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On what basis was this non-EU citizen allowed to enter Gibraltar to work?
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By David Eade
I recently wrote an article for Panorama voicing my fears about how easy it was to enter Gibraltar undetected. I suspect that our airport and visiting cruise ships are secure, not because of what our immigration services does here, but because of the work in the UK before an aircraft takes off. I suspect the same security checks are carried out on cruise ship passengers.
I then highlighted my concerns over our port and marinas, not because of what I had witnessed but because of the worries of those who work in those locations that have been expressed to me. I am told that crews from vessels often land in Gib without going through any immigration process, wander around Main Street, then return (hopefully) to their ships. The coming and going of yachts in our Marinas is another concern.
WEAKEST LINK
However I stated that I viewed our weakest link as the land border. British passport holders just waive their documents as do Spanish ID card holders. I have never been stopped and had my passport checked although I did say in my article that when people with non EU passports sought entry their documents were checked visually.
Now we find that the Al Qaeda suspect who has lived in La Línea, was employed by a construction company in Gibraltar and crossed the border every working day. What documentation did he have? Being a Turk he would have been a non-EU citizen but it could well be Al Qaeda had furnished him with fake documentation. So on what basis was he allowed to enter Gibraltar?
It is quite clear that the Spanish Security Service had the three under investigation for some time and in all likelihood it was an international operation, certainly one with international ramifications. Was British security in Gibraltar or the UK involved – we will in all probability never know. However as he entered and left Gibraltar every day were his movements monitored, was he logged in and out, do we know where he went and who he met?
The Spanish believe he was just the facilitator of the cell and whilst he stored sufficient explosives to blow up a bus, it was more likely his two colleagues would be called upon to do the dirty deed.
Having enough explosive “to blow up a bus” was an interesting comment for the Spanish Minister of the Interior to make. I suspect Jorge Fernández Díaz chose his words carefully. We recently saw a number of Israelis killed after their airport bus blew up at the hands of a suicide bomber in Bulgaria. I recently travelled quite happily through London on a bus only afterwards discovering it was the route of the 2005 terror explosion. Packed buses are targets.
SOFTER TARGET
Fernández Díaz is pretty adamant that Gibraltar was not a target more likely Spain or the explosives would have been moved to another European country for the outrage to take place. However we also have to remember that all does not always go to plan for terror groups such as Al Qaeda. Hence whilst the intended target may have been in Madrid a sudden switch could have been made to Gibraltar as a softer target rather than lose the opportunity to kill innocents and grabbing world headlines.
The sobering fact is that wherever you are in the world in this day and age a terror outrage is a possibility. Gibraltar could as easily be chosen as any other city, town or village. Al Qaeda has done us a favour to remind us that terrorism is on our doorstep and knows no boundaries. It would just be reassuring to know the RGP and security forces know who is on the Rock and are keeping tabs on them.
06-08-12
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