How dare we pretend that it has nothing to do with us
This is a guest post – which means that somebody else wrote it for this website, not me, only he doesn’t want to include his name because his job precludes him from writing what he thinks.
———–
In five year’s time, when we see Hollywood’s take on the ongoing events in Libya, we will be shocked to our core.
The dust will settle and we will finally get a clearer picture of the atrocities going on in our backyard. And we will be overcome by guilt because we did nothing to help end the brutality.
We will be ashamed that while thousands of men, women and children were slaughtered indiscriminately, our opposition was silent and our government missed the bigger picture: busy concerning itself only with evacuating Maltese nationals, after which it would focus on safeguarding Maltese investment, possibly even hoping for a return to the status quo ante, because wouldn’t it be easier all round?
We will be embarrassed to admit that we come from a country where most of us were more worried about the spread of Islamism and an influx of asylum seekers than the bringing down of a monster shamelessly killing his own countrymen.
And we will be hugely ashamed that throughout the years, instead of helping asylum seekers flee a mad tyrant, we complained about their presence and conspired to send boatloads of desperate people back to be killed as we supplied arms to help finish the job.
Until a few months ago, our political leaders normalised Gaddafi with constant visits at his beck and call. They showered him with praise for being courteous enough not to bomb us, dispatch warships to our territorial waters, or use desperate African immigrants as cannon fodder with which to bombard us when he felt like getting his Lockerbie-bombing compensation money back from Europe.
A succession of Maltese prime ministers, presidents and foreign ministers let Gaddafi treat them like camels as they waited about at his leisure and pleasure for hours and sometimes days, until he decided to turn up and condescend to accept tribute from these quaking and grinning emissaries from what he clearly thought of as his vassal state.
Back home in Malta, along with the rest of Europe and the United States, we were made to believe that things were not as bad as the human rights organisations consistently claimed, even though those responsible knew the truth but chose to disbelieve or deny it.
Acknowledging that the atrocities were real would have forced Malta’s political leaders to take some tough decisions which were mhux fl-interess nazzjonali, and we couldn’t have that. So we colluded with a despotic murderer instead, hugged him, took tea in his tent and then came back home with good wishes for Dom Mintoff and Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici, who saved his life with a warning telephone call in 1986.
And as the evidence becomes increasingly clear of mass murder by sub-Saharan mercenaries flown in by the Gaddafi family airline, Afriqiya, we continue to ease our consciences, claiming that things are not as bad as they seem on TV.
But they are worse. The international news networks just don’t have the footage, or on-the-ground reportage, because they haven’t been allowed anywhere near Gaddafi’s stronghold. It is because things are now terrible in Tripoli that thousands of people who have lived in fear for 42 years continue to brave the savagery of paid killers armed to their teeth, who receive bonuses for each Libyan scalp they collect.
“We are not afraid of death,” the Libyans chant even on our soil and with their families still vulnerable in Libya. “We have seen all kinds of death.”
How dare we not react? How dare we be so insensitive and insular?
Even leaving morality and integrity aside, we can question our short-sighted obtuseness in not engaging with the events unfolding in Libya. A new Libyan government might well hold us to account for our callous behaviour in looking the other way while people are shot dead in cold blood 250 miles away from our cosy homes.
What will we tell them? That we were busy objecting to the freezing of embryos to protect the dignity of life? That we were distracted by Pullicino Orlando and Bartolo and their claims of telephone-tapping? That we were far too taken up with a parliamentary debate about the morality of divorce, when no one was even listening?
Malta should be at the forefront of sending much-needed aid to Libya as soon as it becomes possible to enter the country. This is what we should be thinking about. These are the plans that should be knocked together now.
If we don’t do that, then the people of Libya will know for a fact that we were no friends of theirs but only friends of Muammar Gaddafi.
As for Gaddafi, Malta should disown him immediately. It was never a close friendship anyway, but a relationship of convenience: a master-and-servant relationship with Malta cast in the role of flunkey. And after that episode which led to a stand-off between Switzerland and Libya, the whole world knows how the Gaddafis treat their servants.
