algo del Constitution porque no nos vayamos a quedar atras como una tortuga.

Y el Chief Mini lo que esta echando por ese pico. Le dan more lines, y encima quiere llevar al otro a la corte for being illegal.

Mujer, es que hay que saber de politica. or didn't you realise que era una tapaera.

Y tambien le quieren colar unos working parties donde van a cantar por buleria.

Esto es un dialogue of the deaf, uno dice una cosa y el otro no se entera. .

Bueno, que lleguemos a los 101 como el Queen Mother, aunque te dire que el British Gibraltar cumplio 297 el mismo dia.

That's 3 to go for the celebrations. Happy birthday!

The Armando LaGrande column 

Hear this, Caruana tells Piqué…

It is just as well that Caruana saw through the antic of the Spanish foreign minister Piqué when the 'offer of goodwill' was made of several thousand telephone lines. Anyone not knowing the problem at close quarters, the Callaghans of this world for example, might have jumped for it, saying that was a nice gesture.

But this is a case of the lines getting crossed, because what Piqué was offering does not address the real phone problem with Spain.

The government has explained that what Spain must do is accept Gibraltar's EU rights and allow for unhampered access of Gibraltar via Spain.

Spain does not accept the mobile 'roaming' arrangements that Gib has with other countries. How can they be so petty? They also do not allow third country traffic via Spain getting to us. Oh dear!

Giving us some lines from the Cadiz network does not address the real issue. Piqué knows that.

So do we!

Well done!

So some hotels say they are doing better. Well done, old chaps. Some even talk of profitability. That's good. 

Let's hope what they are saying gets reflected in the next set of statistics...

Bodyguard blues

What's this I hear, that the Comm of the Cops is saying that Gib is heaven on earth, that crime has gone away...

If that is the case why does the CM need a bodyguard, that must be costing a fortune...

And the least said about the other minister, the better.

It is also noteworthy to hear that they are going to do something about drugs! How many years, and medals, has it taken them to get round to realising there is a big drugs problem? 

Question time..

Who wants to be Minister of Health?

Who is the minister going away for nearly 2 months?

No prizes on offer.

Cleaning taken too far?

Lunchtime is a busy time. You see many people going down the steps at the Jewish boulevard to access the car park.

And on those steps at lunchtime there are cleaners with their high-pressure hoses.

When a lady asked why had they to do this at this time of the day, they said they were on orders to do so.

Come one, let's have some common sense.

It's like going through Main Street with one of those mobile cleaners when most people are about.

By the way…

And indeed they overdo their cleaning in the most visible parts of town.

But take a look in the less central places, and you seem to be living in some other town.

Not only the cleaning but the state of the streets, the pavements, the buildings.

Are there two Gibraltars? The one you see and the one you don't?

Clever guy

I asked the other day where was the Governor and C-in-C.

I am told he is or has been on holiday.

Clever guy Going on hols when big decisions are being taken.

I wonder why. But I can only wonder.

Letter received

I received some letters the other day. Hurrah!

Point of View

Anti-Brussels action called for

By Emilio Peire

On the 19th of June, "Panorama" carried my letter concerning the Government statement that they would not permit Gibraltar to be left out of the Open Sky Convention. It indicated that this was only a gambit in the diplomatic game that would ensue, and so it has proved. The GSD Government, very ably directed by the Foreign Office Mandarins, proceeds with its brilliant policy of carefully planned diversionary moves and gradual disclosures of departure from previously expressed statements of policy, in respect of the Spanish Government aggressive pursuit of their claim to Gibraltar. 

The re-convening of the Constitutional Committee at this particular point in time, after five months of inaction, was no coincidence. It was a diversion of public attention. The well-publicised harmony apparently existing, between Government and Opposition, at the Committee was skilfully contrived by the Chief Minister. He was ingenuously rewarded by a reassuring report to the people, on G.B.C. Television, by Mr. Bossano himself. Is it any wonder that commentators at the GBC are so easily captivated by the C.M. charm? Christine Clifton-Psaila's questions to Mr. Bossano, during the interviw on Monday 30th July, were an excellent examples of the marked effect of Mr. Caruana's enunciations on friendly commentators.

