Sunday, 31 May 2015

Governor Sir James Dutton Resigns as Governor of Gibraltar due to lack of action from the FCO and the UK Government!

 Governor Sir James Dutton Resigns as Governor of Gibraltar  - due to lack of action from the FCO and the UK Government!


As Defenders of Gibraltar we have been stating since the formation of the group - UK Government and the FCO just do not care about Defending the people of Gibraltar! 

We all thought that SIr James Dutton would in fact make a big difference - how wrong we were! We saw almost immediately that he was yet again a puppet on a string and those strings were pulled by the FCO personnel: The FCO do not and have never cared about Gibraltar and its people!

In his resignation speech, Sir James said the job was “more representational and ceremonial than I had expected”.

Sir James’s 37-year-career with the Royal Marines saw him become deputy commander of the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan in 2008, before leaving the service in 2010 to join the engineering conglomerate Bechtel as principle vice president.
Responsible for overseeing a complete overhauling of Gabon’s infrastructure, he had settled his family in the West African nation before “getting the call” to become Governor of Gibraltar.
“Sir James is one of those rare chaps who managed to follow a highly successful military career with an equally successful civilian one,” said a friend. “He gave it all up – and it was a lot to give up - for Gibraltar, because he was led to believe that he could make a difference. He assumed his military career was the reason he was wanted. Instead what he got was pomp but no real power”.


We have made it clear on numerous occasions that the lack of action from UK and the FCO is due to them not wanting to spoil their own relationship with Spain. We all know that currently in Spain there are over  808,000 (104,000 are pensioners) as stated in 2012 Guardian Newspaper. So why defend Gibraltar? For 30,000 British Citizens? The only reason they keep a presence on the Rock of Gibraltar is merely due to Gibraltar being the only gateway between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic. Gibraltar is useful as a military forwarding base and a nuclear submarine base. In UK no port wants these nuclear submarines!

Below is a great write up from the Panorama Newspaper from 2011 - http://www.panorama.gi/localnews/headlines.php?action=view_article&article=7054


Gibraltar remains important in any military scenario
Secret papers by JOE GARCIA
The West has always dreaded the spectre of unrest in what are described as potential trouble-spots along the North African littoral washed by the Mediterranean. Tunisia, Egypt now, and the prospect of contagion tomorrow?

"The Mediterranean is critically important; for the member nations of the southern region of NATO it provides common access and vital lines of communication for supplies and reinforcements," says a document marked 'Secret UK eyes' and headed The Strategic Importance of Gibraltar to the UK and NATO.

The document adds: "For over 150 miles on either side of the western entrance to the Mediterranean the freedom of movement of shipping is severely constrained by the coastline. Thus, control of the western end of the Mediterranean, the ability to seal off events in that area from the Atlantic, and surveillance of a critical part of one of the world's strategic routes, rests with whoever commands the Strait. Dominating the Strait lies Gibraltar."

That says it all. The importance of Gibraltar to western defence, world peace, stands out like a beacon.

In times of tension and in times of war, all seaborne reinforcements and supplies for the southern region must come through this strategic Strait.

When this secret report was written by the Chiefs of Defence, the Soviet threat loomed high - and so did the importance of Gibraltar.

Western thinking was that the Soviets might endeavour to control or deny the use of the Strait to NATO. In those days of cold war, the extension of Soviet power and influence throughout the Mediterranean was of constant concern, their aim was considered to be to try and undermine the influence of the USA in the area and achieve the fragmentation of the Western Alliance, said the document.

The document took a 5-year view into the 1980s. In those days, the MOD in Gibraltar had 3,400 locally employed civilians of whom 900 were Moroccans, compared with the ever-reducing UK presence, affecting both civilian and military personnel.

In those days, the frontier with Spain was closed. Particularly while this remained so, said the document,the attitude of Morocco is relevant.Morocco provides a large proportion of the labour force and was an important source of supply of food etc.

The maintenance of this support remains one of the main British and NATO priorities concerning their relations with Morocco, said the military document.

Certainly, Morocco "has always considered it unacceptable for Spain to control both sides of the Strait," an aim of policy which has a clear bearing on Ceuta, Melilla and other rocks on the North African shoreline.

The military studied wider considerations deeper into the Mediterranean: "While an unfriendly nation on the southern littoral of the Mediterranean could increase the threat to Gibraltar it would not affect Gibraltar's strategic importance and indeed could enhance it."

