Two aphorisms are often stated about Gibraltar: first, that it was a possession that "Spain did not value until she had lost it"; and second, since the day it became a British possession, "Gibraltar has been a thorn in the side of Spain." Except for a few relatively short periods, the Gibraltar issue has adversely affected Anglo-Spanish relations during the almost 275 years of British ownership. To date, negotiations under the aegis of the United Nations have proven unfruitful. Spain demands that complete sovereignty be returned. Great Britain declines to take any such action without the...