10 August
Let me make it quite clear, before anyone gets carried away with attendance at this new crap of 'ad hoc' talks, they should first of all investigate how it is that the Spanish Media is already flying a kite as to agenda and participation.
Sometime ago I challenged the EU Environmental Commission to confirm whether the Spanish Government had ever requested authority to further encroach into the waters of the Bay of Gibraltar by building new wharfs and jetties, the answer given is both an insult and pathetic, 'although the Commission is responsible for the correct application of EU legislation in all Member States it cannot intervene in those matters that are not covered by that legislation, the authorisation of projects of the kind that you describe is governed by national legislation.
Spanish media's agenda mentions the likes of the reef, bunkering, fishing and last but not least the alleged smuggling at the frontier and to add insult to injury their delegation will include members of the Junta and local municipalities in other words Rajor and Margallo's plans to downgrade Gibraltar to the side lines. If the EU answer about national laws are to be interpreted correctly then I am afraid that for our Government to attend any talks and less still at the EU, where we should have already learnt from experience that undue influences, for want of a better word, are for Spain the norm.
Nothing useful will ever come out from 'ad hoc' or any other system unless Gibraltar is recognised from day one as an entity in its own right and judging from the Cordoba experience we should be more than weary.
Yours faithfully,
W.L.Chamberland.
10-08-15 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR
Outrageous violations of British sovereignty
August 10, 2015
Pic by Robert Azopardi
The Gibraltar Government said yesterday evening that it is "astonished and appalled at the actions of the Spanish Servicio de Vigilancia Aduanera (SVA) in the early hours of Sunday morning which appear to have resulted in at least one drug smuggler managing to avoid capture."
While saying that it supports the close cooperation which is essential between law enforcement agencies of Gibraltar, Spain and Morocco in order to curtail drug trafficking, people trafficking and terrorism in the Strait of Gibraltar, "Law abiding citizens on both sides of the frontier want to see cooperation leading to arrests of these types of criminals. The Royal Gibraltar Police (RGP) and HM Customs Gibraltar always make themselves available to assist when called upon to do so by their Spanish counterp arts and the RGP and HM Customs and the Guardia Civil often cooperate at an operational level.
"Such cooperation is not possible if the relevant Spanish law enforcement agency in a particular incident fails to notify their RGP or HM Customs colleagues in Gibraltar and pretend to proc eed to take executive action within BGTW.
"The only winners in such an instance are the drug smugglers who evade capture because Gibraltar law enforcement agencies are not alerted to their imminent arrival on our shores."
One such criminal escaped capture ysterday, said the Government.
A statement adds: "The landing of vessels and, in particular, the flying of aircraft in Gibraltar, a terrain the relevant Spanish officers are unfamiliar with, is unlawful and unacceptable as it is a violation of the sovereignty of Gibraltar. Such activity is also extremely dangerous - especially in pitch darkness.
"Sandy Bay is also a residential area and flying a helicopter low over the beach within 50 metres of people's homes, including those of elderly people, is something that should not have happened. It is further a matter that disrespects and defies Gibraltar's exclusive jurisdiction in BGTW and on land.
"In two separate incidents the Guardia Civil also purported to take executive action in BGTW over the past 48 hours. In one incident, they boarded a Spanish pleasure craft off Eastern Beach and questioned its crew. In another the Guardia Civil helicopter chased a Spanish RHIB through BGTW."
The Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, has been alerted immediately of these events by the RGP and by the acting Chief Minister, Dr John Cortes.
Mr Picardo said: "I am sure I am speaking for the whole of Gibraltar when I say that we consider this has been a serious and unnecessary failure on the part of the Spanish SVA which has had outrageous consequences in respect of the violation of our sovereignty.
Its actions have ultimately resulted in the escape of a criminal that citizens on both sides of the frontier would have liked to have seen arrested and imprisoned for his drug trafficking.
"If the SVA had been doing a good job of chasing these criminals for 18km in the Strait, they should have culminated in alerting the excellent Gibraltar law enforcement agencies of the Royal Gibraltar Police and HM Customs to take over the chase in BGTW.
The RGP and Customs wo uld then, as they usually do, have also deployed the necessary maritime and ground resources to ensure the capture of any Spanish smugglers who might have run aground in Gibraltar.
"The SVA's failure to cooperate has therefore ironically thwarted the proper law enforcement objective of their activity. Their bravado in illegally and dangerously flying their helicopter in Gibraltar has served no purpose other than to endanger themselves and the residents of Both Worlds. We all want to stop the drug smugglers.
