Italy shows Malta up – and if our politicians deserve it for their cant, cowardice and lack of leadership, then Malta certainly does not
Franco Frattini: Italy has recognised the Benghazi National Council
While Joseph Muscat pops off to Capitol Hill to meet some junior civil servants, while Tonio Borg spends Jum il-Helsien trawling the shops at Tigne Point, while Lawrence Gonzi frets about divorce and most of the press – vide Malta Today yesterday – tries to distract us from the real issues by talking about anything but Libya, our perceived soulmate and neighbour Italy has followed France’s lead and this morning announced that it has recognised the Benghazi-based National Council as the only representative of Libya.
Foreign Minister Franco Frattini – Tonio Borg has thought thus far that there is a fellow feeling between them on the matter of Libya, but he has been left stranded – said in the past hour that the Gaddafi government has lost its legitimacy and that the only solution for the future of Libya is one in which Muammar Gaddafi and his family leave the country.
He said – in a way which makes it very clear that he is distancing himself from any conversations that Malta might have with Libya – that the Gaddafi regime has sent an envoy to Greece and is sending one to Malta “to make proposals”.
“These proposals are not credible,” Mr Frattini said.
So while Malta accepts a visit from Gaddafi’s envoy, Italy immediately snaps in and recognises the Benghazi National Council, saying that it will open a representative office in Benghazi. “This is the starting point for revitalising existing treaties with Libya,” Franco Frattini said.
Franco Frattini said just now that he has spoken to his counterpart in Greece, who told him what Gaddafi’s envoy had said. Gaddafi’s departure wasn’t mentioned, he said, but that has to be a pre-condition.
Frattini did not say he had spoken to his counterpart in Malta, Tonio Borg, or that he plans to do so. Malta has been written out of the equation, a lost cause, not a player, a dubious bunch still stuck on the fence at this late stage, which effectively means that we are now on Gaddafi’s side.
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Dear God, Mr Prime Minister and Mr Foreign Minister, how badly you have embarrassed Malta. How poorly you have gauged the situation and how very ill-judged your actions, statements and decisions have been.
We expected it from Joseph Muscat and the Labour Party. We did not expect such cant, cowardice, poor judgement and lack of leadership from you.
What now, Dr Gonzi, Dr Borg and Dr Muscat? Where do you stand on all this, and what do you plan to do? You are in duty bound to answer those questions before you put your heads together for some further collusion.
By dint of hindsight, it should be clear to you now, Dr Gonzi and Dr Borg – though probably not to Dr Muscat, who is less intelligent and completely inexperienced – that your words and actions since February have worked against Malta’s interests. You thought you were protecting Malta’s interests but you did the reverse.
Malta’s interests do not amount to current business exposure in Libya. That’s the small-time, unseeing thinking of village politics taken to an international level. Malta’s interests in a situation where things are going to change fundamentally and completely, and where there is considerable international involvement, extend so far beyond that as to make those business interests not even a consideration at state level.
At this point, I am forced to conclude that the country is led by short-sighted fools who never won a game of chess, or that it is led by liars who are not telling us the truth about the reasons for their behaviour.
Either way, things are not looking pretty.
.
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The visit by Abdelati Laabidi (or Obeidi, as he is frequently referred to) is pointless and only serves to undermine Malta’s interests even further.
Gaddafi’s regime has been thoroughly and irremediably discredited and the Libyan opposition has already rejected the Gaddafis’ proposals.
It would be funny if it weren’t all so terribly tragic.
Extract from report on timesofmalta,com just now:
“Updated – Adds Prime Minister’s comments – Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi confirmed this morning that the government has received a request to meet Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Abdelati Laabidi, who is expected to visit Malta after Greece and Turkey.
Dr Gonzi said the government would tell the emissary that violence by Gaddafi’s forces has to stop.
Dr Gonzi, who was speaking at a press conference on the third year of the government, also expressed his regret and disgust at violence in the Libyan town of Misurata, which is being pounded by Gaddafi forces.”
In other words, Malta’s Prime Minister still cannot get himself to mouth the three simple words “Gaddafi must go”.
What is it that is stopping Malta from taking a clear stand on this issue, even at this late stage when France, and now Italy, have recognized the Benghazi-based opposition as the legitimate representatives of the Libyan people?
Pity – a real pity – we should have recognized Benghazi long ago and not heeded business fears.
Someone just told me ”ma stajniex naqghu izjed tan-nejk”. She’s so right. I’m speechless. What an embarrassing tbazwira.
It is a shame on our prime minister. With his behaviour he is representing perhaps KMB and some of the Labour Party representatives but surely not the interests of Malta.
Malta should be on the side of justice and not looking on short-sighted self interest.
As if Italy (“revitalizing treaties with Libya”) and France (TOTAL instead of ENI) are not looking after their self-interest!
There is no justice and there are no friends in politics, only interests.
The discussion here is about what our self-interest consists of: being pro- or anti-Gaddafi, or sitting on the fence.
[Daphne – Not very bright, are you? I’ve just said explicitly what our interests are, and have done so from the beginning. Aside from the moral aspect of this debate, because I can see quite clearly that many among us are not exercised by questions of morality and integrity, it has been bloody obvious from day one that Gaddafi’s regime is finished. In that situation, you don’t sit on the fence: you sniff out the winners and suck up to them. Like Italy has just done. If you think Italy’s interests are in any way different to Malta’s, you are operating in a parallel universe.]
Well technically speaking no it was not that obvious actually. Things were not going to remain the same but it didn’t mean Gaddhafi was necessarily finished. Had it not been for the intervention of France, Gaddafi would be purging Benghazi right now.
