Nov 21 - Picardo Radio 4 Statement Taken Out of Context by Spanish Media
The Government of Gibraltar has today corrected the misunderstanding made by certain Spanish media outlets reporting on the Chief Minister’s statements on yesterday’s BBC Radio 4 ‘Today’ programme. They note that some media outlets have significantly altered the meaning and intention of Mr Picardo’s statements, taking them out of context.
For example Europa Press, claimed, ‘Picardo has warned of the risk that Guardia Civil patrols continue ‘their incursions into BGTW without advance warning and, when coming in from the sun, remaining unidentifiable for those carrying out provisioning of British or American vessels.’
The report added, ‘they could find themselves being shot at as they cannot be identified as a vessels belonging to a friendly power even though the ship (being intercepted by the Guardia Civil) was contravening international law. They could mistake them (the Guardia Civil) for terrorists,” he said in declarations to the BBC.’
The Chief Minister did, in reality respond to the journalist’s question ‘How close are we, do you think, to shots being fired?’ with, ‘Well I certainly hope that we are not close to that, at all, and never will be. I think the point you are alluding to is a point made by Jim Dobbin, MP, who is the chairman of the All Party British Gibraltar Group, who made that reference as a result of Spanish Guardia Civil vessels coming into BGTW, without warning, coming in from the sun so to speak, where they are not visible to those who are carrying out refuelling or replenishment operations to British or American vessels in BGTW and who might them find themselves shot at because they are not identified as the vessel of a friendly nation even though that vessel may be doing something which is contrary to international law and they may be mistaken for terrorists. That is the issue and it’s a security issue that Spain needs to be aware of also.’
