Fredbargate

Dom it is the Spanish that want to keep to the bits of a treaty that suits them whilst ignoring the bits that don't

As for Calais well personally if France was removed from all maps the world would be a better place

Fredbargate

Gibraltar's message to Brussels:'We play by the rules and expect to be treated in the same way by the EU'

‘I am glad that Gibraltar continues to be completely up to date with its obligation to transpose all EU directives. I am very proud of that record. It is one to which I am personally committed. It is the clearest signal of Gibraltar’s commitment to the EU and to our compliance with its rules,’ said Mr Picardo.

‘We play by these rules in the EU and expect to be treated in the same way by the EU."

In a reference to Spain, he added: One member state has filed complaints against the Rock in relation to tax, state aid and the environment; it seeks to discriminate against us on free movement and aviation. Gibraltar is fully committed to EU membership and so we look to the EU’s institutions to uphold the rule of European law in all these areas.’

http://www.panorama.gi/localnews/hea...11426&offset=0

Dick Dasterdly

Could be even worse.
Just think if we hadn't pulled the Spanish out of the mire during the Napoleonic wars, it would be a case of "parlez vous francais".

EMR

One of the books in my reading room is a history of the British Navy from 1649 until 1815.
It will not surprise anyone with any historical knowledge that from the moment the door closed after the sigming of the Treaty of Utrecht, Spain tried for almost the next 100 years to take the Rock back.
Treaties in those days were just a way of buying time until one party or the other was ready to start fighting again.
As for Wellington defeating the French its a bit of a over simplification. Spain kept field armies and tens of thousands of insurgents active throughout the period of Wellingtons campaigns and long before Wellington arrived in Lisbon.
Without the Spanish tieing down large parts of the French armies Wellington would not have been able to invade Spain from Portugal.
But lets not let historical facts get in the way of an arguement.

Domino

then what do your books say about Manuel Lapeña Rodríguez y Ruiz de Sotillo who was in charge of the Spanish Army at the Battle of Barrossa - where he saw the size of the French bayonets and went back to Cadiz, leaving the British and Portuguese to route the French - a turning point in the campaign.
He had the nickname Doña Manuela (Lady Manuela) for very good reason and was relieved of his command after that fiasco. Sir Thomas Graham—the British commander led a campaign against superior French forces where many good men lost their lives. But Barrossa is where the first French "Eagle" was lost.
Four Royal Navy ships have taken their names from the battle, as has the Sea Cadet Corps Unit, TS Barrosa.

If you would like to read the "popular version" try Sharpe's Fury by Richard Cornwell

Dick Dasterdly

....and as I said without Wellington it would still have been a case of parlez vous francais no matter which way you prefer to present the facts.

EMR

I have every Sharpe book and very good fiction they are with a strong basis in fact, but the facts are the the Spanish were fighting the french invaders for a few years before Wellington arived in Portugal to protect British trade interests. Spanish armies had won victories as wel as suffering many defeats. large parts of Spain were too dangereous for the French because of local insurgents
Spain was the biggest drain on Napoleans rescources in Europe and the french invasion, the devastation and the civil war that followed can be said to be the cause of the decline that Spain is still in.
Ironically the only part of Spain where the French held on was in Catalonia.
Wellington could not have achieved his victories without his Spanish and Portuguese allies.

Fredbargate

Spain could be behind Gib cyber hacking says expert

Researchers who uncovered a sophisticated worldwide cyber spying operation said at least two government computers in Gibraltar had been targeted.

The researchers, from Kaspersky Lab, said the deep complexity of the espionage malware meant it had likely been developed by a government.

The company did not point the finger of blame at any country but said the programme, which they named Careto because of Spanish words in the coding, appeared to have been developed by native Spanish speakers.

But Bruce Schneier, a respected US-based cryptographer and an expert in computer security, told the Chronicle that although it was impossible to firmly pinpoint attribution, some evidence suggested Spain could be behind the programme.

http://www.chronicle.gi/headlines_details.php?id=32881

Fredbargate

Gib company claims $100 billion against Russian Federation

Freed former tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky has ruled out trying to recover the fortune that made him Russia’s richest man, but two multi-billion-dollar law suits involving his defunct oil giant Yukos could be decided this year.

But it has emerged that a Gibraltar-based Group Menatep, through which Khodorkovsky controlled Yukos and which now exists as holding company GML, is pushing an arbitration claim for more than $100 billion. This accuses Russia of expropriating Yukos without compensation and is the biggest commercial legal case ever.

http://www.chronicle.gi/headlines_details.php?id=32880

Dick Dasterdly

.....and vice versa, no matter how you choose to present the facts.

Domino

be careful Dick, EMR has every Sharpe book in his library this makes him an avowed "Expert" of all things

it is really posh to have a Library as an ex-pat, most of us are looking to downsize, but some just keep grasping for the life they couldn't aspire to "back home"

perhaps we should take more not of what he has to say, after all He Has A Library !!!!

Domino

dissidents, terrorists, freedom fighters - didn't Sharpe actually marry one ??

Fredbargate

I didn't know Somerset was an ex-pat country

Dick Dasterdly

He considers the Sunday Times to be his Bible as well, even though as I've pointed out, it often expresses opposite views to himself.

Personally I think he's a closet Mail reader, judging by how well he's genned up on almost every article it prints before anyone else has even mentioned it.

I imagine he reads it in the Bog then flushes it away before anyone finds out.

Domino

ISTR the Sunday Times was a stonking read for a single day and used to take 3 days with it, and thats without reading much of the Sport section
Now have the online access but not the same but I'll not pay them aruond €5 for a copy when it is abbreviated, printed in Madrid - and no magazines.

Think you are right about the water closet DM reader - he even makes the same spelling mistakes they do