Four Guardia Civil arrested in Gibraltar harbour following chase incident

According to media reports tonight, four Spanish 'Guardia Civil' officers were detained in Gibraltar earlier today, following an incident.

Gibraltar's Panorama is reporting that a Guardia Civil launch was chasing a Spanish fast boat in waters near Gibraltar. The pursuit continued into Gibraltar harbour and ended with both the fast boat and the Guardia Civil launch being grounded in Gibraltar port area by 'Harbour Views', late this evening.

Once on land, the two men on the fast launch raced for cover. The Guardia Civil rushed after them. Shots were heard, it is claimed.

The Guardia Civil officers were taken to Police HQ. Gibraltar police also arrested the two men on the fast launch and took them away. The two vessels have been seized.

The Gibraltar police said this was a 'very serious' incident.

Eyewitnesses claim that several shots were heard, but it was not clear how many and this report has not been confirmed.

Later this evening, the Guardia Civil officers were released after questioning and Spain's Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba telephoned Gibraltar's Chief Minister Peter Caruana and apologised for the incursion.

"Sr Rubalcaba called me personally tonight. He said that they deeply regretted the incident and apologised," Caruana said.

Last month, London's ambassador in Spain was obliged to make a public apology on November 20 after a Royal Navy unit based in Gibraltar was seen shooting at a buoy allegedly 'painted in the colours of the Spanish flag' during target practice.

The Spanish Government does not recognise the waters around the Rock, which are British Gibraltar Territorial Waters. But the Spanish have been arrested within the waters of the port itself, which the Spanish Government accept that these waters were ceded under the terms of the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht, Britain's legal title to the Rock.

BBC News - UK 'sorry' for shooting at 'Spanish flag' buoy

According to BBC News, the UK has apologised to Spain after the Royal Navy used a buoy with the 'Spanish colours'... for target practice!

This is totally ridiculous! The Royal Navy has been using a flag like this, known as 'flag no 1', for target practice probably since Nelson's day... and certainly since long before I was in the Royal Navy.... and that's 30 years ago! Damn 'Sloppies' will whinge and complain about everything and anything in Gibraltar waters!

I've no idea why the UK is saying 'sorry'!! They should tell the Spanish to bugger off out of Gibraltar waters... and mind their own business!

It might help if the Spanish authorities learned about the International Flags Signal Code! They would see the flag in question, (shown on the Flags on the right), as used by the Royal Navy, the US Navy and NATO forces, which Spain is part of, includes what is known as 'Flag No 1'... which admittedly is very similar to the Spanish national flag... but is NOT the Spanish flag. It's just the flag representing the number 1! The Royal Navy use this for shooting target buoys, simply because of it's easy visibility!

Here's a video of HMS Scimitar, part of the Royal Navy's Gibraltar Squadron, being filmed retrieving the bouy after 'words' were exchanged with a unit of the Spanish Guardia Civil's Marine section:



One can see the buoy clearly in one of the sequences. It is obvious that this was NOT the Spanish national flag! The Spanish authorities are just intent on mischief... and 'winding up' the UK.

The UK should stop appeasing the Spanish... and all their whims... whingeing and complaints. What the UK should do is enforce the integrity of Gibraltar's territorial waters... in NO uncertain terms... before there is a serious incident!

Britain should show more resolve in defence of Gibraltar territorial waters

Three months ago I complained about the lack of support for Gibraltar in the British press over Spain's relentless bullying of Gibraltar.

Not that the press has given us much support since, but today I see, the Mail Online (who else) is having a bit of a go... talking about what they term as the Gibraltar ambush: Spain grabs miles of British waters to carry out 'environmental protection;.

While this 'news' broke at least three months ago, (I blogged about it at the time: Gibraltar territorial waters and sovereignty once more under threat from Spanish bullying) it's good to see that at least one British newspaper has finally decided to say something about this!

Before anyone has a go at me telling me that there have been other reports in the British press recently about the recent infringements by Spain of Gibraltar's territorial waters... I am aware of those reports. But those reports have simply mentioned the incidents of Spain's transgressions into our waters... some in rather 'gung ho' and alarmist fashion. None (to my knowledge) have looked at the issue on the way Spain has managed to trick the EU into granting Spain legal rights over our British sovereign territorial waters surrounding Gibraltar. Simon McGee, writing in today's Mail Online highlights the issue rather well. Thank you Simon... and 'middle England'!

He even tried to contact the European Commission and the Spanish Foreign Affairs Ministry for comment but... surprise surprise... the EU Commission declined to comment and the Spanish government failed to respond to phone calls.

There have been reports in the British press over the last couple of weeks, that Britain was sending some warships out to Gibraltar, following the recent incidents. I haven't been able to corroborate or confirm the veracity of these reports from any reliable source (other than the UK press) but I can tell you... NO new warships have arrived in Gibraltar... as yet.

There is however, the substantial presence of the British nuclear submarine HMS Trenchant which was observed in the Bay of Gibraltar last Thursday. However, the submarine was only there to carry out a crew transfer and was on its way elsewhere. It was met by units from the Gibraltar Squadron, who in addition to providing an escort also ferried the transferring crew rom submarine to shore. It is reported that the transfer was carried out in the bay "because of poor weather conditions" in the Strait of Gibraltar. In any event, whatever it is up to, a nuclear powered submarine, whilst powerful in any regard, is very ill equipped and totally unsuitable to deal with the types of incidents that have occurred lately.

The brief visit by the nuclear powered submarine drew the usual and predictable response from 'Blanca Luz', Spain's Popular Party opposition MP for Cádiz, Jose Ignacio Landaluce, who repeated (as he does parrot fashion) his concerns about "safety" and urged the Spanish government to "take a tougher line"... bloody cheek! But speaking of Governments taking a 'tougher line', I agree... but it's Britain that should be taking a much tougher line!

