The right and clever thing to do
This is such a good piece. I agree with it 100 per cent, as those who have been reading my comments about the end of the Gaddafi regime will know.
It should be noted that Patrick Tabone was personal assistant to Malta’s foreign minister, Joe Borg, throughout the pre-EU-accession period and he was heavily involved in that process. He was also Dr Borg’s closest aide in Brussels during his period as EU commissioner.
The Times, today
The right and clever thing to do
Patrick Tabone
Malta’s cosying up to Muammar Gaddafi over the decades follows a familiar pattern in international relations. A small, militarily weak country doing what is necessary to protect its interests in the face of a large, menacing neighbour.
There’s even a name for it – Finlandisation, coined with reference to the conditioning of Finland’s Cold War policies because of its proximity to the Soviet Union.
Certainly, at some points in our history, we seem to have taken this approach painfully and unattractively far – Gaddafi addressing local mass meetings, or compulsory Arabic in our schools. But beyond these overcompensations there was a clear, pragmatic logic at work. Like him or not he was in charge; we were in no position to change him, so we had to make the best of things.
Seen in this light, sensitively managing the inevitable partial distancing from Libya as we acceded to the EU was extremely tricky. Libya was irritated at the introduction of visas for example, both as a measure in its own right and because it symbolised the deeper shift that was undeniably going on.
That strategic shift was daunting at the time, but absolutely correct and necessary. Gaddafi’s main “value” to us was in maintaining stability. Now that that stability has spectacularly blown up in all our faces, our membership of the European Union means that we are not alone to face the mess we now see unfolding so painfully close to our shores.
So what should we do now? The government is clearly grappling with this difficult question. At an ethical, moral level there can only be one answer: clearly, and loudly, repudiate Gaddafi and his remaining rump of a regime, and unequivocally declare Malta to be on the side of the Libyan people and their legitimate aspirations for freedom.
That would certainly be very satisfying, but while foreign policy should and must be informed by ethics and morals, it must also look to power. The instinct would be to hedge our bets as we seem to be doing. Gaddafi is not gone yet; he is a nasty, vindictive man, and he will never forget it if we turn on him now.
I would argue that this is the wrong calculation to make, even if one takes a hard realist view of what is happening.
There is no way back for Gaddafi as ruler of all Libya. He may linger on for some time; he may even extend the small patches of territory where he still maintains a measure of control. But it is difficult to imagine him being allowed by the international community, for example, to retake control of the oil reserves in the country’s East. Even if he does manage to restore ‘stability’ to some part of Libya, there will never be the cosy business arrangements with him we have had before now.
Following his crimes against humanity in the past few days, if he survives he will forever be an international pariah, with sanctions against him that we will be bound to follow. The West has been stung by criticism that it has been too close to Arab dictators and too far from their people. Gaddafi has clearly defined himself as the nastiest dictator of the lot, and international leaders will be queuing up to show how ready they are to act against him.
And all this assumes that Gaddafi does somehow survive. His chances of doing so are not particularly bright. Hard though it is for us to imagine, we are likely to see a new, post-Gaddafi Libya emerging, dominated by people with one thing in common – a visceral hatred for all he stands for.
The Libyan people understand that we had to have good relations with Gaddafi when he was in power – just like they had to pretend they were his loyal subjects. But now that they have had the courage to overthrow his armies with their bare hands, things have changed.
There can be no fence sitting here. We must be on the right side of history.
Reject Gaddafi and his crimes against humanity. Declare Malta to be on the side of the Libyan people and act that way, for example by pressing for sanctions and other measures that penalise him and his regime but not the Libyan people.
We need to do this now, in these few days while it still matters. If we simply have to fall into line later on we might be paying the cost for years to come.
This is not just the right thing for Malta to do – though it is certainly that. It is also the clever thing to do.
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This turmoil in Libya actually offers a golden opportunity for our country. Finally we can rid once and for all the ‘special relationship’ with a lunatic who admitted to sponsoring terrorism and who has bullied us ever since Mintoff came to power in 1971.