[Daphne – It was obvious, yes, that France or Britain would act. Why was it obvious? Because there was no alternative. If you let Gaddafi stay, you have to deal with him, and France and Britain were not about to let that happen. Situations have to be analysed in context and not in the moment.]
For heaven’s sake! Why hide behind the absurd “neutrality”clause? We are really and truly making the George Cross for gallantry look like a sick joke.
Sweden has sent Gripens Fighter Aircraft to the Sigonella Airbase to enforce the UN backed No-Fly-Zone.
Sweden is, like Malta, a neutral country.
http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/04/04/355099/libya-sweden-sends-gripens-to-join-unified-protector.html
I, as a Maltese citizen, feel embarrassed by the way this government has handled the Libya crisis. The sitting-on-the-fence tactic which our prime minister opted for is a cowardly act.
Why are we still so scared of the tyrant Gaddafi?
Dr. Gonzi, please stop this dragging of feet and issue a statement denouncing the Gaddafi regime as soon as possible.
When will our government follow France’s and Italy’s example and at long last jump off the fence and declare unequivocally that we are on the side of the freedom fighters in Benghazi?
Most of Malta is waiting for the PM to condemn Gaddafi’s attrocities and say that he should go now!
Italy is also providing transport for the wounded from Libya – a humanitarian action if ever there was one. Can we rise to the occasion and within our limits do something similar?
Stop embarrassing us in the eyes of the world, Mr. Prime Minster & Co.
Stand up and tell Gaddafi and his goons to go to burn in hell, including that puppet in Attard.
Anyone who accommodates the Gaddafi regime is an accomplice to genocide, let there be no doubt about it.
The majority of the votes in the times on line poll believe that Malta should stay neutral. Are we hypocrites or what.
Simply put, Malta has been made out to be unprincipled, materialistic, opportunistic and totally lacking in the Christian virtues that should underpin the predominantly Catholic country that it claims to be.
“End of Gaddafi regime is inevitable” does not mean “Gaddafi and his regime must go”
“The violence must stop”. does not mean “We unreservedly condemn the atrocities being perpetrated by Gaddafi and his regime on innocent people.”.
“Malta protects Libyan civilians” does not mean that Malta as a state is actually doing anything to that end.
“Our reply to any request for military facilities will be NO” means a pre-emptive “Do not anyone dare ask for any such facility”
“I wouldn’t say so [that we are not against Gaddafi]” means “Yes, we wouldn’t mind having Gaddafi stay in place, but we are not going to admit it.”
“We favour a ceasefire” means “That is one sure way to ensure that Gaddafi stays in place.”
“We are ready to provide humanitarian aid” does not mean “Government has started procedures to ensure that humanitarian aid will be provided the people of Libya to the best of our resources and in the quickest way possible.”
In a world that is increasingly united in its condemnation of Gaddafi and his regime, Malta still consistently fails to issue its own statement of condemnation. The words of Prime Minister Gonzi at the press conference this morning are further evidence of that.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110404/local/italy-recognises-benghazi-based-council-as-only-libyan-representative
Some choice comments from timesofmalta.com
“Alfred Farrugia
It is clear that Italy has lost its own credibility with the Libyan government! If the Libyan acting foreign minister Abdel Ati al-Obeidi is visiting Malta in addition to Greece and Turkey, it is clear that the Libyan authorities do not trust Italy any more for obvious reasons.
Who is giving Italy, and any other third country for that matter, the authority to make pre-conditions on the peaceful resolution of the Libyan conflict? Are we certain that UN Security Council Resolution 1973 followed the correct rules of procedure in its adoption? 2 permanent members – China and the Russian Federation – did not “concur” or give their “affirmative votes” on the resolution as Article 27.3 of the UN Charter requires!
How can a country recognize a group that after weeks of armed struggle is still not clear who they are? If the group really includes elements of al Qaeda, does it have legitimacy?”
“joseph cachia
Sig. Frattini QUO VADIS ?
How can you declare regime lost legitimacy when your country reconized regime
for forty (40) years.
How can you reconize a group of renegades who illegaly killed -burned public building
in order to steal arms to fight opposition and regime authorities.
How can you and cameron set conditions on Gaddafi departure, when both your
governments reconized him for forty years.”
The devil is in the detail, and the detail is hereby presenting itself with Daphne’s statement/question: “….I am forced to conclude that the country is led by short-sighted fools who never won a game of chess, or that it is led by liars who are not telling us the truth about the reasons for their behaviour.”
Now let us wait for our politcians to give us the answer of whether it is A or B, or both.
Photo says it all; Frattini looks European, our politicians look like Arabs.
Although your comment was most certainly made in jest, it is offensive, to say the least.
It shouldn’t be offensive, and I don’t think it was made in jest. And I agree. We think of ourselves as a sort of junior partner to the Arab world. The admiration and gushing praise and chumminess and “blood is thicker than water” was sort of hidden away in the years leading up to EU accession in 2004. Since then, it’s back with a vengeance, and the old grudges against the evil colonialist Europeans have resurfaced, and are stronger than ever.
El Topo’s comment makes sense. If we look like Arabs, which we do, it’s bound to reflect on our relationship with them. The only way out would have been British dependency status, but it’s too late for that now. We have pissed away our EU membership, granted to us as a privilege rather than a right, and are back to the old Bahar Nofsani tripe.
This situation has become so embarrassing for Malta that I simply cannot read anymore – thank you so very much, you bunch of cowardly parasites.
Actually, there is something I need to ask our so-called leaders. Has the Libyan regime floated to Malta?