So far, our Government has succeeded in effecting successive U-turns, with very little apparent rebuff from those that elected it, with perhaps one single well-known exception. The letter in "Panorama" addressed those electors and suggested that it was up to them to ensure there were no more U-turns in future. The time is now!

It was, also, suggested that we might have a man of "Straw" at the Foreign Office, that too has been proved correct. Whereas we were all looking forward to the outright rejection of the Matutes Proposals, as we had been made to believe, what we found was that our Chief Minister, had accepted to attend the Brussels Talks. A process that he, himself, had said was dead and buried and later revived, no doubt through Foreign Office pressure. He, now, says the Matutes Proposals are dead and buried. How long will his voters allow before he performs the miracle of resuscitation and eventually deny our descendants their rightful heritage? How long before he achieves the glorification of a Spanish politician whose vision of Spain coincides with that of Charles III, in the eighteenth century.

Mr. Caruana tells us that the Matutes Proposals were not seen by Mr. Straw as a basis for discussion, because the outcome of the Proposals was pre-determined. The outcome of the Brussels Process is, also, pre-determined, but it is approved by the British Government. Why do Messrs. Straw & Caruana see it as a basis for discussion? The United Kingdom, Spain and Gibraltar all give a different account of what the Brussels Declaration means, but no individual in Gibraltar should have any doubt that its very essence is to bring about the non-violent abolition and pillage of our identity and our land respectively, by a nationalistic Spanish Government. 

The process of our annihilation, after 120 years of peaceful co-existence, was initiated by the dictator Franco and is now continued by a man appointed leader of the Partido Popular by Franco's collaborator and ex-minister Manuel Fraga Iribarne. A representative of Gibraltar at talks under the so-called Brussels Process will destroy the advances made at the U.N.Committee of 24 this year.

If our Government, that has paid for experts in less vital matters, were to engage legal experts of International Jurisprudence we would certainly not be advised to pursue the course of action taken by our Government. Their advice would be more in keeping with the policy exercised up to now. Boycotting the Brussels Process, persisting in our call for self-determination at the United Nations, claiming our rights in the European Union and engaging the European Court of Justice when necessary. The time will come when the Spanish people will realise that their Government's aggressive attitude to Gibraltar will eventually work to the detriment of their interests in the European Union and their rapport with the British people. We should not forget that Spain depends more on the E.U. and U.K. for her economic growth and social progress than vice-versa, and the British people should be made well aware of this.

It is of the utmost importance that we exert all possible pressure on the British Government and the British and Spanish public opinions in order to obtain justice. Those who have followed the recent events at Genoa will have noticed the change of attitude in Mr. Jack Straw, since the press disclosed that public opinion in Britain, was very much against the pious and nonchalant approach by the British Government to the dreadful and brutal incidents. Our candid approach to the Tireless affair did not work out to our advantage. Our attitude towards the airstrip, which is no more than just that, is also wrong. That piece of land is more valuable to the MOD, than we are made to believe. To Gibraltar, it would be ten times more valuable as simply land than as an airstrip. Who wants an airport next door? 

What can deter the Chief Minister from validating the Brussels Declaration? How can he be convinced to abstain from meetings? Will the members of the Government awaken the Chief Minister to the dangerous ground he is treading? If not, who will lead the way to make them understand that they do not have the majority support from the people of Gibraltar to negotiate with Spain, when sovereignty is on the agenda? It is very doubtful that the Voice of Gibraltar would undertake this task. The opposition does not seem inclined to lead a demonstration, for fear that it might be interpreted as an attempt to bring down the Government and failure would sent the wrong signal to London. The Independent Liberal Forum may have the same qualms. The War Veterans Group, who were the first to petition for the rejection of the Matutes Proposals, have been sadly depleted by the inexorable scythe and personal mobility. The onus for action seems to fall on the Self Determination for Gibraltar Group. Will they rise to the occasion or will they hope that the National Day celebrations in a few weeks time might by some miraculous event make the C.M. see the error of his ways? My personal opinion is that unless Mr. Caruana is made to recognise that his attendance at a Brussels Process meeting will lead to end of his leadership of the Gibraltarians, he will insist in attending; even, if only as another member of the British delegation, where his voice will be no more than a tolerated squeak, but, his mere presence will be the master tool the Foreign Minister needs to put the finishing touch, to whatever the Mandarins have alredy agreed with their counterparts, and like Pontious Pilate wash his hands of all guilt, because our elected Leader was present. Our ancestors, will be turning in their graves. 