The principal alternatives on the north shore of the Strait to Gibraltar for controlling the Strait are Cadiz and Cartagena, said the document. Both have large naval facilities and nearby airfields, and while suitable bases for operations, neither has the commanding position, combined with the necessary facilities, which enables Gibraltar to exercise domination over the Strait.

NATO has long urged Britain to increase Gibraltar's role, but there has been a reluctance to invest more on military hardware.

Looking ahead, it was said that the geographical position of Gibraltar provided 'an excellent base for the employment of technologically advanced weapons and equipment such as remotely controlled minefields, active and passive surveillance equipment, operating above and below the surface, together with their associated weapon systems.'

The secret document concluded: "The Gibraltar strait is of considerable strategic importance and it is in NATO's interest to retain Gibraltar in Alliance hands."

Clearly, there has been a shift in military planning since the cold war, but the Rock continues to be an important pivot in any other military scenario more attuned to today's world and more specific to actual or potential crisis areas in the Mediterranean.

The most recent strategic defence and security review last year reaffirmed the importance of the permanent joint operating base in Gibraltar.

11-02-11
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This weekend we saw a very strange thing indeed - The Express newspaper wrote an article and then removed it and then begun to deny the publication of it - until the people of Gibraltar showed proof of what they had posted and demanded a reason for the removal! 

The article is now back on the website for all to read although!

http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/581101/Governor-Gibraltar-quits-row-Spain-Britain

'Sold a duff' Governor of Gibraltar quits after UK fails to stand up to Spain aggression

THE GOVERNOR of Gibraltar has quit his post over tensions with the Foreign Office about the way Britain was dealing with Spanish aggression against the Rock, the Sunday Express has learned.

PUBLISHED: 00:01, Sun, May 31, 2015 | UPDATED: 18:21, Sun, May 31, 2015

Lieutenant General Sir James Dutton took the unprecedented step to stand down from his role as Her Majesty’s Governor and Commander in Chief of the British overseas territory less than two years after leaving a lucrative career to take up the position.
His tenure has seen the ramping up of Spanish aggression against Gibraltar, with illegal border controls causing havoc on the tiny territory, and an increase in illegal maritime incursions – as many as 245 over a two-month in 2014.

Last night sources close to the Sir James who, as a Royal Marine, became second in command of Nato forces in Afghanistan, said he felt he had been “sold a duff” after increasing friction with the Foreign Office made it clear the role would just be ceremonial.
The Sunday Express has learned that, while he had been unhappy with his position for some time, it was only after the Conservative Party’s election victory earlier this month, and the decision to keep Europe Minister David Lidington in post, that he took the decision to finally leave.

In his resignation speech, Sir James said the job was “more representational and ceremonial than I had expected”. His shock announcement left the Foreign Office scrabbling to find a suitable replacement before September, when he will take his leave.
However one close source said last night: “When he was invited to become Governor, he assumed it was because of his military career. He was very much of a mind that the Royal Navy’s presence should be increased in Gibraltar, and that Gibraltar’s reaction to Spanish incursions should be more robust.

“In the event, he was met with increasing frustration by the way the Foreign Office dealt with the Spanish question.”

Other sources suggested that he faced mounting friction with Alison MacMillan, formerly Gibraltar’s deputy Governor who now heads the Foreign office’s Gibraltar desk.
Sir James’s 37-year-career with the Royal Marines saw him become deputy commander of the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan in 2008, before leaving the service in 2010 to join the engineering conglomerate Bechtel as principle vice president.
Responsible for overseeing a complete overhauling of Gabon’s infrastructure, he had settled his family in the West African nation before “getting the call” to become Governor of Gibraltar.

“Jim is one of those rare chaps who managed to follow a highly successful military career with an equally successful civilian one,” said a friend.
“He gave it all up – and it was a lot to give up - for Gibraltar, because he was led to believe that he could make a difference. He assumed his military career was the reason he was wanted. Instead what he got was pomp but no real power”.

A close source
He is not the only Gibraltar Governor to have expressed concerns over FCO policy.

Last week Vice Admiral Sir Adrian Johns, Sir James’s predecessor, described the job as “trying to walk a tightrope between shark infested waters on one side and a minefield on the other.”

Addressing the prestigious Friends of Gibraltar group in London, he said the role in Gibraltar was special because the Governor is also given special responsibility for external affairs, defence and internal security.

“The Governor is not as some would like to think the FCO’s agent in Gibraltar,” he said.

“He is, as the Queen’s representative, constitutionally the senior officer of Her Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar, with a role clearly defined by the constitution.

So I was quite clear that I represented Her Majesty, not Her Majesty’s Government, ’ he said.