It beggars belief that the SVA have acted in this way that, in effect, has allowed a criminal who should be behind bars to get away. They whole of Gibraltar will be outraged at their failure to cooperate in a way that would have better assisted to capture the criminals in question. The RGP and Customs are to be commended for, as ever, dealing professionally with this matter. They have an excellent track record in catching Spanish drug smugglers and confiscating tonnes of cannabis and their expertise would have helped in this case to avoid one criminal going free. The Gibraltar Defence Police and Royal Navy are also to be thanked for their prompt assistance of the RGP and Customs. The fact that this was only one of three incidents of Spanish law enforcement agencies taking executive action in BGTW is outrageous and the whole of Gibraltar will expect that this matter will be properly and effectively pursued by the Government of the United Kingdom. I will be engaging directly with UK ministers in this respect immediately to consider what action should now be taken."
BACKGROUND BRIEFING:
As a result of reports received from the Royal Gibraltar Police, the Government understands that:
1. The Royal Gibraltar Police Marine Section received reports of fast launch and helicopter activity in the area of Sandy Bay at about 0240hrs Sunday 9th August. When attending they found that an SVA helicopter and a larger SVA RHIB were in the area.
2.The helicopter was hovering about 30 feet above the beach at Sandy Bay and was taking off on instructions from Windmill Hill Signal Station and the RGP. The crew of the large SVA RHIB had deployed a smaller dinghy and were using it to try to recover a suspect vessel that had come into the area of the submerged breakwater in Sandy Bay.
3. The SVA informed the RGP that they had been chasing suspected drug smugglers who had jettisoned several bales of drugs during an 18km chase through the Strait.
4. The RGP reminded the SVA that Gibraltar's law enforcement agencies have exclusive jurisdiction over British Gibraltar Territorial Waters and they retained custody of the suspect vessel. GDP and Royal Navy assets assisted to escort the SVA vessels out of BGTW.
5. The suspect RHIB is now in the custody of the RGP. Two of its occupants, both Spanish nationals were taken into custody but a third man evaded arrest.
UK MINISTER CONDEMN SPANISH INCURSIONS
Under the heading of "Spanish vessels have once again entered British Gibraltar Territorial Waters in a clear violation of the international law of the sea," Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire said:
"On 9 August Spanish state vessels repeatedly entered British Gibraltar Territorial Waters without notifying Gibraltarian authorities. We understand that the Spanish were in pursuit of vessels who may have been committing crimes. However it is completely unacceptable and unlawful under the international law of the sea to enter our waters without notifying us.
"These repeated incursions into British Gibraltar Territorial Waters are a clear violation of UK Sovereignty by another EU country and we will be raising this as a matter of urgency with the Spanish authorities." *The UK minister's protest together with details of the violations have been making the news in the UK and Spain, including press and television news services.
10-08-15 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR
Running after La Pantoja...
August 10, 2015
Oh dear, el Patasjamon and his sidekick HamMOND have one thing in common, que they seem to like el pata negra.
According to my darling husband, what they like es poner todo negro, gosh mira que le han explicado veces lo del LNG, but they carry on with their scaremongering.
Digo que si, imaginate en que rincon se van a meter cuando el new power station trabaje todo bien, and they keep getting reminded de las chalauras que they have been airing.
Como que esto es el LNG loony show, y es que no se enteran, I must say.
To begin with, el HamMOND should leave his job en el airfield porque that cannot be 100% safe or can it be guaranteed that in any airfield there cannot be an accident.
Of course, nobody wants an accident anywhere, that goes without saying, pero es que they cannot use such zero tolerance only in respect of the new power station.
La cosa esta clara so long as there is no power cut. Y si a alguien le preocupa el pollution que mire al refinery, blimey cuanto black smoke the other day.
Y al scaremongering pair no parece que le preocupe nada, except el new power station, what a cachonfinger I must say.
Meanwhile, llega la ministra of the armed forces y los de GBC salen corriendo detras de ella como si fuera La Pantoja. Can you imaginate eso pasando en No.10 Downing Street?
Bueno, que le eche un ojito a todo eso el Broadcasting Regulator, un tal Canessa que por cierto used to work at GBC.
Hablaremo de cosas importante some other day, porque el levante no me deja pensar claro estos dias.
Lo que esta claro es que el intelligent frontier le hace falta un poco de intelligence.
Los del Cross frontier group estan cross y no espara meno, porque instead of making los crossings faster, la cosa se pone at slow march cuando echan a andar a esos magnificent machines. No es for less, hasta el Governation ha mandado un 70-page missile a Bruseels para que se enteren los que andan por ahi. And just as well.