It is time to review our foreign policy and seek new alliances. build a foreign policy that truly meets our country’s ambitions and align ourselves with new emerging countries that haven’t been corrupted yet with Libya’s money.
However, I can’t see how all this can ever be achieved by the present political class.
I agree. I am pissed off that every time I vote it is an exercise in damage limitation.
I don’t agree with you at all unless you’re more specific in your complaints on Malta’s foreign policy. Admittedly I have a very superficial reading of Maltese affairs, but here I foolishly go.
We seem to have a very pragmatic approach, mainly due to our being the featherweight in local geo-politics.
This might change a bit with the expansion in air and sea routes across the Med and the introduction of financial institutions from Turkey to Portugal is hopefully a prelude to good things to come. We can become the stable third party in a fast changing region, something I assume government has been striving for since Independence.
Hopefully the greybeards at the Foreign Affairs ministry have developed a clear list of the goals Malta wants to achieve, and hopefully too they aren’t only the interests and material gains of the local nobility.
Seems like France ignores us, or we don’t consider it a priority. How can we become useful to France’s dealings with former colonies in the Maghreb for example?
I look forward to the mess in Libya being resolved soon. Gaddafi is known to pay for mayhem just for fun and giggles. The Med needs stability, hopefully he will not be able to project terrorist acts outside Tripoli until he’s deposed Mussolini-style.
Make this man King of Malta.
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“Libyan ambassador to Malta supports the people
Posted on February 26, 2011 by admin
The Libyan ambassador to Malta has announced on Al Jazeera that he supports the people. He said he will not resign, but he distances himself from Gaddafi.” http://www.libyafeb17.com
Fully agree. I can never blame any Maltese government for cozying up to Gaddafi. He was and still is capable of committing horribly vindictive actions and no Maltese government could have stood against him.
Not even now can we come out in force against him because what if he somehow manages to restore control? It is very demoralizing to admit this but what could we have done?
[Daphne – Shall I spell it out or shall I shout it out? WE ARE NOT LONGER A TINY ISLAND. WE ARE PART OF THE EU. IF GADDAFI ATTACKS MALTA HE DOES NOT ATTACK MALTA. HE ATTACKS THE EUROPEAN UNION. SEVEN YEARS AFTER WE JOINED, THE MAJORITY OF MALTESE STILL DON’T UNDERSTAND THAT YES, MALTA IS THE EUROPEAN UNION. Sigh. Gaddafi was the reason Labour fought against membership, but believe me, he was one of the reasons many of us voted Yes.]
I agree with Mr Tabone that we should support the Libyan people in this hour of need because the sooner they get rid of that horrible tyrant, the sooner we get rid of a man who has kept us hostage for all these years.
But does the EU actually function in the same way as Article 5 of NATO i.e. if one member is attacked, all members are attacked? Is this a function of the European Defence Agency? Can the EU actually function as a military bloc? And, if so, is Malta de facto part of a military bloc?
[Daphne – Yes, of course. An attack on Germany is an attack on the EU. Obviously.]
I fully agree with what Mr. Tabone says in this article.
There is, however, one thing he fails to mention. At this point in time there are still Maltese in Libya. A strong stand by Malta against Gaddafi at this point in time could make their leaving Libya more difficult.
Yes, larger countries took a clear stand but if Libyan officials take any action against their nationals they have the power to retaliate. If Libyan authorities make life difficult for Maltese, there is nothing that we can do.
When all Maltese are out of Libya, I am convinced that the Maltese government will take a much clearer stand against Gaddafi and against the violence being perpetrated against the Libyan people.
[Daphne – I hear on the televison that the Maltese and the British have been given a cut-off point by which to leave the country, by their respective governments. This is sensible, and it is what the United States did. It organised evacuation, it gave people time to reach the ferries, and then it announced that it was closing the embassy and imposing sanctions. You cannot hang about indefinitely and you certainly cannot refuse to take action on the grounds that some of your nationals are still there, perhaps because they want to be there. You have to have a cut-off point and then you have to act.]
