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Two kingdoms and a clump of parsley


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By John Metzler
SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM

July 25, 2002

UNITED NATIONS Ñ Two Kingdoms, one European and the other North African, faced off militarily over a small uninhabited island in the Gibraltar Straits improbably named Parsley. At first Moroccan forces occupied Parsley, a 30 acre parcel a mere 600 feet from Morocco's shore. Soon an armada of Spanish ships and helicopters landed Foreign Legionaires and retook the island. Aware of the hair trigger nationalisms of both players, the United States quickly intervened and got both sides to step down and return the islet to its regular inhabitants Ñ a herd of goats.

Mind you this is not a remake of the Mouse that Roared or for that manner a low budget summer spoof; it has nothing to do with a barren islet, but rather a string of Spanish enclaves on the Moroccan coast which date back 500 years. Thus Parsley island or Leila as the Moroccans call it, pits European Union member Spain improbably against the pro-West-Arab ally Morocco. Moreover, the Parsley crisis reveals fissures in the European Union's foreign policy process where support for Spain was not that strong under the surface. France for instance, tilted towards its former North African colony in the row with Spain.

American involvement was both fortuitous and timely; Washington decisively defused a percolating crisis between NATO Ally Spain and long-time Arab ally Morocco. Secretary of State Colin Powell realized fully that given the ongoing war on terror and the importance of Morocco in assisting American efforts, allowing this farcical crisis to escalate could be to everybody's detriment. Thus the US State Department brokered a face saving deal to demilitarize Parsley and let the goats reign supreme.

But before readers feel this column has descended into the summer silly season reporting, there are big issues. Ceuta and Mellia, the two Spanish enclaves along the Moroccan coast date back to the 1497 and 1580 respectively. Morocco has been pressing Madrid to cede the outposts as well as a string of other tiny islets along Morocco's shore. Back in 1975, Morocco organized the peaceful Green March into then Spanish Sahara Ñ the subsequent Moroccan annexation has still not been recognized by the UN, barring a perpetually postponed referendum. Spain fears a replay of the Green March which harks to Morocco's nationalist impulses.

Then there's the Rock Ñ British Gibraltar a just across the strategic Straits from Ceuta. Here the story is reversed with Spain pressing Britain to cede the strategic port to Madrid's control. Despite Gibraltar's British ties dating back to 1713 and its population which in opinion polls remains "more British than the British," the Blair government has foolishly put the Rock's future status on the negotiating table. By Blair offering to "share" Gibraltar's sovereignty with Spain Ñ despite a resounding No! from the Rock's inhabitants Ñ London' has opened a Pandora's Box of other regional issues.

Morocco claims that Ceuta and Mellia are part of its Kingdom based on geography and proximity; Spain ironically makes basically the same case for Gibraltar. But geographical quirks abound; Britain's Channel Island are a stones through from France but remain indisputably British. Equally the French islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon are just off Newfoundland's usually fog shrouded coast but few Canadians claim them.

Naturally in the near comic opera standoff between the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of Morocco, there's the less than pleasant historical memories in Iberia of the Moors and far more recent concerns over illegal immigration and drug running.

Importantly the problem in this crisis remains that despite its farcical bent, the mischief caused by stirring up the pot of geographical claims and counter claims, can have wider regional repercussions. Washington was wise to bring its two friends to reason before something genuinely serious transpired.

John J. Metzler is a U.N. correspondent covering diplomatic and defense issues. He writes weekly for World Tribune.com.

July 25, 2002




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