He said the Governor’s role also meant influencing “the formulation of UK policy by representing the interests of Gibraltar to the UK.”

He added:“Developing policy in a London office 1,000 miles away from Gibraltar needs a constant dose of reality and independent judgment from the coal face.

“In spite of modern methods of communication that 1,000 mile gap can sometimes seem very wide."

In January Andrew Rosindell MP, former chair of the British overseers territories all-Parliamentary group, said Gibraltar was being sacrificed as a “pawn” by a Government intent on appeasing Spain to secure its EU reform agenda.

Last night, Mr. Rosindell added:  "I am deeply disturbed at what increasingly looks like a policy by the FCO of appeasement to Spain - they talk tough in public, but when it comes to it actions are weak. The decision to keep David Lidington in place as Europe Minister seems to suggest this will continue."

I am not the only MP who feels Gibraltar is being sacrificed over the Government desire for EU reform. But appeasing Spain has only added fuel to Spain's fire. What's needed is for the door to be shut firmly in Spain's face.

"It is essential that the next Governor is also a military man, and not someone from the Foreign office. At least military Governors try to stand up to the FCO.

"This seemed unlikely last night, however, as the Foreign Office published a job vacancy for Sir James’ replacement.

In a change from the past, the advert placed the desire for a senior civil servant above that of a former senior military officer, and highlighted the need to “devote considerable time to the ceremonial, representational and social aspects of the role.”




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It looks like UK government and FCO do not believe in democracy and freedom when trying to hide truths from the people of Gibraltar. Are we having people silenced in UK or the FCO offices? Why so much secrecy? We have seen many Governors come and go! But this is the first time we have a Governor resign! 

It seems to me that Sir James Dutton has not wanted to continue as the PUPPET for FCO or UK Government! For this this gentleman deserves our UTMOST respect and honour! He has shown to have more integrity than many before him!

We the people of Gibraltar have a right as British Citizens to have the UK Government and the FCO defend us! It is not acceptable that we have daily Spanish Guardia Civil (Spanish Paramilitary) incursions in our British Gibraltar Territorial Waters!

Will it take a death before UK Government or the FCO act to protect us? Will it need an invasion by the Spanish Army to Gibraltar before they take security seriously?

We the people of Gibraltar are NOT 3rd class citizens! We are British Citizens and we have a VOICE and a RIGHT to be Safe and Secure in our land, at sea and in the air!

So now, although we know the truth, it leaves us wondering what do UK Government and the FCO really think about us? - they know of the dangers at Sea and Land but yet continue to do nothing? 
The FCO and the UK Government will be held accountable for any deaths due to their continued negligence in safe guarding us as a people and a Country in our own right!

Now what we need is our Government to take this up seriously with UK Government and the FCO! We do not want any more FCO puppets and Alison MacMillan, formerly Gibraltar’s deputy Governor who now heads the Foreign office’s Gibraltar desk.needs to now wake up!



We the people of Gibraltar will no longer be played like idiots and if there was friction with Sir James Dutton for wanting to stand up for us - you have no idea what friction is! Governors come and go but we the people of Gibraltar will stay and not be silenced!

Alison MacMillan we will not put up with this continued denial of our RIGHTS to be protected!


AMS

Monday, 11 May 2015

Spain commits a Dangerous incursion injuring Royal Gibraltar Police Officer in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters!


Dangerous Incursions by Guardia Civil In British Gibraltar Territorial Waters


This was the scene today

http://www.gbc.gi/news/guardia-civil-board-local-fishing-boat-british-gibraltar-territorial-waters-29558


BREAKING NEWS: Guardia Civil board local boat in BGTW


The Government has been informed that the Guardia Civil boarded a local fishing boat with two persons on board inside British Gibraltar Territorial Waters (BGTW) early this afternoon.
The Royal Gibraltar Police was alerted to the incident by the local people on board the boat. An RGP officer sustained slight injuries when he boarded the local boat.The details of the incident will be released by the RGP.

However, the Government considers that it is totally unacceptable for the Guardia Civil to operate in waters which are not Spanish and over which they have no jurisdiction. It is even worse that they should board a vessel.

The Government and will be raising the matter with the United Kingdom and would like to thank the Royal Gibraltar Police officers involved who went about their duty of upholding the law of Gibraltar in an exemplary manner.

Royal Gibraltar Police Statement

The RGP has just issued the following report following the news of an incident in the Bay involving the Guardia Civil:

Shortly before 1pm this afternoon a call for assistance was received by the RGP’s Marine Section. The caller was one of two local fishermen aboard a locally registered vessel, which, at the time, was approximately 1 mile west of the North Mole and within British Gibraltar Territorial Waters. The caller advised the RGP that the vessel had been boarded by a Guardia Civil officer whilst within BGTW.