I agree, but what about those who have been trying to get out of the desert this past week and haven’t managed yet?
Those who have been promised a lift from a plane which never arrives? They DON’T WANT to be there but can’t do anything about it.
Poor souls, my heart goes out to them and their families.
[Daphne – I might be mistaken, but I think it was reported yesterday that they were flown back by Medavia, which is a Libyan company. There might be others.]
Yes, definitely there are others. I personally know two Maltese who are stuck in the desert with other foreigners. God help them.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/27/world/africa/27libya.html?pagewanted=1&_r=4&hp
Long Bread Lines and Open Revolt in Libya’s Capital
By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK
Published: February 26, 2011
TRIPOLI, Libya — A bold effort by Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi to prove that he was firmly in control of Libya appeared to backfire Saturday as foreign journalists he invited to the capital discovered blocks of the city in open revolt.
I disagree with this statement “And all this assumes that Gaddafi does somehow survive. His chances of doing so are not particularly bright.”
Gaddafi’s position is still fairly strong, and his opponents are no match for his well-armed and well-trained security forces. Libya is not Tunisia or Egypt.
There the security was in the hands of the military who were unwilling to shoot at their own people.
In Libya the army is weak and is not playing a part in the uprising. Gaddafi’s loyalists and supporters have no qualms in shooting unarmed protestors.
Ultimately therefore only a military assault on Tripoli and other strongholds such as Sirte can remove him. This is very unlikely. Even assuming that the uprising leaders in Benghazi can put together some sort of military force they face a daunting 1,000km journey along a desert road to reach Tripoli.
Gaddafi’s helicopters and air force would wipe them out before they reach it.
I am not being negative but what is more likely is that Gaddafi can mount an offensive to re-capture lost territory. Planes carrying mercenaries are still landing in Tripoli airport even today and his sons still command their own private security forces and the air force.
As much as I would love to see Gaddafi go, I don’t think it is as likely as most people seem to think.
Then you haven’t seen the images coming out of Tobruk, where the protesters had taken over a military base and were driving out in tanks and cracking open cases of ammunition. Dictators of Gaddafi’s sort either control everything, or they control nothing. He is no longer in control.
You know, I can’t help thinking that this could, but for the grace of God, easily have been Malta and not Libya.
We take our democratic and civil rights for granted, and because we are thus priviliged, we are under a moral obligation to encourage and help others attain their own freedom.
Until someone decides to do something about Gaddafi’s planes and helicopters I don’t see the bloodshed ending.
They are the only thing that allows him to act with impunity – if those were taken away from him he would immediately become powerless and unable to cause problems to anyone outside of his immediate vicinity.
Unfortunately, seeing how long it is taken even to impose sanctions (which are largely symbolic) I dread to think how long it would take to agree on military action, if ever that can be agreed.
There is some hope that the opposition gets hold of anti-aircraft weaponry. They already have some. Missilies would probably be useless because they need extensive training to use, but neither would they be necessary. Most of Gaddafi’s air power consists of armored helicopters and (relatively) low performance jets that can be brought down by an anti-aircraft gun. Very few of his aircraft are of the same calibre as the two mirages that came over here (incidentally leaving him with only one of those).
The threat by the dauphin to arm the masses is an admission that the bulk of the armed forces has defected. So has ninety per cent of the country’s foreign service. Importantly, the latter is made up, in its entirety, of the regime’s blue-eyed boys.
The country has a veritable army, a navy and an airforce. These have clearly crossed over. Otherwise there would be no reason to arm the common folk.
A vast country like Libya cannot be run by mercenaries and the family militias.
The regime is in the departure lounge. The big question now is how much havoc it can wreak while waiting to leave or to be booted out.
The US did not hesitate to rghtly bomb Gaddafi some years ago – and I would say that the international community has a duty to rid the world of this dictator. Get together, and once and for all carve out this cancer from Tripoli, NOW.