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DSwain
Joined: 09 Jun 2006
Posts: 3552
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| Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 12:24 pm Post subject: Agreement on Gibraltar |
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/5355942.stm
Bit of commonsense at play, though it's a shame that Spain still has a problem with Britain, one of its NATO allies, using facilities on Gibraltar, British sovereign territory. |
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antonio62
Joined: 28 Aug 2005
Posts: 2122
Location: In a forest unknown
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| Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 2:06 pm Post subject: |
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| Spain acts in someways pretty ridiculously about Gibraltar. Their attitude seems to be changing which is good. |
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The_Right_Honourable
Joined: 31 Jan 2005
Posts: 682
Location: UK (mostly)
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| Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 12:35 pm Post subject: |
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| Well it is a stones throw off their coast lol! But it is British and as far as i know they wish to remain so. |
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DSwain
Joined: 09 Jun 2006
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| Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 1:19 pm Post subject: |
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The_Right_Honourable wrote: Well it is a stones throw off their coast lol! But it is British and as far as i know they wish to remain so.
Spain has a problem with the whole 'it's on our doorstep' argument, what with their sovereignty over Ceuta which is in north Africa and surrounded by Morocco! |
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The_Right_Honourable
Joined: 31 Jan 2005
Posts: 682
Location: UK (mostly)
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| Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 1:24 pm Post subject: |
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| haha! yeah... well i suppose theyd had a tough few hundred years in the sense of self image!^^ |
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Decypher
Joined: 08 Dec 2004
Posts: 247
Location: Dublin
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| Posted: Wed Sep 20, 2006 12:31 pm Post subject: |
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The BBC wrote: It has been ruled by Britain since 1713 under the terms of the Treaty of Utrecht.
What was this treaty about? I know I could look it up but I'm feeling lazy. |
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DSwain
Joined: 09 Jun 2006
Posts: 3552
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| Posted: Wed Sep 20, 2006 1:06 pm Post subject: |
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Decypher wrote: The BBC wrote: It has been ruled by Britain since 1713 under the terms of the Treaty of Utrecht.
What was this treaty about? I know I could look it up but I'm feeling lazy.
Some other posters here (Thundertaker, Lord H and others I'm sure) would be able to craft a beautiful bespoke answer for you - I post a link to Wiki! Sorry, not really my 'period'
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Utrecht |
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Decypher
Joined: 08 Dec 2004
Posts: 247
Location: Dublin
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| Posted: Wed Sep 20, 2006 1:13 pm Post subject: |
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No problem! I just get so bogged down in Wikepedia beause I keep clicking on the links in the articles and digress so far from what I originally had searched for.
But as for Gibralter, is it still particularly important strategically since the demise of the British Navy? |
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DSwain
Joined: 09 Jun 2006
Posts: 3552
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| Posted: Wed Sep 20, 2006 1:24 pm Post subject: |
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Decypher wrote: No problem! I just get so bogged down in Wikepedia beause I keep clicking on the links in the articles and digress so far from what I originally had searched for.
But as for Gibralter, is it still particularly important strategically since the demise of the British Navy?
It's arguably been degraded. What is still prevalent on Gib, though, is intelligence gathering - 'The Rock' hosts a branch of GCHQ (which is the equivalent of your NSA) with a LOT of kit.
There's little conventional military about, though - Gib was removed from the roster for postings for infantry battalions back in the late 80s and there is no permanent operational RN or RAF presence. More important for Britain in the Med is the sovereign bases on Cyprus. |
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Decypher
Joined: 08 Dec 2004
Posts: 247
Location: Dublin
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| Posted: Wed Sep 20, 2006 1:51 pm Post subject: |
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| Interesting. Did the Army leave after the failed IRA bomb-plot? |
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DSwain
Joined: 09 Jun 2006
Posts: 3552
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| Posted: Wed Sep 20, 2006 3:03 pm Post subject: |
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Decypher wrote: Interesting. Did the Army leave after the failed IRA bomb-plot?
Some time after, in fact I think it was 1990 (my edit - 1991 in fact, I've just checked!) if memory serves; two things totally unrelated, the reason that the Army withdrew its garrison battalion was to ease pressure on the Army, which was being reduced in size at the end of the Cold War. The Army itself, of course, maintains depots and logistics capacity in Gib. |
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thundertaker
Joined: 29 Aug 2004
Posts: 12089
Location: The right side of the Pennines (Lancashire)
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| Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 10:53 am Post subject: |
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Decypher wrote: No problem! I just get so bogged down in Wikepedia beause I keep clicking on the links in the articles and digress so far from what I originally had searched for.
But as for Gibralter, is it still particularly important strategically since the demise of the British Navy?
What do you mean the 'demise' of the British Navy? The Royal Navy is still the second most powerful Navy in the World... |
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DSwain
Joined: 09 Jun 2006
Posts: 3552
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| Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 12:54 pm Post subject: |
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thundertaker wrote: Decypher wrote: No problem! I just get so bogged down in Wikepedia beause I keep clicking on the links in the articles and digress so far from what I originally had searched for.
But as for Gibralter, is it still particularly important strategically since the demise of the British Navy?
What do you mean the 'demise' of the British Navy? The Royal Navy is still the second most powerful Navy in the World...
But not the first, alas - and 'first' is where it belongs! |
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