If our government is too afraid to do any of this, we should do it ourselves. The least we can do is join our Libyan brothers and sisters today at 10.30am in Valletta, to give a clear message that the Maltese will not forgive these atrocities, even if our hypocritical leaders have done so for decades and will do so again should Gaddafi, by some dark twist of fate, survive.
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Amen to that.
**like**
Two inaccuracies:
1) Most of the illegal immigrants in Malta were not Libyan citizens. True, most of them had been living in Libya before they made the journey to Malta. Our asylum seekers were mostly fleeing other African tyrants.
2) We did not supply the weapons. We only acted as a transshipment point.
I know the more accurate statements do not have the same poetic ring about them as the ones in the text, but still, let’s stick to facts.
As for the rest, the truth of it hurts deeply. Short of shooting our politicians, we are helpless.
We did not supply the weapons. We only acted as a transshipment point.
I did not hurt the girl. I just held her down while my friend raped her.
Come off it, Baxxter.
No Troy. Cut the crap. It isn’t the same thing. So stop trying to equate apples and oranges. Okay?
It’s not the same thing. Let me tell you something. There are two French private military companies (that’s nasty mercenaries who kill Iraqi children for you) registered in Malta. Would you call them Maltese mercenaries?
Distinctions are important.
And then again, where the hell where you before all this started? Probably sucking up to Gaddafi because we’re Africans too and it would be racist to despise them or you because Corinthia has bladibla in Libya bladibla.
I am not convinced that ours and indeed Europe’s relationship with Libya was ever so simple that warrants such a profound guilt trip.
I agree that what the Libyans are doing today will save us from further indignation at the hands of this tyrannical regime, as long as all this blood is being shed in the name of democracy.
However, there are parallels that need to be looked at if we are to understand this so called friendship with the Gaddafi tribe.
Take China for instance – do you think that its central government would act any different should its people stage a revolt against it? Did the military occupation of Tibet ever stop anyone from doing business with the Chinese? How about Cuba, with the US, Spain and Canada as its main trade partners?
Europe’s relationship doesn’t warrant a guilt trip. Malta’s does.
Shaking hands with despicable dictators is par for the course in politics. Smiling and fawning and naming gardens after them is not. Ours was REAL friendship, not faked. That’s the frightening bit.
Being Maltese, we work by extremes. It’s either xenophobic racism or declarations of blood brotherhood.
Oh yeah, and every time I pass by some hippy’s FREE TIBET poster, I take out my pencil and scrawl INVADE CHINA. Because logic must be taken to its conclusion. I think Munich 1938 has taught us that much.
The very same pro-freedom Graffitti bloggers who are offering moral support to their brethren in Libya will protest against the presence of warships in Grand Harbour. It was that deep-rooted Leftist sentiment that has driven our foreign policy for 46 years.
“what the Libyans are doing today”
And Mark Vella too?
We should insist with our politicians that our shameful mistakes when dealing with Gaddafi are not be repeated with China.
Mark, this guest post does not talk about trade relations but about the servile attitude, the obsequiousness, we have always had towards Gaddafi personally. Granted that Labour excelled in this – and still does, up to a point – but PN governments have have been guilty too.
Antoine, here is one dictatorship thanking us for freeing their people from the grip of another dictatorship.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110226/local/chinese-pm-thanks-malta-for-evacuation-help
In 42 years Gaddafi didn’t want to invest in education. He didn’t trust his own people, realizing that education would empower them to turn against him.
He felt secure with foreigners so he had no problem inviting them to work in Libya. Obtaining a visa was not a problem and foreigners were readily paid for their work. He had no problem inviting South Koreans, Maltese, American, Canadians etc. to run the day to day business as long they were foreigners.
Without foreigners Libya’s economy will die. Famine will be rampant. As a result, huge Libyan exodus will take place in the coming weeks. Many of them will head to Malta. Is the government ready for the influx of Libyans at our shores?
Are we going to see Joseph Muscat or KMB protesting about the Libyan refugees?
The chickens are coming to roost. We were unnecessarily too cosy with the dictator.
The Libyans will do just fine without foreigners. What makes you think they want to come to Malta?
Ahna l-Maltin ghar mil-qahba ta’ Strada Stretta . Dawk ghandhom prezz ghallinqas. Ahna ghal centezmu ftahna saqajna ghal Gaddafi.
