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Politics : DON'T START THE WAR -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Karen Lawrence who wrote (21064)	3/15/2003 1:46:06 AM
From: Brumar89	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 25898

What a silly story. The UN is one of the few countries in the world futilely trying to get the UN to be a responsible institution. And you fantasize the US is going to be controlled by that impotent institution which is unwilling to enforce its resolutions against Iraq?

To: Karen Lawrence who wrote (21064)	3/15/2003 5:43:58 AM
From: GUSTAVE JAEGER	Respond to of 25898

Aznar's warmongering might not be that quixotic after all --the Spanish PM expects a substantial kickback: 'Positive' talks held on Gibraltar Staff and agencies Monday May 20, 2002 The prime minister, Tony Blair, and his Spanish counterpart, Jose Maria Aznar, today met in Downing Street for what they described as "positive" talks on the future of Gibraltar. Dismissing reports that negotiations between the two governments were close to collapse, both men held a joint press conference to stress the constructive nature of their lunchtime meeting. "We agreed that the talks would carry on and indeed they have been carrying on in a positive and sensible atmosphere and those talks will continue," Mr Blair said. The government has a self-imposed mid-summer deadline for resolving the long-running dispute between London and Madrid over the Rock but there are signs that the negotiations have run into trouble, despite a denial from Mr Aznar today that they were not in a "crisis". Spain is reluctant to give up its historic claim to eventual full sovereignty and opposes putting a deal on shared sovereignty to Gibraltar's inhabitants in a referendum. It fears that a massive "no" vote in the colony, as is widely expected after a mass protest in March, would knock sovereignty off the agenda for a long time. Britain has also refused to allow Spain joint control of the Gibraltar military base. Their meeting comes after a poll showed 75% of MPs believed Gibraltar's inhabitants, who oppose the negotiations, should be left alone to decide their own future. The foreign secretary, Jack Straw, today repeated Britain's insistence on a referendum. "That was a solemn undertaking given in 1969 to the people of Gibraltar. We absolutely stand by it," he told the Radio 4 Today programme. Mr Straw said that if a deal were reached with Spain the government would then enter into talks with Gibraltar's inhabitants before the agreement was put to a vote. "That is why in order to make life better for the people of Gibraltar, paradoxically to give them more control over their own lives and far less interference from Spain, we need this process of calm negotiation followed by a long period of deliberation by the people of Gibraltar," he said. The two governments acknowledged "real differences" after the last round of negotiations involving Mr Straw, and Josep Pique, his opposite number in Madrid. The shadow foreign secretary, Michael Ancram, said today in a statement: "The discussions will end in confrontation with either the people of Gibraltar or the Spanish government. "The government should suspend the talks on sovereignty immediately and think again about resuming them on matters where agreement can be reached rather than on matters where it cannot." Mr Blair's official spokesman last night suggested such difficulties were inevitable as the self-imposed deadline approached. "As negotiations like this go on you do get to the difficult point and we are at that point at the moment," he said. guardian.co.uk Wednesday, 12 February, 2003, 08:57 GMT 'Secret talks' may decide Gibraltar future Gibraltar's chief minister claims 'secret talks' between Britain and Spain could mean a deal being struck for joint sovereignty of the Rock. Peter Caruana is warning the good relationship struck between the prime ministers of the two countries over Iraq may lead to a "pay off" for Spain. [...] news.bbc.co.uk