Wednesday, October 25, 2023 - 10:04

Nuclear vessels calling at Gibraltar have long been a hot potato in Spain. They take a different view, of course, when such vessels call at Rota or any other Spanish port. The political hypocrisy and motivation has always been clear because the central objective is evidently to disrupt and obstruct the use of the naval base at Gibraltar.

PROTESTS
Every time a nuclear submarine calls here we are treated to the usual chorus of protests from politicians and environmental groups on the other side of the frontier. Some of those complaints have centered on the fact that the submarine in question, usually UK or US, has called at Gibraltar rather than Spain. Others have chosen to point to the contingency plans in place in Gibraltar and suggested that there is an absence of such plans on the Spanish side.