Por otro lado they have now collected los 10,000 signatures para que venga el Queen, porque para eso she is our Queen y los del Foreign Office cannot stop he coming over to say hello, that would be interfering with our affairs.
It's about time, too, mira lo mayor que se ha puesto Prince Charles since he came here in 1954.
El problema must be como se llevan tantos signatures from here to Buckingham Palace, porque I imaginate que they will not send them to el Foreign Office porque they would use them for a bonfire on Guy Fawkes Day or even before.
Lo que parece un verdadero cachonfinger is that el Russian squadron, missile ship y todo, have been to Ceuta which makes you wonder como anda NATO.
Blimey, los Spanish have better cooperation con los Russians que con nosotros que somos NATO long before them, makes you wonder, doesn't it?
Must be one of the new wonders of the world, porque esta el mundo que no se entiende.
In Spain, con el destape y el corruption, they've got nothing else to do, so let's see que pasa in the coming hellections there.
Es que como no saben English pues no se enteran of the truth and nothing but the truth, y ahora todo el mundo en holiday aunque no tengan un euro to pay the bills.
Bueno y el Govenator haciendo las maletas porque he did say que se marcha in September, el otro dia hasta hablo conwque a lo mejor hay que darle un Medallion after all. Oh well, let's hope for the best. Ciao for now, Giannita.
Eso me gusta, porque los de LLanita huele mal. Ta, ta.
10-08-15 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR
Thank you all
August 10, 2015
Dear Sir,
The Gibraltar Multiple Sclerosis Society (GMSS) had a "Wear Orange for MS Day" to celebrate World MS Day 2015 last 27th May. We would like to thank all those individuals and companies who joined in with our event and helped collect some funds for our eventual premises as well as helping to highlight our condition in the process. I must apologise in taking so long ( 2 months!) in getting this press release together, it is something I wanted to do to thank everyone for your efforts and thoughts but I also wanted to make sure I was mentioning everyone (I'm still sure I've left some out though)
We collected over £2000.00 which we are adding to our account to help kit out our eventual premises. We are also presently looking into a more immediate way of using some of these funds by contacting GHA and the neurologists from the neurology arrangement they have implemented with St Georges Hospital to hopefully provide anything which may help neurology patients and their doctors at their clinics. Enabling better and more varied testing locally which will lead to faster and more specialised treatments to enable patients to live better for longer. There is much equipment they use in Uk and worldwide which is not available locally.
Of course, have to thank our hardworking, voluntary, committee for all doing their bits for us all while holding down jobs and dealing with their conditions (which for us is not easy) A lot has been achieved in a very short time.
A huge thanks to the staff and companies of Bassadones, T.G.S,
Capurro's,Argus Insurance,Giboil,St Annes School, St Mary's School.
Governors Meadow School, STM Fidecs,Rock Fitness,Gianna Bosano's Pilates,Aegean Bunkering,Imperial Newsagency,Angelique Bossano's Pilates, Richard Harman, The Gibraltar Pirates and all those people who took the time and deposited some coins in our orange GMSS collection boxes around Gib on the day, Dr. John Cortes, for his ongoing support, and time,The guys at the Electricity Department for making the Moorish Castle Orange for MS on the evening.Also a special Thanks to Westside School pupils and staff for their donation earlier this year.
Many, many thanks everyone.
Iris Guilliano
Founder / Chairperson GMSS
Gibraltar Multiple Sclerosis Society.
10-08-15 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR
UK should take Spain to International Court of Justice over incursions
August 10, 2015
Street Talk
As the fallout between the Spanish Government in Madrid and the Gibraltar Government increases over the latest incursion into BGTW last Saturday showed, the Governor expressed his own concern over the "risk to the safety of the public".
The strongly worded statement followed the entry of the Spanish Customs Vessel (SVA) Aguila IV into the demarcated area for bathing at Camp Bay. To find out what the Gibraltarians think, however, we went out and interviewed them on our streets.
Louis Ocaña said it was "shameful" for the launches to get away with "blue murder": "Where's the Royal Navy? Where's the British Government? Where is there anything that can defend us? They might not be coming here rattling their machine guns yet, but eventually they'll get there. One of these days we'll wake up and see a contingent of Guardia Civil marching up Main Street and the British Government will be saythey have sent a note of protest!"
"They don't care two hoots and get away with it each time. Gibraltarians know the British Government all too well to have any hopes, it's still going to affect us the same way. I wouldn't risk taking the Spanish to any court in the end because the odds are against us; we should just let sleeping dogs lie."
Frustration
"What's the point of so much complaining to the British Government if the Spanish don't stop?" asked Sergio Bagu. "They've never come so close to the shore as they did in Camp Bay so unless the Navy get a big ship and station it in the Bay the situation could even get worse.
