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NEWS ÜVERVIEW
Agreement
M
ay
Rock Gibraltar
1
ast November Britain and
l.
Spain reached a
breakthrough agreement
concerning the future of
Gibraltar.
In !he short run. both
sides benefit. But the
agreement creates ominous
potentials for the future of
this region.
Spain agreed to lift the
blockade on Gibraltar that
the late General Francisco
Franco imposed 15 years
ago. Since February 15,
there has been free
movement of people and
traffic across the narrow
strip of flatland that
connects Gibraltar to the
Spanish mainland.
40
To a great degree, Spain,
a fledgling democracy, had
no choice but lo lift the
blockade. Madrid hopes to
enter the European
Community January 1. 1986.
Gibraltar is British territory,
and EC law requires that all
member countries have
open borders with one
another.
In return, the British
negotiators. for the fi rst
time, agreed that the tricky
question of sovereignty will
be open for discussion in
future negotiations. At the
same time, the British
stressed that " the wishes of
the people of Gibraltar" will
be respected. About 30,000
British subjects live on
Gibraltar. They are
overwhelmingly against
becoming Spanish citizens.
"For us , this really opens
a process of decolonizing
the Rock," a Spanish
Foreign Ministry spokesman
said . Spain's state radio
and television added it was
" !he first time since 1713,
the end of the War of the
Spanish Succession. when
Spain los! the Rock, that the
British government had ever
agreed lo tackle
sovereignty. "
Sorne of the Spanish
outspokenness was
dismissed as being merely
for home consumption.
Spanish officials privately
admit they do not expect a
rapid return of the colony.
Admitted one: " We know
we are not going to gel
Gibraltar back tomorrow. lt
is much rather a case of a
generation."
Nevertheless, Spanish
officials are concerned
whether a slow reversion
process will really work.
They may not be able lo
control public pressure
demanding quicker results.
British and other NATO
military officials are also
queasy. Gibraltar is an
importan! strategic base.
Spain is a member of
NATO, but a reluctant one.
A majority of Spaniards
want Spain to pull out.
What if Spain leaves
NATO and politically turns
further left? The Soviets.
even now frequent visitors
to the Rock. would love to
see a Spain in sympathy
with them, and in
possession of such a
potential choke point to the
entire Mediterranean. •
Where U.S.,
Soviets
Work Together
T
here is a spot on earth
where the Soviets and
the United States cooperate
in a political-social venture:
Ethiopia.
Ethiopia, a staunch
Moscow ally, is suffering
from a massive, 10-year
drought. Millions of its
people are victims not only
of drought, but of interna!
political upheavals that have
brought on poverty,
starvation and now death.
In the drive to rescue
sorne of these Ethiopians,
the United States and the
Soviets-and many other
nations, too-are working
together to carry food and
other relief supplies to the
starving. Soviet aircraft
transport supplies with fuel
paid for by the United
States.
Reporters have seen
100-pound sacks of wheat
being loaded onto Soviet
Ml-8 helicopters at
Kembolcha, Ethiopia. The
sacks were stamped
"Furnished by the People of
the United States of
America."
This microcosm of
cooperation demonstrates
what is possible when
nations pul aside, even
partially, mutual distrust and
their basic antagonisms in
order to solve human
problems. •
The PLAIN TRUTH