[A-List] Re: (Fwd) Re: Joseph Piqué

[Louis Proyect <lnp3@xxxxxxxxx>]

US wins Spain's favour with offer to share spy network material
Date: 18/06/2001

By Isambard Wilkinson in Madrid

The United States has agreed to share highly classified material=
 from
the Anglo-American Echelon intelligence network with the Spanish=

Government to help Madrid's battle against the Basque separatist=

group ETA.

Echelon is a joint operation by the US National Security Agency=
 and
GCHQ, Britain's eavesdroppers. It was set up in 1948 by the US,
Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and can intercept and=

decrypt information transmitted by code machines, emails,=
 telephones
and faxes.

The deal was alluded to by Mr Josep Piqu=E9, Spain's Foreign=
 Minister,
who confirmed in general terms that the US had agreed to spy on=
 ETA.

"It opens up a very promising field of action, so that we can
definitely defeat terrorism."

full: http://www.smh.com.au/news/0106/18/text/world11.html

=3D=3D=3D

CUBA REJECTS 'ANTITERRORISM' MOTION AT SUMMIT

The closing session of the 10th Ibero-American Summit, held in=
 Panama
City November 17-19, turned from a unanimous and general=
 condemnation
of "child poverty" into a sharp political confrontation between
Salvadoran president Francisco Flores--backed by the government=
 of
Spain--and Cuban president Fidel Castro over who is responsible=
 for
"terrorism."

The Cuban leader rejected the attempt to single out the Basque
pro-independence group ETA for condemnation as "terrorist" in a
resolution adopted at the conclusion of the summit. He focused
attention on Israel's bloody repression of the Palestinian people=
 and
the U.S. government's terrorism, particularly its responsibility=
 for
the tens of thousands of deaths in El Salvador's civil conflict=
 in
the 1980s. The opening of the summit, which ended with language
rarely heard in diplomatic circles, was preceded by a few hours=
 with
the arrest of CIA-trained terrorist Luis Posada Carriles and=
 several
other rightists by Panamanian police.

He noted that the resolution "does not mention state-sponsored
terrorism, and Cuba has had more victims of U.S. state-sponsored=

terrorism than anyone."

The Cuban leader pointed to the hypocrisy of the Flores=
 government in
submitting the resolution, given that El Salvador is "where the
leading terrorist [Posada Carriles] resides, and against whom=
 nothing
has been done, and who is now under arrest."

While President Jos=E9 Mar=EDa Aznar and King Juan Carlos of Spain
attended the summit, they chose not to play a visible role in=
 pushing
the "antiterrorism" resolution, leaving that to the Salvadoran
regime. In a "private visit" to Madrid about a week prior to the=

summit, Salvadoran president Flores held discussions with Spanish=

officials and opposition Socialist Party figures, with "ETA
terrorism" being one of the main topics.

Josep Piqu=E9, Spain's foreign minister, criticized Cuba for=
 abstaining
on the resolution. He warned that Cuba's stance would prevent the=

continuation of "a normal relationship."

full: http://www.lanuevacuba.com/nuevacuba/notic-00-12-400.htm

=3D=3D=3D

WSWS : News & Analysis : Europe

Britain and Spain agree to negotiate constitutional changes in
Gibraltar
By Vicky Short
1 December 2001

The foreign ministers of Britain and Spain, Jack Straw and Josep=

Piqu=E9, met in Barcelona November 20 and agreed a six-month
negotiation process to resolve the contentious constitutional=
 issues
surrounding Gibraltar=92s status.

The 6.5 square kilometre outcrop at the southern tip of the=
 Iberian
Peninsula was seized by British naval forces in 1704, and was
formally ceded to Britain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht. Spain=92s=
 last
attempt to take it back by force was in 1779.

full: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2001/dec2001/gib-d01.shtml

=3D=3D=3D

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION PROBLEMS ARE ALSO CONCERNING SPAIN

"On the beaches of Tangiers, thousands of people are lined up=
 waiting
their turn for the next illegal 'patera' (rowing boat), to carry=
 them
to Spain", commented Spain's Foreign Minister Josep Piqu=E9. As to=
 the
drug problem, Piqu=E9 pointed out, "it is obvious that this is not=

being cultivated in Spain".

full: http://thereader.balearicsinfo.com/615/morocco.htm

=3D=3D=3D

Press Release
As part of his two-day official visit to Spain, Croatian Foreign=

Minister Tonino Picula has met today in Madrid his Spanish
counterpart Josep Piqu=E9.

Minister Picula has outlined the social and political situation=
 in
Croatia and the region. He said that, with Spain being the sixth=

biggest foreign investor in the world, Croatia was keen to=
 attract
Spanish investments as soon as possible. Minister Piqu=E9 fully=
 agreed
with his Croatian counterpart that Croatia was a factor of=
 stability
in the region, and added that Spain considered Croatia a crucial=

factor of democratisation and security in this part of Europe.

full:
www.mvp.hr/mvprh-www-eng/3-priopcenja/release'01/0103/pr01-03-02.=
html

--
Louis Proyect, lnp3@xxxxxxxxx on 12/30/2001

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