On arrival at the location, and seeing that a Guardia Civil officer was aboard the local boat, an RGP officer proceeded to board the vessel. He sustained an injury as the fishing vessel was navigated in an attempt to prevent his boarding. Control of the fishing vessel was then taken by RGP officers who returned to port together with the two local men. An investigation into the matter has disclosed no offences by the two local men. The Guardia Civil officers remained at the location of the incident.

The injured officer has received treatment for his injury at St Bernard’s Hospital and has since been released. He has now returned to his duties.

The Commissioner and Senior Management Team are grateful to the Marine Section duty crew for their response to this incident and to the entire Marine Section for their professionalism and dedication to duty, over the last couple of years, in what has been a difficult and trying period.

The RGP would like to reassure the community that it will work to allow all law abiding citizens to freely enjoy the use of British Gibraltar Territorial Waters.



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Looks like Spanish Government are up to their own tricks again and to make matters worse the Summer is coming.

Will it take a death before FCO or UK Government or our Governor Sir James Dutton have the courage to act?

Today we have had one of our Royal Gibraltar Police Officer injured!

Do we really have to wait for a fatality?

What is the point in having A Governor who is ex Royal Marine if he does nothing but send pitiful protests via the convent to UK!

I say Shame on you Sir James Dutton and on the FCO and on UK Government - David Cameron you have only got into Government again - where is your manifesto commitment to the people of Gibraltar?

To our Governor I recommend you do something quick before the whole of Gibraltar ends up in the street or at sea taking action that should have come from you first!


Please do your job and STOP this! You are going to create a worse situation by doing nothing!

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This happened only last week 4th May

FRONTIER QUEUES OF OVER THREE HOURS TODAY

There were three and a half hour outgoing queues at the Frontier on Monday afternoon, with substantial pedestrian queues as well. They are among the longest queues at the border, since the seven and a half hour queues reported last summer.

(Picture from frontierqueue.gi, taken on Monday evening)




Courtesy Of www.panorama.gi



Spain in modern day ‘Cold War’ Gibraltar policy… Thanks to the FCO!

May 06, 2015
  
Photo by T Bickerstaff





















Even taking into account the present Spanish frontier works, few are in any doubt the Spanish Government has for many months intensified frontier controls to levels which clearly have nothing to do with the works itself.

Check Point (Proper) Charlie

The frontier situation at times would not have been out of place even in the 1960’s during the ‘cold war days’ at similar iconic frontier crossings like the infamous ‘Checkpoint Charlie’ at the West to East Berlin crossing point into the old German communist regime.

Cross-frontier users have been made to look and feel by Madrid like modern day ‘Proper (Frontier) Charlie’s’ that’s for sure. Having to put up with all the crap thrown at them by PP Government and their band of frontier Spanish guards. Some of which are reminiscent to those guards who took up similar positions on the east side of ‘checkpoint charlie’ during the 60’s and 70’s until the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989.

Today, Gibraltar is experiencing a modern day ‘Cold War’ with our hostile neighbour with the similar kind of daily harassment, bullying and intimidation which Gibraltarians and other frontier users have to put up with in the 21st century and not in a post war Germany scenario!

The expression “Cold War” has a number of historical meanings. But a ‘cold war’ is basically a state of conflict between nations that does not involve direct military action, but is pursued primarily through economic and political actions and propaganda. …With that definition, if Spain has not waged modern day ‘Cold War’ on Gibraltar these last 10 years in particular, then what the hell has she been doing?

To explain or illustrate further, the PP Government ‘Cold War Policy’ on Gibraltar Economically continues in its attempt to strangle Gibraltar’s economy. The Spanish Governments Political Actions by Air, Sea and Land again appears to know no bounds, as we witness daily. And her Anti-Gibraltar Propaganda Machine would have brought a smile to the face of Franco and his wartime mate Adolf!

But few in positions of power in London have picked up on the Spanish governments Gibraltar cold war concept, not because it has not been noticed, but because they wish not to see it!

When I say few, I am referring to our protectors in London at the FCO and their emotionless response to Spain’s on-going modern day cold war efforts on British Subjects down here in the Southern Most Hemisphere of Continental Europe.

FCO Diplomatically Brain Dead on Gibraltar!

Even taking into account the UK is on imminent general election countdown, it would be totally justifiable to say, the FCO have been ‘Diplomatically Brain Dead’ for years as far as Gibraltar is concerned. In fact, they have been atrociously useless in their defence of Gibraltar.