Secret Papers on Gibraltar 

by JOE GARCIA

Incidents in the Bay

Incidents in the Bay were a common feature as British Government papers confirm. Some of them, involving warships, were particularly dangerous.

The British Ambassador in Madrid Sir John Russell would refer to the “Bay of Algeciras” in his despatches.

Here are some excerpts:

Incidents in Bay of Algeciras

Following is text of note from Ministry of Foreign Affairs dated 20 October and received today.

Begins

The Ministry present etc. and have the honour to inform the Embassy that on 16 September 1970 the British launch Ashcott sailed to the north and south of the line of buoys which mark the limits of the port of Algeciras/La Linea, which the British Minesweeper Arlingham also did on 20 and 30 September. On 2 September the first-named vessel also crossed the line of buoys repeatedly, remaining in the Bay of Algeciras until the entry of the Spanish launch LPI - 1 in the port.

On 11 and 12 October, the British launch Ashcott also repeatedly undertook manoeuvres with the intention of obliging the Spanish launch mentioned above to change its course constantly. As these manoeuvres were rapid and continuous the danger of a collision was present the whole time.

In recalling its notes nos 152 of 10 July and 172 of 25 August, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wish to inform the Embassy of their intense preoccupation at the activity of the British vessels in question to which the Ministry has no alternative but to consider provocative. The consequences of a possible incident which is everywhere probable if this attitude continues would be extremely prejudicial for the climate of detante which both Her Majesty’s Government and the Spanish Government are interested in maintaining over the problem of Gibraltar.

The Ministry trusts that the Embassy will ask Her Majesty’s Government to take the measures necessary to ensure that these incidents are not repeated in the future.

The Ministry avail etc...

Ends.

Comments follows

FCO pass priority to Gov Gibraltar (Personal) and UKMIS New York

REPEAT ALLEGATIONS

Addressed FCO 554 dated 23 Oct repeated for information to Gibraltar (personal for Governor) and UKMIS New York.

My TELNO 552. Incidents in the Bay of Algeciras.

This note repeats the allegation made last week to my Naval Attaché and reported in Keebles TELNO 533.

The language is much stronger than that of the last Spanish note alleging a near collision.

2. I think we should treat this question separately from the more routine Spanish notes alleging violation of their waters. We should reply quickly, to emphasise that we take the accusation as seriously as the Ministry say they do. Apart from contesting the Spanish version of the facts, which I take it is inaccurate, I think the time has come to repeat the suggestion which I made to Lopez Bravo at our meeting on 17 July (my TEL 26 saving) that instead of making continued incursions into our waters, the Spaniards would lose nothing legally by confining the reassertion of their claim to paper protests. While we could scarcely have expected the Spaniards to reply formally to this suggestion, it certainly does not look as if they have decided to act upon it.

3. I think it would be most effective if I put these points orally to the Secretary-General of the Foreign Ministry, whom I hope to see early next week anyway. If I am to do this I shall be grateful if Gibraltar could send me urgently 

(A)) Any information of the incidents referred to in my TELNO 552 not covered by Para 1(C) of Governors 296

(B) Whether there has been any diminution since 17 July of quote coat-trailing unquote incursions into our waters, as opposed to trips in exercise of right of innocent passage.

FCO please pass priority to Gibraltar (Personal for Governor)

Routine UKKMIS New York.

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