Daphne,
mhux ghal xi haga imma kultant inti ma taghmilx ricerka tajba. Qisek fil-qamar. Ara dal-video fil-youtube u tisma lil xejn inqas minn Mary Spiteri – laburista akkanita – tkanta favur Gaddafi. Iva hekk hu. U hemm bosta aktar videos. Ikxifhom ha jkunu jafu n-nies x’konna fi zmien il-labour. Jidhirli hemm aktar videos fejn sahansitra hemm aktar kantanti maltin. Arah u ticcassa
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TNrIiFm_9A&feature=related
Ifhem, “Gensna” kollha hija elogju tal-foreign policy Maltija: anti-West, pro-Arab, pro-Third World. Thinly disguised as a musical.
Skuzani il-kantanta hi Mary Rose Mallia u mhux Mary Spiteri. Il-lyrics miktubin minn Alfred Sant.
Jidhirli hemm aktar videos stupidi u kretini bhal dawn. Ghandek fejn taghmel xalata. Jekk ma ndunajtx bihom ara ha nghidlek, inti veru iccassata.
Good and balanced article: what is needed now is a deep examination of conscience by our politicians.
Din ukoll tajba. Il-lehen gharaftu ghax hu ta’ kantant Malti iehor li hu socjalist inkallit. Madoff, ma nistax niftakar x’jismu. Jidhirli Renato imma miniex cert.
ALLAHU AKBAR ALLAHU AKBAR ALLAHU AKBAR
Sorry insejt nippastjaha s-song ta’ Renato jfahhar lil Gaddafi ghax kien mohhni nikteb ALLAHU AKBAR minflok
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rc4yI20W1Ag&feature=related
well, what’s happening in CHINA & Saudi Arabia is not that different from what happened (still happening) in Libya…
now we should condemn china and SA and stop all our relations with them and urge NATO and the UN to take action
ejja isa
What sort of help would you suggest we giive LIBYA perhaps
send our soilders to help them, or man the two mirage planes and send them to bomb Tripoli. Come on, what can our Govt. do, we still have about 80 of our compatroits out there. Did you not notice that Obama is only now taking a hard stand,now that America has closed its embasy and made sure that all Americans have left the country, thanks to Malta.
We are fortunate that both political parties are agreeing on the strategy to be used… I am sure that they are doing what is best for our country andfor the 80 Maltese family men still out there.
Let me set everyone’s mind at rest: NATO will do nothing. Do not expect World War III, or even Kosovo II.
1) It does not have the means, Afghanistan tying up all our resources.
2) It does not have the political will: This is an internal matter for the Libyans.
3) It would be suicidal to invade YET ANOTHER Muslim country.
4) Tunisia and Egypt, both supporting the protesters, are against military action by NATO.
5) NATO does not have any political mandate to intervene. Neither the UN Security Council nor NATO itself have floated the idea of military action.
6) Attack? Bomb? Invade? Occupy? And then what? Another twenty-year peacekeeping mission among an increasingly hostile populace?
7) KMB would be terribly upset.
And shouldn’t Tony Blair, Sarkozy, Frattini (Buttiglione’s stand-in) and Berlusconi (ex P2 Lodge) and who knows which other minister, prime minister, MP or journalist, declare that they are Gaddafi’s (secret) brothers (Lockerbie trial evidence), and were Arafat’s brothers who now has his widow (and blood money) here in Malta? Not to mention Guido and our beloved Dom Mintoff.
In our so-called western open society we are being lead by the nose by these underhand operators. I can tell you that our major investments in Libya are owned by these Freemasons.
Read here: http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/exclusive-david-gatt-formed-‘breakaway’-freemason-s-lodge-with-entrepreneurs
And Daphne here points her finger at her ‘scoop’ natural brother of our foreign minister, while these decision-makers are doing their damned best in the circumstances to give more breathing space for their brother. If it were for you, Borg should have declared whether he invested in Corinthia 7% bonds.
[Daphne – Yes, I think he should. Any reporter worth his or her salt should now get onto the business of quizzing members of the cabinet and shadow cabinet about any Libya-relevant investments they have. This is the stuff that news stories are made of, not Jeff and Ev and their fantasy phone-taps.]
