British warship heads to Gibraltar amid tensions

[Eupher]

Spain is showing their ass concerning Gibraltar, and that is feeding Argentina's own issues concerning the Falkland Islands. Argentina has evidently forgotten that they got their asses kicked with Maggie at the helm in 1982. Maybe they figure with Cameron in as PM that he doesn't have the balls that Maggie had.

Gibraltar is a British outpost in perpetuity, according to the Treaty of Utrecht, signed by all combatants in 1713. The UK has agreed to turn over its interests there if the populace votes to revert to Spanish rule. They have not. With the EU in an economic shambles (Spain being one of the more problematic countries), the good people of Gibraltar recognize the folly of economically signed on with the Spanish. So they don't.

This is pretty much the same situation in the Falkland Islands, off the coast of Argentina. The people there are perfectly happy being Brits and don't want the Argentines horning in on their lives.

So what's left of the British Empire seems to be under attack again. Remains to be seen what comes of this. I personally think that Cameron couldn't find his ass with either hand, so things just might go stupidly for the Brits.

The British warship HMS Westminster set sail on Tuesday on a training exercise that will include a stop at Gibraltar, the territory at the centre of a row between Britain and Spain.

The type 23 frigate left Portsmouth naval base on England's south coast to join nine other Royal Navy vessels heading for the Mediterranean and the Gulf.

Defence officials said the training exercise has long been planned and follows similar deployments in 2011 and 2012, but it comes at a time of heightened tensions over Gibraltar, a rocky outpost on the southern coast of Spain.
The British government on Monday said it was considering legal action over "totally disproportionate" border checks imposed by Spain on the British outpost, which have led to traffic tailbacks lasting several hours.

But Spain refused to stop the checks, which it countered were "legal and proportionate", and has said it was considering taking the row over the disputed territory to the United Nations and the International Court of Justice.
Relatives of sailors deployed on HMS Westminster waved off the warship from its home port as it began a seven-month deployment.

"Although it is pre-planned, I think they are sending a very strong message," said Stephen Kirk, who came to see off his granddaughter, 19-year-old sailor Samantha Kirk.

"It's all wrong what's going on but what is the answer if they cannot solve it diplomatically?"

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/08/13/british-warship-heads-to-gibraltar-amid-tensions/?intcmp=obinsite#ixzz2bwheIlxc

[vesta111]

Spain is showing their ass concerning Gibraltar, and that is feeding Argentina's own issues concerning the Falkland Islands. Argentina has evidently forgotten that they got their asses kicked with Maggie at the helm in 1982. Maybe they figure with Cameron in as PM that he doesn't have the balls that Maggie had.

Gibraltar is a British outpost in perpetuity, according to the Treaty of Utrecht, signed by all combatants in 1713. The UK has agreed to turn over its interests there if the populace votes to revert to Spanish rule. They have not. With the EU in an economic shambles (Spain being one of the more problematic countries), the good people of Gibraltar recognize the folly of economically signed on with the Spanish. So they don't.

This is pretty much the same situation in the Falkland Islands, off the coast of Argentina. The people there are perfectly happy being Brits and don't want the Argentines horning in on their lives.

So what's left of the British Empire seems to be under attack again. Remains to be seen what comes of this. I personally think that Cameron couldn't find his ass with either hand, so things just might go stupidly for the Brits.

I hear the war drums a beating and the ground shaking as the enemy's line up to face each other with all the foot stomping and banging on shields.   

[thundley4]

I don't suppose that having the boy-king leading the US encourages disputes in other countries.

[JohnnyReb]

I know it has a lot of fire power but 9 16" guns just look so much "badder".

[Crazy Horse]

I know it has a lot of fire power but 9 16" guns just look so much "badder".

When you enter Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren main gate there is a large cement slab with an 8 inch shell on one side and a 16 inch shell on the other.  There is a mangled 8 inch shell in the slab on one side andjust an empty clean hole on tthe other.

So yeah I like the 16 inch also.

[Aristotelian]

Argentina invaded the Falklands because their economy was screwed up and they wanted to distract the populous...Spain's economy is screwed up and the government is trying to distract the populous.

For what it's worth, Gibraltar has had two referenda in recent years. In 1967 99.6% of voters wanted to remain British with an entire 44 voting to become Spanish; in 2002 the Spanish made massive progress and got 187 votes with a mere 98.9% of voters wanting to remain British. Gaining 70 basis points in 35 years suggests that the population will want to become Spanish in about 2500 years time.

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

Aren't EU member states supposed to NOT check each other at the border?

[freedumb2003b]

I hear the war drums a beating and the ground shaking as the enemy's line up to face each other with all the foot stomping and banging on shields.   

I'm a soldier of freedom in the army of man
We are the chosen, we're the partisan
The cause it is noble and the cause it is just
We are ready to pay with our lives if we must
Gonna ride across the river deep and wide
Ride across the river to the other side
I'm a soldier of fortune, I'm a dog of war
And we don't give a damn who the killing is for
It's the same old story with a different name
Death or glory, it's the killing game
Gonna ride across the river deep and wide
Ride across the river to the other side
Nothing gonna stop them as the day follows the night
Right becomes wrong, the left becomes the right
And they sing as they march with their flags unfurled
Today in the mountains, tomorrow the world
Gonna ride across the river deep and wide
Ride across the river to the other side

[Aristotelian]

Aren't EU member states supposed to NOT check each other at the border?

There's a separate agreement, the Schengen Agreement, which is a free travel area. This was established by the E.U. but the U.K. decided not to participate. If I travel from England to France (for example) I go through passport control but not through customs, the same applies to travel into the U.K. from other E.U. states.