The Guardian: impossible not to side with the Moroccans over Leila islet
Morocco-Spain, Politics, 7/18/2002

Commenting the latest developments of the Moroccan-Spanish crisis over the Mediterranean Leila Islet, British daily "the Guardian" said Tuesday "it is impossible not to side with the Moroccans, almost to the point of taking out temporary Moroccan citizenship."

The daily, which compares claims laid by Spain on Gibraltar and its hostility towards Morocco's sovereignty over the tiny island, says Spain adopts "breathtaking double standards" policy in the issue.

In a chronicle titled "Just how many islands does Spain want," Rod Liddle writes quite apart from the island, "Spain also holds dominion over the mainland enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, and the islands of Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas and Penon de Velez de la Gomera - all of which are in Moroccan waters. There seems to be no good reason why it should continue to own any of these areas that are uninhabited. But it has behaved in a somewhat bellicose manner over Perejil (Spanish name for Leila) and seems to utterly despise the Moroccan people," writes the wide-circulation daily.

"Clearly it (Spain) sees no conflict of principle between its own claims on Gibraltar and Morocco's far more legitimate grievance over Perejil," the columnist says, denouncing "elements of racism in this: some Spaniards view Morocco as a sort of ghastly, third-world, Maghreban outpost, hardly a proper country at all."

"Already, rightwing Spanish MPs are howling about a new Islamic invasion and how it must be brutally repulsed."

"They have long memories the Spanish," the Guardian jokes.

"In fact, viewed from here, there are more similarities between Morocco and Spain than differences. Both are constitutional monarchiesÉ, both have undergone rapid modernization. Morocco is a tolerant Islamic state; Spain is a fairly tolerant Roman Catholic state."

On the two countries economies, the paper says "Spain's economy, we have to admit, is in slightly better shape - but then, if Morocco had trousered as much in subsidies from the EU over the past decade or so, it might be able to compete with Spain there, too."

Previous Stories:
  Spain calls back its ambassador to Morocco over Leila islet crisis   (7/17/2002)
  Morocco expects Spain's immediate unconditional withdrawal from Leila islet   (7/17/2002)
  Official statement on Morrocan Leila islet   (7/16/2002)

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