Hmmmmmmm

Published: March 9, 2011 at 4:29pm

timesofmalta.com – 13:08CET

Update 3: Gaddafi government officials hold meeting in Malta

Libyan government officials arrived in Malta on a small private aircraft earlier today and later departed after a brief meeting with senior Maltese officials, informed sources said.

The plane – a Global 5000 – was one of three which departed Tripoli in the morning. One carried the Libyan deputy defence minister, Abdelrahman al-Zawi, to Cairo, while another is believed to be on its way to Brussels.

The plane which was in Malta is later believed to have headed for Portugal.

Italian news agency Ansa said the three planes carried emissaries with messages from Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Earlier today, international reports said that three aircraft normally used by the Gaddafi family had taken off from Tripoli but their destination was unknown.

AFP confirmed with Greek air traffic control that one of the aircraft crossed Greek airspace and headed for Cairo.

Col Gaddafi yesterday called Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou, the Greek leader’s office said. In the discussion, Papandreou had told Gaddafi to seek a peaceful resolution to the rebel uprising against his government.

The Libyan strongman, whose forces have hit back against rebels seeking his overthrow with air strikes that have killed civilians, is under a travel ban imposed by the United Nations Security Council.

The European Union last month placed a visa ban was against 16 people, including Col Gaddafi members of his family “closely associated with the regime” and others “responsible for the violent crackdown on the civilian population”.




27 Comments Comment

  1. Claude Sciberras says:

    I have an ugly feeling…. I’m afraid Ghaddafi is going to bounce back.

  2. Anthony Farrugia says:

    The begining of the end or the end of the beginning?

  3. Anthony Farrugia says:

    http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110309/local/oil-depot-hit-at-ras-lanuf

    Gaddafi’s planes are now bombing oil facilities. Is this the begining of a “scorched earth” strategy ?

  4. Baggio says:

    Daphne

    That’s strange.

    According to Mail Online, “Karl Stango-Navarra [sic], a journalist based in Valletta, Malta, told Al Jazeera that the three jets are flying in three different directions.
    ‘One is suggested to be Vienna, the other is supposed to be Athens in Greece, and the other is Cairo, Egypt,’ Stango-Navarra [sic] said”.

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1364469/Libya-Has-Gaddafi-fled-3-private-planes-bound-Vienna-Athens-Cairo.html

    Chi più ne ha più ne metta …

  5. Stephen says:

    I don’t mean to be petty, but I thought it strange that the news about the three planes leaving Libya for unknown destinations first broke on Al Jazeera quoting Karl Stagno Navarra as their source, but Malta Today did not report this until some hours later. I’m just curious really!

  6. willywonka says:

    What are you making of this, Daph?

    [Daphne – Nothing, so far.]

  7. La Redoute says:

    http://af.reuters.com/article/libyaNews/idAFLDE72822H20110309

    REUTERS UPDATE 1-Libyan emissaries said flying to Brussels

  8. e-ros says:

    Is Gaddafi paving the way for a clean exit? Or is he threatening the EU that he would hold back oil supplies if they persist in their plans?

    We are certainly living exciting times, and we should be comforted by the fact that Gonzi is in charge – I cannot imagine Muscat in such a delicate and fragile situation

  9. Anthony Farrugia says:

    9 March 2011 Last updated at 16:03 GMT

    Squatters in Gaddafi London home

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12692565

  10. TROY says:

    Colonel Gaddafi is a shrewd cunniving fox, who has been known for getting himself out of tight spots by lying and buying himself out. Let’s hope that no government, including ours, falls for his mischievous traps.

  11. Anthony Farrugia says:

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2011/mar/09/libya-uprising-gaddafi-live

    3.46pm: Libyan government emissaries have flown to Brussels to talk to European and NATO officials ahead of the organisations meetings on Thursday and Friday, the Italian foreign minister, Franco Frattini, said today. It seems that Gaddafi is on a diplomatic offensive but what his representatives are putting on the table, if anything, is unclear. From Reuters:

    “Two aircraft of the Libyan regime appear to have left Libya for Brussels with the intention of enabling emissaries of Gaddafi to meet representatives taking part in the meetings of the EU and NATO tomorrow and the next day,” Frattini said.

    He noted that the visits to Cairo and Brussels suggested that the situation was very fluid and he cautioned against taking any action which might be premature. “I don’t know what will be said in Cairo, I don’t know who will meet whom in Brussels but these movements are a fact that we have to take account of,” he said.

    Earlier, a Maltese official said Libyan emissaries had arrived on the Mediterranean island on Wednesday for talks with Maltese officials, and then flown to Portugal. There was no immediate confirmation from Lisbon but a source in Brussels said the plane was carrying a moderate member of Gaddafi’s government to meet Luis Amado, the Portuguese

  12. A. Charles says:

    I hope that the officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not wet themselves on seeing the Libyan delegation.

  13. Zahra says:

    what’s the point of copying and pasting an article from the times…..where’s the commentary/so what?

    [Daphne – It’s to give people an opportunity to discuss it here, without having to mix with the gOnzPn!!!????……..army of lunatics, sub-literates and partially educated persons. But I see one has followed us here.]

    • Anthony Farrugia says:

      How right you are about the majority who comment on timesofmalta.com. They give me heartburn which is not convenient at 9.30 pm.

      The Libyan crisis of the past three weeks has brought to the fore the hold or spell which Gaddafi holds over a certain spectrum of our demographic setup.

      Some blatantly admire him, others are afraid of him while others prefer him to change which for them is the great unknown. Others are devotees of that bitter old man KMB with his curriculum of disasters (Egyptair hijack, ransacking of Kurja, jew b’xejn jew xejn, EU/Euro smack in the face, the farce which is neutrality in these days ..). As you said above an army of lunatics, sub-literates and partially educated person; may I add a good sprinkling of wackos, weirdos and wankers.

  14. Antoine Vella says:

    It’s worrying that EU governments are accepting to meet Gaddafi’s emissaries.

    I hope the Libyan insurrection doesn’t go the same way as the Hungarian 1956 revolution. Western democracies had a few excuses then (Suez crisis and the possibility of war with the Soviet Union) but we have none today.

  15. dery says:

    “discuss it here, without having to mix ” So elitist, aren’t we?

  16. Interested Bystander says:

    A final throw of the dice in the last chance saloon.

  17. Zahra says:

    Shame it takes some feedback to provoke a such a negative reaction from you. Your response explains why this particular posting was inundated by comments.

    …..mmmmm …..let’s see…….favourites…..’www.daphnecaruanagalizia.com’………delete………

    [Daphne – ?]

  18. ciccio2011 says:

    Daphne, since I had read the news about the three planes earlier, when I saw your photo I thought Gaddafi had arrived in Hollywood to collect an Oscar – the one for longest serving dictator.

  19. .Angus Black says:

    Going by the brevity of the Libyan official – Gonzi meeting and the PM’s assurance that Malta remains steadfast for the welfare of the Libyan people, and the fast dispatch to Portugal, it cannot be interpreted as good news for Gaddafi.

    Maybe such declaration can be helpful in dispelling the new Transitional Council that Malta is not siding with Gaddafi’s inhumane actions against his own people.

    It is a pity that even the new authority in Libya, already recognized by France, continues to think that Malta and Gaddafi are inseparable. The Maltese government should follow France’s lead, recognize the new Council and explain in no uncertain terms that Malta remains a bastion of democracy, free speech and enemy of none other than those who present a threat to basic human rights such as Gaddafi is to Libyans.

  20. sex says:

    Really hard to surprise me but still managed to hmm:) All the best for the teacher. Pamela

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