UK MPs condemn Spain's "act of war" over Gibraltar

Page 1 of 1 [ 16 posts ]

Joined: 25 Feb 2006
Age: 38
Gender: Male
Posts: 28,897
Location: Lancashire, UK

13 Dec 2012, 7:43 pm

Quote:

MPs condemn Spanish 'act of war' over Gibraltar

Spain was accused of an “act of war” today after its naval ships repeatedly entered the territorial waters of Gibraltar.

Bob Stewart, Tory MP for Beckenham, said the British Government needed to "respond robustly to this aggravation" after Commons Leader Andrew Lansley said two Spanish naval vessels entered the waters of Gibraltar on Monday.

He said they were given radio warnings before leaving but Mr Stewart, a former colonel, said the incursion was illegal and the Government needed to "do something about it".

1000Knives
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 8 Jul 2011
Age: 35
Gender: Male
Posts: 5,036
Location: CT, USA

14 Dec 2012, 1:58 am

I hope they go to war.

Oodain
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 30 Jan 2011
Age: 36
Gender: Male
Posts: 5,022
Location: in my own little tamarillo jungle,

14 Dec 2012, 3:52 am

1000Knives wrote:

I hope they go to war.

why?

what i find intriguing is what spain had to gain from such a move, it looks like political posturing,

_________________
//through chaos comes complexity//

the scent of the tamarillo is pungent and powerfull,
woe be to the nose who nears it.

ruveyn
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 21 Sep 2008
Age: 89
Gender: Male
Posts: 31,502
Location: New Jersey

14 Dec 2012, 7:31 am

No one expects The Spanish Inquisition!

ArrantPariah
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 30 Mar 2012
Age: 122
Gender: Male
Posts: 7,972

14 Dec 2012, 10:12 am

UK has Gibraltar. USA has Guantánamo Bay.

ruveyn
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 21 Sep 2008
Age: 89
Gender: Male
Posts: 31,502
Location: New Jersey

14 Dec 2012, 10:13 am

ArrantPariah wrote:

UK has Gibraltar. USA has Guantánamo Bay.

Just as well. The Spanish are barely a generation away from being fascists.

ruveyn

Tequila
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 25 Feb 2006
Age: 38
Gender: Male
Posts: 28,897
Location: Lancashire, UK

14 Dec 2012, 10:42 am

ArrantPariah wrote:

UK has Gibraltar.

What are you talking about?

Wouldn't the British Indian Ocean Territory (Diego Garcia) be a more apposite choice, given the allegations of torture that have come out of that place?

ArrantPariah
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 30 Mar 2012
Age: 122
Gender: Male
Posts: 7,972

14 Dec 2012, 12:19 pm

Tequila wrote:

ArrantPariah wrote:

UK has Gibraltar.

What are you talking about?

Wouldn't the British Indian Ocean Territory (Diego Garcia) be a more apposite choice, given the allegations of torture that have come out of that place?

Yes. Except that our Guantanamo Bay is a part of the island of Cuba, and your Gibraltar is a part of the Iberian peninsula.

However, I realize that civilians actually live in Gibraltar, and that most of the civilians want to remain a part of UK. There aren't any civilians in our Guantanamo Bay.

But, I should think with the new EU, that both UK and Spain would be subordinate to the EU, and that whether UK or Spain owns Gibraltar should be irrelevant.

Plus, isn't Spain also a part of NATO? One NATO country attacking another would contravene NATO treaties. Spanish warships would be as much a part of NATO as UK warships.

GGPViper
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 23 Sep 2009
Gender: Male
Posts: 5,880

14 Dec 2012, 2:24 pm

Let's see what happens on April 11 next year.

ruveyn
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 21 Sep 2008
Age: 89
Gender: Male
Posts: 31,502
Location: New Jersey

14 Dec 2012, 2:25 pm

GGPViper wrote:

Let's see what happens on April 11 next year.

What is special about 4/11/2013?

ruveyn

The_Walrus
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 27 Jan 2010
Age: 31
Gender: Male
Posts: 8,878
Location: London

14 Dec 2012, 2:29 pm

I had never heard of Bob Stewart on Monday, but so far this week he's been brought to my attention twice for being an idiot. Earlier in the week he asked why the government was "hellbent on ruining normal people's marriages, especially at this difficult time" in response to the inevitable legalisation of gay marriage. Now we should "do something" about Spain?

GGPViper
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 23 Sep 2009
Gender: Male
Posts: 5,880

14 Dec 2012, 2:36 pm

ruveyn wrote:

GGPViper wrote:

Let's see what happens on April 11 next year.

What is special about 4/11/2013?

ruveyn

Spain surrendered Gibraltar to Britain with the Treaty of Utrecht, signed on April 11, 1713.

Thus, Gibraltar could celebrate its 300 year anniversary as a part of Britain on April 11, 2013 (from a purely legal standpoint, though, as Spain actually lost it in 1704).

Somebody somewhere in Spain would probably find that insulting, though.

visagrunt
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 16 Oct 2009
Age: 59
Gender: Male
Posts: 6,118
Location: Vancouver, BC

14 Dec 2012, 5:35 pm

One wonders what Mr. Stewart was doing wading into matters that are properly within the competence of the Governor of Gibraltar and its Parliament.

While the government of the United Kingdom bears significant responsibilities for Gibraltar's defence and foreign relations, the accountability properly lies from the Governor to the Parliament in Gibraltar--not the Parliament in Westminster.

_________________
--James

Tequila
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 25 Feb 2006
Age: 38
Gender: Male
Posts: 28,897
Location: Lancashire, UK

14 Dec 2012, 5:37 pm

visagrunt wrote:

And from what I can tell, Gibraltarians are extremely angry about this, as you'd expect.

Perhaps Gibraltar can't defend itself and feels that the UK needs to intervene? If you've been watching GBC, it's a constant issue there.

visagrunt
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 16 Oct 2009
Age: 59
Gender: Male
Posts: 6,118
Location: Vancouver, BC

14 Dec 2012, 6:18 pm

Tequila wrote:

Then that is all the more reason that it should be a Gibraltar MP raising this issue to hold the Governor of Gibraltar to account for the disposition of military and police vessels under his control.

I have no objection to the substance of Mr. Stewart's concern--Spain has no business encroaching on Gibraltar's 3-mile limit.

But I have very great objection to a British MP taking it upon himself to stand in the shoes of parliamentarians in a self-governing British territory.

_________________
--James

Kraichgauer
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 12 Apr 2010
Gender: Male
Posts: 49,751
Location: Spokane area, Washington state.

14 Dec 2012, 7:45 pm

ArrantPariah wrote:

Tequila wrote:

ArrantPariah wrote:

UK has Gibraltar.

What are you talking about?

Wouldn't the British Indian Ocean Territory (Diego Garcia) be a more apposite choice, given the allegations of torture that have come out of that place?

I wonder if anything in the NATO charter addresses their member nations declaring war on one another?
Not that I seriously believe anyone is going to war over this.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

Page 1 of 1 [ 16 posts ]

Jump to:

UK MPs condemn Spain's "act of war" over Gibraltar Post Reply New Topic

UK MPs condemn Spain's "act of war" over Gibraltar