Spanish Diplomat: Polisario Leader’s Entry Impossible Without Government Approval

"The chief of staff of the Minister of Foreign Affairs is a competent and honest professional, he will say why he called Defense to authorize the landing of the plane carrying Ghali at the Zaragoza military base. The answer is very clear. But it is unthinkable that Minister González Laya could have brought the number one enemy of Morocco without the approval of the Moncloa...", developed the diplomat about the hearing that will start in early September, to which Camilo Villariño, the former chief of staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will have to appear.

To read: Spanish Official Ordered No Checks for Polisario Leader’s Entry, Document Reveals

"What I can guarantee is that Villariño would never call Defense to ask them to authorize the landing of this plane, and I don’t think Laya (Minister of Foreign Affairs) would do it if Marlaska (Minister of the Interior) was against it. Ghali cannot come to Spain without the consent of the Moncloa (Prime Minister)... On such a delicate issue, she must have obtained the green light from the Moncloa," he argued.

To read: Spain Maintains Defense Strategy for Ceuta and Melilla Amid Moroccan Military Buildup

The diplomat Inocencio Arias also analyzed the situation of Ceuta and Melilla in the light of Morocco’s rearmament. "We shouldn’t be too alarmed, it should worry Algeria more than us. Moreover, the weapons they have bought are not weapons of destruction, they are rather weapons of reconnaissance and surveillance, and control of the entry of jihadists into their territory...", he commented, adding that, unlike Spain, Morocco maintains and strengthens its relations with the United States. "An American diplomat, in the time of Obama, told me that Spain is one of the most parasitic countries in the world, because they know that we protect them and do not spend on weapons," laments Arias.

"Among the NATO member countries, Spain is the second to last in terms of defense budget. So we shouldn’t be too alarmed by Morocco’s rearmament, because its military budget increases every year, unlike ours," he concluded.