It really has been an incredibly frustrating and depressingly sad time for the people of Gibraltar as far as the FCO is concerned. Who have sat back and watched how the Spanish Government has continued its assault on the Rock and its people. Without once lifting or pointing a critical finger in anger or with a more choleric tone of voice towards their Spanish counterparts.

Instead the FCO and British Government have all along had one thing on their minds, that of preserving and maintaining the much treasured and far more important UK-Spanish interests. How can Gibraltar possible compete with that?

FCO Has Never Had Any Intention To Step up Its Efforts Against Spain

I do not understand, why we are shocked or surprised about the situation, when only last year both William Hague as the then Foreign Secretary and David Lidington the Europe Minster made it quite clear that nothing was going to change and current policies regarding Gibraltar would remain in place.

Mr Hague in fact, informed none other then the Foreign Affairs Select Committee (FASC) that the United Kingdom Government had no intention to step up its efforts or do anything else to calm the continued Spanish hostilities against Gibraltar and its people!

If anything, Mr Hague confirmed what many here already knew and suspected. Particularly after countless months of total FCO silence, which has continued throughout this year so far regarding the inaction by the FCO and UK Government. In fact Hague said to the FASC it was right for the UK to maintain its present stance!

With senior FCO Ministers and the British Government making their position clear regarding what they think is the best policy to tackle Spanish Government incursions the Frontier and so on. And not withstanding the fact, that British efforts so far have miserable failed.

In fact the FCO policy is considered so passively soft and hopelessly unreceptive and totally out of touch with the situation. That it has encouraged the Spaniards to continue making these illegal transgressions into BGTW and cause daily havoc and misery to many thousands of people at the Frontier!

Policies That Have Failed From London and Succeeded From Madrid

Over a number of years it has been made clear to London that present FCO Gibraltar policies regarding the frontier and incursions have failed and need an urgent rethink. This criticism has come not only from Gibraltar, but also by countless UK ministers and powerful UK governmental bodies like the Foreign Affairs and Environmental Commons Select Committee’s who have blasted the FCO and the Tory Government for their poor and useless like performance in this respect!

It has been like an absolute zero response from the UK side at anything the Spaniards throw at us. Even the Governor has lost his voice in this respect; there has also been nothing from the Convent’s head. Although the Governor has not said much of anything since his National Day gaff reported in Panorama, when he spoke to UK visiting MPs describing the people of Gibraltar as ‘insular’. Who knows, if things continue as they are, we may yet have the opportunity to return H.E. the compliment!

From a local perspective, over the past 3 years Gibraltar has practically laid siege on Brussels, in this respect there has been a noticeable difference.

The Gibraltar Government, Organisations and Local Citizens have made the trek to the capital of European politics to put Gibraltar’s case across regarding the inordinate queues at the frontier and the situation with Spanish Incursions into BGTW.

The EU and European Commission for all their faults, nowadays genuinely appear interested and so do many others who walk the coveted corridors of European power.

Brussels HQ is at Least Now Listening to Gibraltar

Through the hard work of the Government, particularly the Deputy Chief Minster Dr Joseph Garcia who has led on the Government’s EU strategy. There now appears to be a friendlier ear these days willing to hear what we have to say and allowing our representatives to put Gibraltar’s case across. Whether this will eventually lead to an improved situation, or dare I say, ‘a solution’ is in my opinion not on any EU radar.

Back to the Foreign Office, what can be said about the FCO that has not been said before? Do they really care? Are they really interested? Do they really know what is going on down here? Do they even know Gibraltar is not an Island? No they don’t!

Spain is still clearly engaged in a full-on diplomatic offensive, even using international organisations to manifest its hostility to Gibraltar’s sovereignty.

Everything Spain is Allowed to Get Away With is Undermining UK Sovereignty

The fact that Spain is a fellow member of the EU and a partner in NATO has changed nothing in Spanish political minds. Because the PP Government deliberately continues as a matter of policy to undermine the economy of Gibraltar, together with its hostile behaviour which the UK Government constantly continues to ignore.

Spain’s latest chosen armament is its anti-Gibraltar aviation policy, together with the totally unnecessary and excessive searches of people and vehicles at the Frontier. Whilst out at sea the daily and dangerous incursions into BGTW. Whether the FCO likes it or not, it all undermines British Sovereignty.

06-05-15 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR

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Wake up David Cameron - Sir James Dutton and FCO

Your are responsible for the protection fo British Gibraltar Territorial Waters!

AMS