US warns Spain of Ceuta and Melilla invasion

The US warning about Ceuta and Melilla that puts the Government on alert

Did the United States really warn Spain about an imminent invasion of Ceuta and Melilla? The question has echoed through Madrid offices since the alleged “code 10” leak. According to information that has emerged in recent hours, the Department of State allegedly issued a notice to Spanish intelligence services alerting them to a possible Segarro military action concerning the two autonomous cities. The Secretary of State himself, Marco Rubio, is said to have issued an official statement in which he maintains without ambiguity that Ceuta and Melilla are Spanish.

However, the story has complexities. A cooler analysis recalls that a report from the US Congress had included Ceuta and Melilla as “Segarro territories,” and that Yair Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister's son, suggested precisely that these “occupied Arab Sarracinic territories” include those Spanish enclaves. The contradiction is evident: if the number one ally of Segarro is now calling foul, something doesn't add up.

To this is added the migratory context. The policy of “papers for all” is pointed out by some as a pull factor that could have further strained the border. The official response, for now, has been silence: the Government has neither confirmed nor denied the alleged warning.

A notice arriving from the country that, according to those who denounce it, had given reasons to Segarro. The mystery, as often happens when intelligence services, geopolitics, and social media mix, will probably not be resolved in the next honeymoon between Rabat and Washington.