Saying we are neutral by definition means we are not taking sides
Germany's Angela Merkel
Neutrality means that you don’t take sides.
That’s by definition.
So it follows that when Malta vaunts and flaunts its neutrality – especially when that neutrality has been rendered irrelevant by dint of the UN Security Council resolution – what it is telling the world effectively is that it is not siding with the coalition forces or taking a stance against Gaddafi.
It is time our prime minister and foreign minister took this fact on board.
Here’s Angela Merkel, who is under no such illusions that you can be neutral and for the coalition forces at the same time, speaking to the BBC on Friday:
“WE UNRESERVEDLY SHARE THE AIMS OF THIS RESOLUTION. OUR ABSTENTION SHOULD NOT BE CONFUSED WITH NEUTRALITY.”
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With all due respect, those words sound just like our PM’s.
…… ie, meaningless. You are either in or out.
Seeing as 1) they sent extra troops to the Afghan theatre to free up the allies for the Egytian campaign and 2) the HQ for the operation is Stuttgart, and includes German personnel, then they’re very much in.
Woops, I meant Libyan campaign.
Anyone heard Vittorio Sgarbi on RAI UNO this afternoon? He insisted that Italy should have followed Malta’s example re neutrality.
Someone else pointed out to him that the missiles Libya has at its disposal have a very short range and Italy runs no risk. Years ago when Gaddafi shot a Scud at Lampedusa, it fell short .
Italy is part of NATO.
Any talk about Italy taking a neutral stance is pure Sgarbage.
For anyone who believes that Gaddafi’s missiles cannot reach Malta check this out: http://www.scribd.com/doc/18955060/Military-of-Libya
Germany’s abstention over the no-fly zone resolution should not be confused with neutrality.
Malta’s abstention from military intervention should likewise not be confused with neutrality.
Whoever is saying that Malta has been neutral is either deluded or being deceptive. Malta has backed sanctions against the Gaddafi regime together with the EU27. But like Germany, Malta disagreed with military intervention.
What’s so hard to understand?
Kev, Tonio Borg himself is on record saying that “we will not be used” as a base because we are neutral.
He tried to round it off as ‘militarily neutral’ – wrong choice of words.
Most of the time the term ‘neutrality’ is being used to denote the detail in the constitutional clause that underlines Malta’s non-military role. That should be our line. We are not neutral, but our role will not be military. We did not even agree to military intervention in the first place, since this is not the only option.
They really need to get their wording right.
Meaning of neutral: adjective
1 not helping or supporting either of two opposing sides, esp. countries at war; impartial : during the Second World War Portugal was neutral.
• belonging to an impartial party, country, or group : on neutral ground.
• unbiased; disinterested : neutral, expert scientific advice.
Antoine, Tonio Borg is on record saying that we are “militarily neutral.”
I am still trying to understand this concept.
Malta’s prime minister and deputy prime minister have both repeatedly said that Malta is neutral. By your definition they are deluded and deceptive, so why do you applaud them?
That you promise the deluded and deceptive your vote is no surprise. I believe you voted for Mifsud Bonnici and Mintoff.
Neutrality reminds me of a football referee. He is impartial and neutral because, at least in theory, he doesn’t care which team wins. He will therefore do nothing to help one side win over the other.
This is what irks me about Malta being neutral. It means that we don’t care who wins: Gaddafi or the Libyan people, it’s all the same to us.
That is why our “condemnation” of Gaddafi is meaningless. If we truly condemn him then we should help his opponents defeat him. I suppose that is the reason the PM has condemned “violence” (big deal) but not Gaddafi himself.
Dr. Eddie Fenech Adami today declared that Malta should offer its facilities if asked to do so. Now here is a politician that we are certainly missing at this moment.
[Daphne – So many people have told me the exact same thing over the last few days: that Eddie Fenech Adami would not have disappointed us.]
Ah, but Guido de Marco (God bless his soul) would have stopped him, quoting the neutrality clause and the Constitution.
When Eddie was replaced by Gonzi, I remember commenting that the former’s shoes would be hard to fill. Gonzi earned our trust over time, and proved himself well. Pity he threw it all away in a flash.
SOS Malta emergency team heads to Libyan border
Two SOS Malta volunteers – nurse David Grech and Dr Jeffrey Bonnici have left for Tunisia this afternoon to assist in the growing aid effort in the camps at the Libya/Tunisia border.
SOS Malta will provide first aid and assist in emergency hygiene and sanitation to prevent spread of disease.
A needs assessment will be carried out in collaboration with Dr Nejib Karoui who runs the local organisation -Association de l’entraide et de la Solidarite Sociale.
As people flee their country the humanitarian needs increase. SOS Malta called on the Maltese to help keep families safe and healthy.
A €20 donation would buy a hygiene kit, including sanitary supplies, towel, comb, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste and underwear.
Donations will also help restore hope and provide critical aid to families.
Donations can be made at the following accounts – APS – 20000245111, HSBC – 006070932050, BOV – 40013974950, online – http://www.sosmalta.org/donate_now or sent to SOS Malta, 10, Triq il-Ward, Sta Venera SVR1640.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110320/local/sos-malta-emergency-team-heads-to-libyan-border
It should take only a couple of hours to lower equipment and personnel by the side of a stretch of road or flat terrain and turn it into an operational airfield. That is the normal procedure in any war zone.
Then Gonzi should say that he cannot provide a military base because of MEPA.
Just heard on Sky that The head of the Arab League said he was “misquoted”.
Nahseb tant ircieva telefonati koroh, damdmuh.
Reminds me of Dalli.
The Cyprus government is unhappy that its bases are being used to enforce the No Fly Zone but can’t do anything about it.
http://af.reuters.com/article/libyaNews/idAFLDE72J0F620110320
I know I am not conversant in military, however simply from a common-sense point of view, I would like to ask, why are they using Cyprus and not Sigonella? It is much nearer to Libya than Cyprus.
[Daphne – They’re using both and others besides. And it all depends on which part of Libya you mean. Cyprus is closer to Benghazi.]
Planes are not leaving only from Sigonella and Cyprus. There are other bases from which planes are leaving. It is a big operation and two bases are not enough to handle all the traffic. Italy has put SEVEN bases at the disposal of Operation Odyssey Dawn.
The Cypriots are not happy about the British bases in their country. There is a long story about this.
I m so bored of the word neutral. What does it mean anyway? That we’re staying out of it? And what does that say about us?
We are a European country. We believe in freedom and we should stand by those beliefs. Doing so means we’re going to make enemies. But who will those enemies be? Gaddafi? I’m fine with that. I really don’t mind being the enemy of a man like that. What I don’t like is being friends with him.
Neutrality: What a babyish way of trying to be nice to everyone. I don’t buy it. And I don’t think any other country does either.
They might think it makes sense to the Maltese.
God knows what reasons have been given to the rest of the world as to why we are staying neutral. But as soon as the rest of the world finds out who is friends with who and why, they might start worrying.
The best way to stop that, or at least make it clear that our past relations with Gaddafi have nothing to do with our present, is to come out clear and strong against Gaddafi and his follower.
And to hell with all the business and investments in that place. Start doing business with them once they are a free and democratic country. Not while their leader tortures them.
The most probable endgame scenario looks like Libya splitting in two separate states (where and how that’s too complex to comprehend with 100 or so tribes all of which with specific declared or undeclared allegiances). One assumes that they will not annihilate each other in the meantime.
That leaves us Maltese being looked at suspiciously from all ends of the “bridges” we boasted about.
And building those bridges again will be very very difficult now.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,751804,00.html
Opinion
Berlin Lets Its Allies Go It Alone
By Severin Weiland and Roland Nelles
And despite the Libyan regime’s move on Friday afternoon to declare a cease-fire — at least for now — and inviting international observers into the country, Berlin’s move could have lasting repercussions. Although Berlin has not blocked military action by abstaining, the German government has marginalized itself. It is effectively telling its allies: You will have to deal with this one alone — we’re not going to help you.
Edward, you ask what neutral means. It’s like when they talk about colours: a neutral colour goes well with any other and that is exactly how many people think of neutrality – we get on well with everybody so they don’t bomb us.
In Valletta there used to be a ‘Friend to All’ bar in Merchants Street. I always think of it when I hear them talking of neutrality.
… more like “Friend to None” situation
Yeah, we don’t even qualify as being yellow livered, more like neutral beige.
You are not thinking like them because you don’t weigh up things in terms of votes for yourself. Money and jobs in Libya equals votes.
no, the thinking is different because all of us commenting here (myself and Daphne included) are only responsible for our own actions and responsible for ourselves or our families. On the other hand, Dr Gonzi is responsible for the well being of all the maltese, even those who oppose him politically. If Malta is economically weakened, you would not remain an interested bystander then
[Daphne – Your mentality favours dictatorship, Xmun, so I’m not surprised that you fail to understand just what a problem Gaddafi is. Prime ministers are not Big Daddies. They are accountable for their decisions and must explain them. They are held to account by, among others, people like me. They are certainly not held to account by people who call themselves xmun and use anonymity even to praise the prime minister let alone to criticise him.]
I was reply to Edward actually. Maybe I should call myself Rubber Necker seeing as the crash is about to unfold.
I think of it like this: The leaders only need a couple of thousand floating voters to win the election, so I judge what they do according to that criteria and then it all makes sense to me.
Sitting on the fence doesn’t produce money or jobs.
Inertia is built into the system.
Sitting on the fence doesn’t produce money or jobs but it may mean less votes lost.
Doing nothing makes sense to them.
A quick look at timesofmalta.com shows that the words “prudent” and “prudence” are the day’s favourites.
[Daphne – More literal translation: ‘prudenti’.]
The “coalition” is already showing signs of a split. Here’s Amr Mousa, Head of the Arab League and (more importantly) presidential candidate in Egypt: “What is happening in Libya differs from the aim of imposing a no-fly zone, and what we want is the protection of civilians and not the bombardment of more civilians,” said Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa.
Ha! People are now suddenly waking up to what the word “war” means. In a few days the Arabs will be out in the streets again, this time protesting against the West, which seems to still believe that you can solve problems by firing missiles at them. Only one notable, exception, Germany. Because they know what war means.
[Daphne – Why are you gloating, Albert? Do you support Gaddafi?]
No. I am simply expressing an opinion: that war was not the best option here. Forces have now been unleashed which will be difficult to control.
[Daphne – ‘Forces will be unleashed which will be difficult to control’. Clearly, you think that Muammar Gaddafi is a better bet, more stable, easier to control and far less damaging than a spot of bother with planes – despite 42 years of murder and terrorism.]
And expressing an opinion is not gloating. Sure, so many people are clapping their hands in glee at seeing Tomahawks and Cruise missiles being fired.
[Daphne – You are gloating, Albert. Your gloating is palpable.]
But who is taking an interest in the plight of the normal people of Libya. Those who live in a small village whose only road connecting them to the outside world has been destroyed by a Cruise missile. Just because this road also leads to a military installation on which lie two 40-year old scrapped Mirages? Is the Libyan opposition happy to be handed over a country with no infrastructure left? Including military?
[Daphne – ‘But who is taking an interest in the plight of normal people of Libya’. That’s what it’s all about, Albert. Please don’t tell me that you hadn’t noticed.]
And you think the normal people of Libya are happy with these strikes? You will see in the coming days.
Oh, and I am sure you read that public opinion in the Arab world is already being expressed against these strikes. Sometimes I think the West hit upon the perfect method to keep the status quo!
[Daphne – What would you have done, Albert? Come on, do tell. Let Gaddafi stay on unchallenged? But of course, you don’t think there’s anything wrong with him.]
Foreign commentators were quick to give a reply to Amr Mousa. They politely told him that he doesn’t know what he is talking about or doesn’t know what a no-fly zone entails. Maybe Mousa is eyeing the Egyptian presidency. Who knows?
Just read what “maryanne” has written here. Amr Mousa does not know what he is talking about, she says. Aha…so it’s the West which knows better.
So basically this is another effort “to save Arabs from themselves” And that is the crux of the whole matter. This attitude will only play in the hands of hardliners. Just as we were thinking that, maybe, the Islamists are on reverse gear, losing the initiative, our bright guys Sarkozy and Cameron make sure that they are given a new rallying point.
Because this is the bottom line. This is yet again the clash of cultues, unfortunately. Why are there no Arab nations involved in the attacks?
The “coaltion” is bending over backwards to get a couple of planes for Qatar to participate. Qatar! It’s like saying that the EU will be invovled in a major operation against Mexican drug cartels, and the only participation would be from Malta. Why arent the Egyptians participating? The Tunisians?
These have had revolutions of their own, So they should have been the first to help fellow revolutonaries. In Europe we just dont grasp the concept that the Arabs have the idea that their territory is sacred. When it’s violated, it’s like their mother has been violated. Every missle being fired onto Libyan soil is felt like a sword being shot through an Arab heart.
Albert Farrugia, on timesofmalta.com you write as if you were an expert on “the psyche of the Arab mind”.
Why is it that all covert supporters of Gaddafi consider themselves experts on Libyan psychology and why are they all so intent on stereotyping Arabs?
The Arab mind – would that be the mind of people who preach vindication, have a desert mentality, are not urbanised, do not have our culture and are “nies differenti”?
Mr Farrugia, yesterday evening a resident of Tripoli was speaking live on BBC..She said she did not know what was more dangerous……trying to leave Tripoli or staying there when the bombing was on. It would seem that the residents of Tripoli are being stopped forcibly by Gheddafi thugs from leaving the city and forced to stay there to act as human shields.
i think Malta has done its part by first helping the evacuation of foreign workers and then supporting the U.N. resolution. We have no military airports and Nato does not need Malta,France is using Corsica, Britain and Denmark are using two military bases in Sicily and the USA are using their aircraft carriers so there is no need of Malta’s only airport.
How exactly is Malta supporting the U.N resolution?
By waving a dated and dangerous provision from our Constitution as if it were a free pass that excuses us from doing any of the dirty work in the struggle to stop a madman from slaughtering his own people, our neighbours and erstwhile ‘blood brothers’?
Fine, so the airport is otherwise occupied at present. But Malta has so much more to offer than just the use of its airport.
Insomma l-ahwa, Malta, meta ma kienx hemm UN Resolution 1973, kellha il-gazz izzommlu l-ajruplani. Allura newtrali jew le, urejna li “palle c’e l’abbiamo”, avolja pajjiz daqs nitfa.
That is ridiculous. Had Malta returned those two fighter jets to Gaddafi, it could have been liable to prosecution for having committed a war crime. At a minimum it would have made Malta complicit in the ongoing attacks on unarmed Libyan civilians which, by definition, is a crime against humanity.
Let’s not get carried away, Erable. Fact is, at the time, with no UN mandate, Malta took the first concrete step towards limiting Gaddafi’s firepower when he was actively using it, which by definition – as you put it – means BAJD.
As for the crimes vs humanity you waffle on about, well, everyone who supported Gaddafi’s regime i.e. who bought oil off him, who sold him arms etc etc was committing a crime against humanity, so that’s pretty much everyone in the EU, China, Russia and who knows who else.
Wow, you sound just like the bright spark who’s been advising the Deputy PM. Delusional and so hopelessly unaware of Malta’s international obligations.
Has anyone been on a Ryanair flight out of Malta to Trapani lately? Because Trapani is one fine example of being both a civilian and military airport.
It’s an airport that houses Italian fighters that can be seen when one uses that airport, and is now also home to many other NATO jets participating in the No-Fly zone over Libya.
So the PM’s excuse of our airport being a commercial airport which cannot take military aircraft is a blatant lie.
Additionally, Malta had a joint civilian/military airport for over 40 years and if this is not enough Frankfurt was a joint commercial/military airport until a couple of years ago and this was an airport that handled over 200 incoming flights a day.
@ Albert Farrugia. The subject was a no-fly zone. Mousa was expected to know the procedure. How did he think a no-fly zone was going to be implemented? By attaching coloured ribbons to poles?
@Albert Farrugia. You ask the question above Albert, ‘And you think the normal people of Libya are happy with these strikes?’ Having just watched a news report on CNN the answer to that is yes Albert, they are very happy, they are dancing in the streets and they are calling for more missiles and bombs so they can tear down Gaddafi’s palace!
To those opposing the bombing and missiles you need to understand that in order to impose a no-fly zone you must first knock out any anti-aircraft weapons. Gaddafi in his usual cowardly manner is surrounding himself with civilians in the hope that the West won’t attack him. I do agree though that he will get support from other Arab neighbours in the coming days as that always happens in these situations.