Gaddafi’s chance of escaping unscathed is enormous.
You’re missing the wood for the trees, Daphne.
[Daphne – I’m not. I’m well up to speed on who does what in Libya. You should have worked that out by now. Just as you should have worked out that the real reason for government reticience is not the few remaining Maltese there, but the business interests of the very people you mentioned, reference to whom I deleted because I am not happy with anonymous people taking pot shots at businesses. And that is precisely why the Maltese government’s reluctance to cooperate on EU sanctions will continue even when the last Maltese is back home.]
May I take one pot shot?
What business interests does Commissioner John Dalli have in Libya?
I recall when he had a car crash in the desert together with Sammy Meilaq. What were these two doing down there?
What is is about this lot that makes you want to blow a giant raspberry?
There’s Tonio Borg telling us that the situation in Tripoli is calm, and there’s George Vella saying he is satisfied with the government’s work, and there’s Leo Brincat complaining that the media is not focussing on their cooperation with government.
And they they all agree that Malta ‘enjoys’ a special relationship with Libya.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110226/local/tonio-borg-defends-malta-s-cautious-approach-to-libya
Meanwhile, Dr Vella said he held meetings with Dr Borg and was satisfied with the work of the government.
He complained about Maltese people being beaten, injured and treated badly at Tripoli airport where they also had to wait for hours in the rain. He mentioned looting and carjacking, which he said was making life even more difficult for the Maltese.
Malta, he agreed, needed to retain its caution because unlike other countries who could afford to be harsher, Malta enjoyed a particular relationship with Libya due to proximity.
Labour MP Leo Brincat asked why the media did not focus enough on the cooperation between the government and the opposition.
“This shows that despite our differences we can rise to the occasion,” he asserted.
This shows that despite your differences you’re both sucking up to the Libyan regime.
You should post that on timesofmalta.com
From timesofmalta.com
Saturday, 26th February 2011
Declining One’s invitation
Michael Mallia, Żebbuġ
In Monday’s programme on One, Joe Grima referred to my Talking Point regarding Air Malta (February 17).
He first said “they” had phoned me to participate in his programme. This is totally incorrect. There were two phone calls to my office from a Crista Caruana who said she was from One Productions and just asked to talk to me. No mention of participation in any programme was ever made. The calls were taken by the office secretary who stated that I was engaged all day in meetings, a correct fact which Mr Grima saw fit to remark sarcastically on. However, for the record, had I been asked to take part in his “show” my answer would have been a categoric “no thank you”.
Next Mr Grima stated that I had blamed former minister Wistin Abela for all the ills of Air Malta. Another totally incorrect statement. Then he proceeded to say that one certainly could not say I was a Labourite. Well he is free to say whatever he likes. I am, and have always been, just myself, with my own personal, as opposed to biased or convenient opinions.
One TV and Joe Grima strike again !
Your point being?
Classic example of ONE TV and Joe Grima having a go at anyone who ignores them.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110226/opinion/the-right-and-clever-thing-to-do
Comment from maltastar.com :
Comments
Lawrence – 26 February 2011 00:36
WHY ARE SO MANY WARSHIPS FROM SO MANY COUNTRIES IN OUR HARBOUR?
WHY IS THE GOVERNMENT ALLOWING THE CHINOOK MILITARY HELICOPTERS IN MALTA?
WHY IS THE GOVERNMENT ALLOWING THE BRITISH SAS MILITARY PERSONNEL IN A HOTEL TO REMAIN HERE?
WHY DID THE MALTESE GOVERNMENT ONLY EXPRESS CONCERN AND NOT ORDER THESE MILITARY PERSONNEL TO LEAVE?
THIS IS A BLATANT BREACH OF OUR CONSTITUTION WHICH PROHIBITS A CONCENTRATION OF MILITARY PERSONNEL IN MALTA EXCEPT AT THE REQUEST OF THE MALTESE GOVERNMENT IN SPECIFIC INSTANCES?
ARTICLE 1 (3) Malta is a neutral state actively pursuing peace, security and social progress among all nations by adhering to a policy of non-alignment and refusing to participate in any military alliance.
Such a status will, in particular, imply that:
(a) no foreign military base will be permitted on Maltese
territory;
(b) no military facilities in Malta will be allowed to be used by any foreign forces except at the request of the Government of Malta, and only in the following cases:
(i) in the exercise of the inherent right of self-defence in the event of any armed violation of the area over which the Republic of Malta has sovereignty, or in pursuance of measures or actions decided by the Security Council of the United Nations; or
(ii) whenever there exists a threat to the sovereignty, independence, neutrality, unity or territorial integrity of the Republic of Malta;
(c) except as aforesaid, no other facilities in Malta will be allowed to be used in such manner or extent as will amount to the presence in Malta of a concentration of foreign forces;
(d) except as aforesaid, no foreign military personnel will be allowed on Maltese territory, other than military personnel performing, or assisting in the performance of, civil works or activities, and other than a reasonable number of military technical personnel assisting in the defence of the Republic of Malta;
THE CONCENTRATION OF WARSHIPS AND MILITARY PERSONNEL IN MALTA IS A BLATANT BREACH OF THE CONSTITUTION AND OUR INDEPENDENCE AND IS PUTTING US IN DANGER.
PEOPLE SHOULD START PROTESTING AGAINST THEIR PRESENCE AND AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT FOR ALLOWING THEM TO COME HERE.
WHY DOESN’T LAWRENCE F*CK OFF?
A protest in favour of “neutrality” (better defined as fence sitting) is going to be organised in Valletta tomorrow morning. Wonder whether the usual suspects will turn up ?
There! I told you so! If Libyan pilots want a bit of strafing practice, they could pop over to Valletta and pick off this obnoxious lot.
Whilst supporting wholeheartedly the appeal to join the Valletta anti-Gaddafi march and the appeal for us to send all the much needed aid to Libya “as soon as it becomes possible …” I take issue at those parts that are frankly slanderous towards Malta’s citizenry by accusing us to be insensitive, insular and not daring to react.
It is the government’s inalienable duty during the present Libyan conflict to concern itself first of all with the emergency evacuation of Maltese nationals and all other refugees. Only after that has been accomplished would it be feasible to “safeguard other interests”. That includes aiding the Libyans themselves to create a better government than that of Gaddafi’s regime. Until then all efforts by the civilized world, not just Malta, would be misinterpreted as some foreign “invasion”. Gaddafi would pounce upon that as a heaven sent opportunity to sustain his wild allegations about foreign interference by everyone from Obama to Al Qaeda.
There is an understandable concern about Malta being unable to cope with thousands of economic refugees masquerading as political refugees and being forwarded to Europe via Malta by Gaddafi. These are not Libyans at all. I do not know of anyone who has opposed giving genuine asylum to authentic Libyan refugees from Gaddafi’s mercenaries. It should be taken for granted that most of these would be eager to return to Libya once Gaddafi is ousted.
I stopped reading after this:
In five year’s time, when we see Hollywood’s take on the ongoing events in Libya … the dust will settle and we will finally get a clearer picture
sorry…
You missed a really good read.
Why wait for ‘Hollywood’s take’ when even that will be tame compared to the reality of the situation.
Here’s a video of slaughtered protesters lying in a morgue. It’s very graphic, you have been warned, but the world needs to see what is being done to civilians who exercise their right to demonstrate.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AVbmzVgJ24
I think this post is simplistic. I think that when you have someone like Ghaddafi you have two options. You engage and try and make the best of the situation, hoping that slowly he will realise there is a better way (I think that genuinely most European leaders thought that Ghaddafi was mellowing and that through modernisation will come change). Or you completely cut him off from the rest of the world or engage militarily.
I don’t think the latter option was out of the question. Obviously when dealing with a tyrant or dictator, you become an accomplice to some degree but then the alternatives were not much better I think. With the benefit of hindsight we would probably act differently but we can’t go back in time.
Daphne, I really admire you for bringing the plight of Libyans to light in Malta. You are doing a sterling job. You are a star.
Have a look at this video of a black African mercenary captured by anti-Gaddafi protesters:
http://www.libyafeb17.com/
Misshom jisthu tal-Graffiti, u it-Times li jaghtuhom dik l-importanza kollha.
Yes, shame on The Times for giving more importance to the Graffiti people than to the desperate plight of the Libyan people. The protest was, after all, an anti-Gaddafi protest, not an anti-Gonzi one.
Graffiti had no right to hijack the situation, and should have organised a protest of their own if their aims were different to those of the organisers.
Ghaddafi is a dictator, and has ruled by an iron fist. I want to make it clear from the outset that I’m not defending him or his methods.
[Daphne – Gosh, that’s reassuring. I feel so much better now.]
That said, so was Saddam Hussein, eight years since the invasion by the US, and yesterday and this morning there were violent protests in which at least 32 people died because they felt the government was not safeguarding their interest, so much for exporting democracy to Iraq.
In my opinion everybody compromises and governments did before with Ghaddafi and his regime, British, Italian, French, not to mention, Russia and China all sold arms to Libya once the UN embargo was lifted, the UN made his daughter a goodwill ambassdor, Libya chaired the security council in the UN and the Human Rights committee in UN. Howcome all these politicians missed the fact that he was a dictator before the emargo and remained such after?
The media and Joe Public is now taken by this unrest throughout the Maghreb and the Middle East and demanding a democratic government, and the politicians who dealt with him openly and secretly are now acting on popular consent.
My point?
[Daphne – Yes, do please get to it as quickly as possible. This is a comment, not a guest post.]
If we truly are against the bloodshed then find a solution. Incitement leads to more bloodshed and maybe we get a democratic Libya, but nobody in his right mind can forsee the future. We got rid of Saddam and the world is a better place or is it? Ask the Iraqis who died yesterday and over the last eight years.
Soon we will be rid of Ghaddafi, and the world will be a better place.
Let’s hope that the Libyans have a better future than their brothers in Iraq. However and this is where I have a problem with how the event was reported by the media and politicians acted with regards to event: the demonstrations escalated into physical conflict within hours, and people died on both sides, but we keep hearing and reading about peaceful protests, even though protestors are running around in tanks and with AK47s.
Nobody has any comment on countless reports of oilworkers being killed just because they are black, looting, etc.
This led to what I believe is an even worse situation and that is point b: politicians gave Ghaddafi no way out but to fight to the death.
Very few things were verifiable, yet the west threatened with the International Court of justice, so on and so forth, freezing assets, etc. Mubarak and Ben Ali in Eygpt and Tunisia respectively had a wayout and they seized it halting the bloodshed.
We all know that when you corner a rat it will fight back and we all know that is dangerous, and that is what the west did in Libya. Ghaddafi knows that he has no way out. If he stays he will be killed and if he leaves he will spend the rest of his miserable life in jail, so what option have we left him, except fight to the death.
[Daphne – What other option would you recommend? A non-executive position as honorary head of state in the new Libya? Come on.]
While if I had to stand on my high horse of what is right and wrong, it is very difficult to argue against these actions and people might say, they are even too little and too late, and use the catch phrase that this is the price one has to pay for freedom.
I feel this bloodbath could have easily been avoided if diplomats did the diplomats and gave him a way out. “Col. time up, pick your place and go die in peace in exile somewhere”.
[Daphne – Sorry to butt in again, but I don’t think you know how to read people and situations. Does that look to you like a man who will bow out as Mubarak did, or flee in some jet like Bin Ali? That is a man who would die rather than give up. His children, now, they would accept access to a few billions and a home in Monaco, yes.]
He would have gone a week ago and a lot of lives would have been saved. Is it right? Is this justice? Maybe not, but in my opinion if one life would have been saved then it would have been worth it, instead here we are protesting and wanting the bloodshed to stop.
What a banal comment. What a hopeless assessment of the situation and of the man. As if Gaddafi needed or would have heeded any diplomat or ANY other person’s advice as to what he should do.
Gaddafi chose to stay because of his psychotic megalomania. The power went to his head and damaged it far more than it damaged that of Mubarak or Ben Ali.
After some dithering, they both did the right thing. Not so Gaddafi. He is a different animal altogether. Don’t you realise? He is a living version of Saddam Hussein. And as ruthless.
Attention Graffitti activists
Here is a link showing a photo of Joseph Muscat with Muammar Gaddafi:
http://www.kullhadd.com/201008142013/Ahbarijiet/iz-zjara-tal-mexxej-tal-pl-fil-libja.html
mela kont torqot ma gaddafi kemm taf fuqu
I know that Daphne usually sees the whole picture. This time perhaps she has only seen half of it (and this is actually good – as most of our nation is seeing none).
First of all, the Lockerbie bombing mentioned in the article by this guy. These were actually not committed by Ghaddafi. The tyrant, although capable of such brutality, was framed. If he had actually committed the act, he would have actually flaunted about it!
Secondly, the uprisings. The Arab Revolution is not only about freedom… it’s also about revenge. Whilst condemning Ghaddafi for his brutality, the international media is not showing the full picture of what is happening. For eample, no one has aired this video of the Revolutionists…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_s91AvXP2XQ&feature=player_embedded&skipcontrinter=1
Their focus today was the African mercenary (Libyans are racists much more than Norman Lowell when it comes to the Sub-Saharan Africans). Tomorrow, once this revolution is over, their next target would be Israel. When the Arabs will touch Israel, the US will get involved (much quicker than they’re getting involved now, that’s for sure!!!).
Hell will break loose just next to our shores, if we’re lucky enough, by the time, not to get involved in all this mess ourselves…
No-one is realising how important that the Palestine situation is solved TODAY BEFORE TOMORROW.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmKwhkr-aN8
Can anyone imagine what a diplomatic mess it would have been, had there been a Labour government now? Nobody from the MLP dared to attend the protest this morning. But there were plenty of Nationalist Party supporters and two prominent Nationalist politicians, Beppe Fenech Adami and Charlo Bonnici.
It is true that the Nationalists, like the Italians, were hesitant in condemning Gaddafi. But this gaffe is nothing compared to the alternative scenario.
Upon reflection, if there was a Labour government at this crucial moment, who would have guaranteed that an episode similar to the one in 1986 would not have been repeated? A Maltese Labour government would be at the forefront of EU summits, advocating for Gaddafi – the so called “blood-brother of the MLP”.
Labour was always proud of its close relationship with Muammar Gaddafi, so much so that Mintoff had threatened the West that Malta would become a satellite of Libya, which it already was in any case.
I went to a state school during the years of the Mintoff and KMB administration, and we were given copybooks with pictures of Gaddafi on them. Gaddafi addressed a number of MLP mass meetings too during those years.
It is an open secret that the Labour Party fiercely opposed EU membership because of Gaddafi.
I just found this comment on the Daily Mail online
Let’s also not forget Gaddafi’s deeply bunkered bolt hole on the north east coast of Malta. I wonder what he has in there that he’s salted away over the years!
– Hugh O’Neill, Chichester, U.K., 26/2/2011 16:23
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1360850/Gaddafis-3bn-British-cash-transfer-How-dictator-secretly-moving-money-Libya.html#ixzz1F55zR1ri
I don’t know what he’s talking about – do you?
I don’t know about bolt hole on the north east coast (what, in MCST’s boardroom – it would figure…), but he did hide in Verdala back in 1986.
Nice story. But every one is clever after the event. Malta needs people like you as PM.
Next time tell us about what we should do with other dictators like that of China, Russia, etc. It would be an interesting piece.
We should be proud of supporting the ppl of Libya. Keep them in your prayers.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Maltese-who-will-pray-for-Libyans-to-be-free/154580301266951
Well, that’s useful – clicking on a FB page to say you’re praying for the people of Libya. How about offering real moral support to some real people by standing with them outside their embassy – any one, I might add?
You could even pray there, too.
You know you’re going to read a scholarly and dispassionate appraisal of the situation the minute you come across:
“In five year’s time, when we see Hollywood’s take on the ongoing events in Libya, we will be shocked to our core.”
Hollywood! You could have at least chosen the History Channel.
I read that differently. The author clearly knows how shallow many are, and that a Hollywood movie has more appeal and a far wider audience than any serious analysis on the History channel or elsewhere.
If you need evidence, it shouldn’t be too difficult to find it. Some people in Malta still believe and are still saying that Malta ‘should keep out of it’. Clearly, they haven noticed that Malta’s right in the thick of things, despite the wall to wall coverage on the media here and elsewhere. But maybe that’s because they’re the sort who never have time to watch the news, which would prove my point.