"The Spanish have been coming into British waters because they say that all the waters around Gibraltar belongs to them but in fact there's a radius of three miles which belongs to us."
"It's very difficult to do something about them until they actually happen," said a certain Hector. "I don't think it should be allowed and I think our Governor should make a very stronger protest than is the case at the moment. Unfortunately this is an area where we can't put a barrier or wall on the sea and the incursions will keep on happening until there's a change of heart on the other side of the border.
"It's unacceptable that they should be coming so near chasing pleasure craft going about their business. The worst case scenario is that someone could get killed or hurt, and only then will something be done."
An anonymous person told Panorama he was present at the scene when the Guardia Civil arrived at Camp Bay: "They started to hassle a fishing boat so it came inside the buoys that demarcate the beach closely followed by the Spanish launch before the RGP arrived to chase them out. Spain thinks they can control us, an attitude that can only be ended if Britain becomes learns to be a bit more courageous."
Joke
Constantine Daniel made the point that if the Spanish are really in our territorial waters "we should be able to arrest them" because in effect it is "a declaration of war" as they are trespassing in uniform.
"We should take any action we can to stop it happening again and again," he said. "If we just let it slide it's just going to happen again and again and the Guardia Civil is just not going to care and do more things. It makes me feel angry that the authorities don't care as they just let the Spanish do whatever they want."
Genevieve Pons said it was a real danger which the Governor should do something about: "I'm not sure that just complaining to the Spanish ambassador is doing much and instead they're taking us as a a joke. We should just take it to court because the British have the "softly softly" approach which doesn't achieve anything as this would never happen between France and Spain.
"When we give them an inch the Spanish take a mile or even three and a quarter miles!"
"They have plenty of territorial waters so why bother us?" asked Eric. "They should be grateful for the people who are working here in Gibraltar so they should enjoy our freedom of going into Spain and spending money there in the same way as they come here and earn their wages."
Sarah Abecasis said it was time to take the matter to the Hague: "That would be the best solution but it is up to the sovereign power, the United Kingdom, to do so as it has responsibility towards the protection of our seas and people.
"The UK is as much to blame for its inaction as Spain with its irresponsible actions, exercising jurisdiction without competence, because one of the days there is going to be a tragedy."
10-08-15 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR
Waterport Terraces Day Centre hosts the Evacuation Exhibition for users
August 10, 2015
The Care Agency's Waterport Terraces Day Centre for the elderly celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Evacuation this week.
The Day Centre hosted an exhibition of pictures relating to the Evacuation: the same exhibition that was presented at the John Mackintosh Hall earlier in the year complied by the Gibraltar Archives department. The Exhibition consists of historical photographs, footage, newspaper cuttings and even music from Madeira and Jamaica that the evacuees were familiar with during the war period.
The Exhibition was comprised of photographic material in various albums, which were circulated among groups of users, and in a digital format as a slide show on a large screen. This provided an additional opportunity for many elderly people who were unable to attend the original Exhibition to see the material that had been on display.
To mark the special event the morning commenced with a performance by Mount Opera, who treated everyone to well-known musical pieces and favourites of the Evacuation period. In addition, there was also a sing along with some tunes written by the service users themselves to provide an element of fun interaction.
Day Centre coordinator Gilda Fa said this is one of the many events they organise to stimulate social interaction of clients, noting that the Evacuation was an exciting, interesting theme, relevant to their time and meaningful to their lives. Mrs Fa said: "We have had a high turnout of users attending. They have been able to share stories and exchange personal experiences and recollections of the events that they went through.
They have been looking forward to the Exhibition and were really pleased with the event. As a result of the Exhibition we have established a working relationship with the Archives Department and the Day Centre will be organising other similar events with them in the future."
Minister for Social Services, Samantha Sacramento MP, said she was delighted that more elderly people who had missed the original Exhibition were able to see it. "The Evacuation Exhibition is a fascinating collection of historical data and memorabilia from an important event in Gibraltar's history. It is good that the generation who experienced the trauma and tribulations of war can now, with a degree of detachment, look back, revisit the period and exchange impressions of a momentous time of their lives. It was clearly a very emotional day for many, but there was also much enjoyment as everyone recollected and shared memories as a group. Reminiscence work with elderly people is an important element at the Centre, and it was clear that everyone loved sharing stores, and even memorabilia that some still had with the rest of the group, staff and the team from the Archives Department.
I am grateful to all staff who organised the event and to Mount Opera to starting the day in such a lively way."
10-08-15 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR
