Unlike Malta, Spain refused to take calls from the Gaddafi regime
Trinidad Jiminez
The news agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur reported yesterday that Spain refused to take calls from the Gaddafi regime after conflict erupted in Libya.
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Madrid – Libyan leader Moamer Gaddafi and members of his regime tried several times to contact the Spanish government after a civil conflict broke out in the North African country, Spanish Foreign Minister Trinidad Jimenez said Monday.
However, Madrid refused to enter into contact with the Libyan regime, Jimenez told the national television channel TVE.
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Malta carried on taking their calls even after the UN Security Council resolution. The prime minister, instead of doing what Spain did, took the calls and then told the press what pressure they laid on him. He could have saved himself – and us – the pressure by the simple expedient of having some aide say “I am afraid that the prime minister is unable to come to the telephone.”
Worse still, after the UN imposed sanctions on Libya and Libyan prime minister Bagdadi decided to pay an impromptu flying visit to Malta in an attempt at twisting our arm, Malta not only granted him permission to land, but the prime minister received him with full honours at the Auberge de Castille as though nothing untoward was happening.
And this was after he made the observation that the end of the Gaddafi regime is inevitable. Something, somewhere, doesn’t make sense.
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And yet, this is so typical of our Maltese character. People here just do not declare themselves even though they have bones to pick with you.
They just continue to pretend that they love you when they meet you and then character-assassinate you behind your back.
That is what Joseph Muscat classically defines as “being prudent” – you know, the kind of “bazwar l’hawn u bazwar l’hemm” type because you never know what and who you might need.
That is why the Maltese media are so ineffectual, too, I imagine.
Life in a goldfish bowl.
The Spanish government has also continuously reiterated that it will never negotiate with the Basque terrorist organisation, ETA, but they have apparently been doing so all along: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/29/spanish-politicians-photo-opportunities
Scuzi, che centra? Even the UK said that they will not negotiate with the IRA, and, voila, the Good Friday agreement.
Gaddafi is like a dog with rabies, you just have to put it down, full stop.
There is a possibility that people who are incapable of committing crimes do not readily suspect them in others who could be close to them.
I think there is some truth in this. Also, I find that those who accuse others of cheating are usually the ones who are cheating.
Ah, but the Spanish Foreign Minister is a woman and has balls not unlike some politicians unfortunately closer to home.
I think it is important to take any call that comes in, it would be irresponsable not to take any call.
It seems opportunistic for Spanish Foreign Minister Trinidad Jimenez to make such a revelation at this point. After all, what if the intention was to suggest a safe way for Gaddafi to leave Libya? Unpredictable as the regime is, one never knows until some sort of dialogue is allowed to take place, even if to only say ‘no’ to any overtures.
Why this item even made the news is beyond me.
[Daphne – At some point, Angus, you really have to stop defending the indefensible.]
As it happened, Madrid did not take calls, but Castille did.
If I gathered well from previous posts (I do not always read every comment), Angus Black and I have defended the PM’s position about not getting involved in attacks on Libya. However, I never accepted that the PM should take calls from Gaddafi or his regime.
Maybe Castille has one of those plans usually advertised by telecoms whereby you earn credits for every minute of phone calls you receive. And it’s double credits for phone calls from Gaddafi.
I have always thought that a number of our politicians were pompous. Now I know that they also have an inferiority complex when it comes to handling foreign policy. Both sides (red and blue) have got so used to trying to appeal to the basest elements of their support core that the big picture just eludes them.
The big picture is a nice view of the Grand Harbour. They can’t see any further.