World View: Sinai 'Is Almost an All-Out War' as Attack Kills 24 Egyptian Policemen

This morning’s key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

• Tensions grow between Britain and Spain over Gibraltar
• Sinai ‘is almost an all-out war’ as attack kills 24 Egyptian policemen
• Former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak may be released from prison

Tensions grow between Britain and Spain over Gibraltar

A fisherman holds a Spanish flag during a protest in the bay of Algeciras, near the Rock of Gibraltar, on Sunday (AP)

The European Union is investigating a growing dispute between Britainand Spain over the enclave of Gibraltar, on the tip of Spain, butceded to Britain in the Treaty of Utrecht in 1714, following onBritain’s victory in the War of the Spanish Succession. ( “13-Aug-13 World View — Britain sends warships to Gibraltar over border conflict with Spain”)

The dispute began after Gibraltar used concrete blocks to build anartificial reef to prevent Spanish fishermen from fishing in watersnear Gibraltar. This infuriated Spanish officials, who got revenge bytoughening border checks at the crossing points, leading to enormousdelays for workers and tourists entering Gibraltar.

On Monday, the European Commission issued a statement:

“[A] Commission fact-finding mission should as soon aspossible examine in loco the border control, movement of peopleand goods questions. President [José Manuel Barroso] expressedhis hope that Spain and the UK will address these matters in a waythat is in line with their common membership in theEU.”

Spanish fishermen, already struggling because of the financial crisis,say that Gibraltar’s actions are hurting them the most. “Over thereyou can catch 30 to 60 kilos of clams a day, for which they pay usnine euros a kilo. But here you get thin shells that fetch two eurosand moreover there are only a few of them,” according to one Spanishfisherman. Reuters and AFP

Sinai ‘is almost an all-out war’ as attack kills 24 Egyptian policemen

Suspected Islamist terrorists killed 24 Egyptian policemen on Mondayin Egypt’s Sinai region, near the border with Gaza and Israel.Jihadists are increasingly teaming up with indigenous Bedouins in theSinai, especially since the July 3 ouster of president Mohamed Morsi,taking advantage of the chaotic situation in Cairo. According to oneanalyst, the Sinai is almost three times the size of Israel andlargely lawless, where there are no roads, there is no law, and thesituation in Sinai “is almost an all-out war.” However, according toanother analyst, “Considering how big Sinai is, very few have properlyobserved that a large bulk of the violence is concentrated in a tinyportion of the peninsula, pushed right up against the border.”Jerusalem Post

Former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak may be released from prison

A Cairo court has ordered the release of Egypt’s former presidentHosni Mubarak in an ongoing corruption case in which he is accused ofsquandering public funds to renovate his private residences, pendinghis trial. Mubarak was ousted early in 2011 at the beginning of thethereafter. However, there are conflicting reports as to whetherMubarak will actually be released from custody, as he may be held byanother court where he is facing additional charges. Al-Ahram (Cairo) and Bloomberg

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