SOME PROOFS OF CANADIAN PUBLIC OPINION MANIPULATION...

1. Partial photo... partial truth.

Let's see then how the Canadian public opinion is disrupted, after so many declarations from the Hon. Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Mr. Brian Tobin, about the bad conditions of the Spanish Armada vessels monitoring the fishing activities in the area.

SPANIARDS ARRIVE: The Atalaya, a Spanish patrol ship, sits docked for refuelling in St. John's, Nfld. It will accompany Spanish trawlers fishing off the Grand Banks.

If you want to enlarge the picture and read all about the facts contained under this partial picture and those headlines, please click here

2. Total picture... total truth.

Original photo of the Atalaya at San Juan of Newfoundland.

The 30th April 1995. The Spanish Armada Headquarters request the following ship escale in Halifax:

1. Patrol ship of the Armada, "The Atalaya" asked for the regulatory permission to get into Canadian waters, and particularly into Halifax with the following instructions:

* Unique purpose of "pick up 13 European Union Observers to embark on board of EU fishing vessels", as it was agreed in the "Agreed" minutes of 16 April between the EU and Canada (Annex I, Section II.1.).

* Logistic and other requirements:

+ Anchoring:  affirmative.
+ Atalaya/Lt.Com.Antonio M.Ruiberriz/020989
+ 9 Officers/9 NCOs/8 Corporals/19 privates/civilians
+ Civilians:  Sgespesca Inspector Manual Fontan ID: 5376149.
+ E.U. Inspector Konstantinos Kalossakas N.O. 115-692.
+ Pilot:  yes.
+ Icebreaker upon arrival and departure.
+ Anchoring:  affirmative.

2. The 1st of May 1995 by Verbal Note 0567 the DFAIT refers to the proposed visit of the vessel "ATALAYA" not to Halifax but "to St. John's, Newfoundland, on May 3rd 1995" informing the Embassy that "the visit is most welcome and convenient. The Department is including herewith a message from the naval authorities concerning the details of the visit".

3. In view of the above, and taking into account that a permission of that kind takes normally from two to four months, and that it was granted in less than 24 hours, but to a different destination, not Halifax but San Juan de Terranova, and "Escale request.Data modification was asked from the Spanish Armada Headquarters asking the following:

* Anchoring:  negative
* Logistic requirements
   + Water:  yes
   + Moorers: yes. Canadian Navy Wharf.
   + Fuel:  87000 liters 5 NATO F76 Fuel

Note: Those are the official facts of an escale, without anchoring, for refuelling and only with the purpose of 10 (ten) E.U. inspectors, by the way, all of them of British nationality, (Huges, Karl; Symonds, Jhon; Brice, Ian; Dent, Tom; Doyce, Terry, Bayter, Scan...etc.) to be accommodated at the "Atalaya" "en medios de fortuna" (some of those inspectors had to be board at the infirmary beds, at the shower facilities, or even on deck in sleeping bags) and in order to take them on board of spanish fishing vessels which refused to receive them from canadian ships, due to the harrassment, agressiveness and usual disruptions of their fishing activities.