As far as I know, the defence of our territorial waters, in this important issue and with the worrying atmosphere of rising tensions, is still up to the two units, the small patrol boats HMS Sabre and HMS Scimitar, belonging to the Royal Navy's Gibraltar Squadron.

In the light of a recent Defence Management report, which argues that support in Westminster for the Royal Navy has become so bad that the service now has a mere nine ships allocated to protecting Britain's territorial waters. The Royal Navy cuts mean less maritime security for the UK, so this does not augur very well for the Royal Navy's capabilities and the defence of Gibraltar's own British sovereign territorial waters!

As I've said before... so far, all concerned have been able to show restraint in these incidents, both on the Spanish Guardia Civil maritime patrol boats and on the British side, by the Royal Navy and the Gibraltar Police's maritime units... but I can see how these confrontations could easily go awry. Let's hope further escalations can be avoided and the matter can be resolved soon... before someone is hurt and we are having to deal with a much more serious 'international incident'!

I am a little comforted that both the Royal Gibraltar Police and the Ministry of Defence in Gibraltar are trying to ensure that their personnel know exactly what they have to do if faced with yet another Spanish incursion. In the wake of these recent tense incidents at sea off Gibraltar, police and military planners have reportedly revisited the operating procedures for marine crews patrolling British waters and that is comforting to know but one would expect them to be checking and reviewing their procedures.

More importantly... if further confrontations are to be avoided, I for one would feel far more comfortable if the British government were to send more substantial naval units to Gibraltar and, if nothing else, show Spain in no uncertain terms, that unlike in the lead up to the Falklands conflict with the pulling out of a substantial naval presence then, in this instance Britain is resolved to defend its territorial waters vigorously, by stationing one or two frigates or destroyers, at least, in Gibraltar now! Trouble is... does the UK have the will or the capability?

Where is Drake when you need him?

"So please your Majesty, to singe the King of Spain's beard; it has grown somewhat too long."

Worrying escalation of incidents around Gibraltar territorial waters

Media sources in Gibraltar are reporting yet another incident in a worrying increase of tension around Gibraltar's territorial sovereign waters over the last couple of weeks.

Brian Reyes, writing in today's Chronicle says, yet again, a Guardia Civil patrol boat intercepted a suspected smuggler in Gibraltar waters yesterday. The following is his report:

In doing so, it ignored the usual procedure of informing the Royal Gibraltar Police to take up the chase.

The RGP was alerted to the incident by members of the public and, on reaching the scene, instructed the Guardia Civil to leave the area.

But although the incident comes at a time of tension over Gibraltar's territorial waters, two senior official sources initially suggested it may be overzealous policing by the Spanish officers, rather than a politically-motivated exercise.

The Government said last night it had had an initial report from the RGP in respect of the incident, when there was an incursion by a Guardia Civil launch in Gibraltar territorial waters in the area of Catalan Bay, 'in circumstances which would appear to be unacceptable'.

The Government declared that it takes a 'serious view of this matter and will take such appropriate action as may be required when all aspects of the incident have been investigated and established. '

Gibraltar and Spanish law enforcement agencies cooperate closely to tackle smuggling activity at sea. Guardia Civil vessels regularly sail through Gibraltar waters but do not normally carry out operational tasks without having first contacted the RGP.

What makes yesterday's incident unusual is that the Guardia Civil did not contact the RGP until after the incident had unfolded.

"My gut feeling is that the Guardia Civil officers were just a bit too keen on this one," one senior official said.

The incident has nonetheless generated some concern because it comes exactly two weeks after a Spanish Navy incursion in Gibraltar waters sparked diplomatic tensions.

Yesterday, the suspect launch - a small 'patera', later found to be empty - was chased close to shore in the area of Catalan Bay and eventually ended up beached at the edge of the reclaimed land.

Two men jumped off and fled from the scene. They were still at large as this edition went to press.

The RGP said it received several calls from people in the area while the chase was underway at sea and despatched both land and marine units to the scene.

"The crew on the police launch challenged the Guardia Civil as to their purpose in Gibraltar's territorial waters and told them to leave, which they did without any problem," and RGP spokesman said.

This somewhat surprising and apparent escalation of transgressions into Gibraltar' territorial waters are worrying.

Even the UK National press are now focusing on the issue with Daily Express talking about a "Return of the Armada as Spain ‘invades’ Gibraltar" and the Daily Mail Online today saying that Royal Navy warships have been "dispatched as Spanish invade seas around Gibraltar". I'm not sure what truth there is in that report.

As far as I know, so far, it has been units from the Gibraltar Squadron of the Royal Navy who have effectively dealt with these incursions, including the recent ordering of a Spanish Civil Guard patrol boat to leave Gibraltar waters in the first reported incident.

I'm hoping the 'Senior Official's gut feeling' quoted in the Chronicle report is correct, when he said his "gut feeling is that the Guardia Civil officers were just a bit too keen on this one". Maybe the local units have a new boss, who's keen to stamp his mark. I certainly hope this apparent 'new agenda' is not being directed from Madrid... as if it is, things are a little more serious.

Either way, as I said last Thursday, I very much hope the Guardia Civil and the Spanish authorities, can be 'encouraged' by the UK's Foreign Office and of course the Gibraltar authorities, to reign in whatever agenda they are now manipulating, before these incidents become more serious and someone is hurt through some 'trigger-happy' blunder.

So far, all concerned have been able to show restraint... but I can see how these could easily go awry. Let's hope this can be resolved soon... before someone is hurt and we are having to deal with a much more serious 'international incident'!