Let's see how Malta's going to wriggle out of this one: military support for humanitarian aid
Coraggio! Fuggiamo! Why fight when you can sit about and eat beetles instead.
Hmmm, bit of a double bind here for Lawrence Gonzi, Joseph Muscat and Tonio Borg. Something has presented itself which includes both the words ‘military’ and ‘humanitarian’. Dear God, that’s a difficult fence to straddle. It’s going to be like playing a game of Twister with some rather nasty pointy railings beneath.
Yesterday – funny how we didn’t hear about it in the Maltese press, and funnier still that the foreign minister didn’t see fit to mention it when talking about how we should side with life – the EU Council OK-ed military deployment to support humanitarian efforts in Libya.
The legal decision was taken to clear the way for a European Union military operation in Libya in support of humanitarian assistance.
This means that the EU will, “if requested by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), conduct a military operation… in order to support humanitarian assistance in the region,” an official statement said.
EU government heads took the political decision last month for this military operation in Libya. Now yesterday’s decision provides the legal basis for going ahead with it. The operation will be headquartered in Rome and Italian Rear Admiral Claudio Gaudiosi has been named as commander.
The legal mandate lasts for four months, and will have to be renewed after that.
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A good piece about the sanctions, in the Wall Street Journal:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703739204576228730233083972.html
There’s a thousand ways in which we could wiggle out of this one. The EU’s rapid reaction force is currently armed by two battlegroups:
BG 107: Austria (neutral), Lithuania, The Netherlands, Germany
Nordic Battle Group: Finland, Sweden, Ireland (all neutral), Estonia
We could always raise up our dainty hands and claim that others can do the job, and that look, even their names are on the roster. Besides, Malta hasn’t given a clear commitment about troop participation in the EU’s battlegroups, after plans to integrate our contingent with the Italians fell through because of manpower shortage.
In summary: Malta’s defence policy is a total shambles.
The EU needs to request the AFM to set up a roadblock outside the Red Cross tent to keep the enemy out.
I know I’m not adding any value to the discussion by writing this, but I laughed so hard when I read your comment.
Here’s somebody who’s arguing for continued tourism in the Mediterranean:
http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/04/03/travel/03Cover.html?hp
We’ve already passed through the stage of providing facilities to foreign military forces for humanitarian purposes. Remember the evacuation?
[Daphne – You are confusing issues again, Kevin. Those were military planes and naval vessels which were themselves used for humanitarian purposes. In this exercise we are talking about, the military will be used for military purposes – to SUPPORT a humanitarian exercise. In other words, you’re talking of shooting, bombing and fighting to, say, create a safe corridor for the passage of aid.]
In any case, these are all good chess moves and any reluctance on our government’s part would be interpreted as taking sides with Gaddafi.
[Daphne – Oh good. We agree at last.]
Incidentally, our armed forces have absolutely nothing to do with this. Apart from herding sub-Saharan immigrants, the best they could do is keep eating beetles if that’s what it takes to keep them off our streets (ostensibly in search of drug fiends). Company ‘C’ Road Block, hey – hasbu qeghdin New York 2020.
“Incidentally, our armed forces have absolutely nothing to do with this. Apart from herding sub-Saharan immigrants, the best they could do is keep eating beetles if that’s what it takes to keep them off our streets …”
Well that’s your fault isn’t it? You and other peacenik breed politicians who believe that war is immoral, therefore soldiering is immoral too, and therefore soldiering is to be kept to a bare minimum in the military profession. Come clean now: you’d rather with did away with the AFM altogether, wouldn’t you?
Lions led by donkeys. Never was there a more appropriate quote.
It’s what happens when you abandon the constitution; when you stop actively pursuing peace in the Mediterranean. It’s what happens when you dance around ‘neutrality’ to suit its adherents without really bothering to understand how it works and what it stands for.
Today, the prime minister is trying to reinstate this long abandoned policy. So it gets patchy. And we do sound patchy. Because we have long failed to make it known where we stand and what our parameters are.
Didn’t your hero clown Mintoff tells us “Nitnejjek mill-kostituzzjoni” and promptly sold us to the cockroach Gaddafi for “d cildrens ellawans”.
Get real Kev – You cannot enforce neutrality without military force. In fact the only country that may be neutral is the USA and thankfully is not (Obama notwithstanding). May it continue bashing dictators and commie governments ad eternum.
Can you or anybody else explain what “the active pursuit of peace in the Mediterranean” actually means? I’ve been on this ruddy planet for close on a third of a century, and I can’t stand any more of this bullshit-speak.
With your sort lording it over us, I’ll take a thermonuclear war any day. One flash of light and we’ll all be dead: you, me, and the entire The Times comments board.
Define peace.
And please don’t say that’s what we had until mid-February.
No one in england believes me when I tell them that the Maltese idea of balance in political broadcasting is each political party having their own TV station.
How do the EU let them get away with it?
[Daphne – The EU has nothing to do with it.]
So that those who advocate a peaceful solution can gain an understanding of this new development. LECLERC or CHALLENGER MBTS may be delivering medical supplies soon.
[Daphne – That’s not actually what it means, no.]
Let’s wait and see.
When was it that the AFM was to participate in some sort of action elsewhere, with Tonio Borg’s caveat that they would do so “only on a voluntary basis”?
Participation in foreign deployments was always voluntary.
Malta must be the only country in the world where the military does not take orders, but only performs on a voluntary basis.
This is supposed to be a professional army. What on earth does Tonio Borg mean that they would particpate voluntarily?
It means that the AFM asks for volunteers to come forward for deployment on overseas missions. It’s standard practice in conscript armies. Of course we’ve always had a professional army, which kind of makes the whole thing rather laughable.
There’s a catch, and a serious one. Our only unit trained and earmarked for overseas missions is 1st Rgt, C Coy. So it would be difficult to deploy anyone from outside this unit. For administrative reasons, and practical ones. There was a time when anyone joining the AFM would be assigned to C Coy, which definitely puts in doubt their “élite” status. Nowadays you sign a paper stating that you will fulfill all missions, including foreign deployments.
In a nutshell, it’s confused. Our armed forces have long been abandoned by our politicians, ignorant of defence matters and congenital pacifists. Our service men and women do their best to maintain standards in a rather hopeless situation.
The Nationalists have been in power since 1987. But they never undid the damage wrought by Mintoffian indoctrination. In 22 years of government you’d think they would at least try.
And don’t even get me started on the Detention Service, whose status (military or civilian?) is still undecided. It’s a godawful shambles, like many other brilliant schemes thought up by the boffins: MEPA, MCST, MCAST…
We could always keep insisting that we only have one airport and one Grand Harbour.
comment on timesofmalta.com
MARGARET RICHARDS
“COMM. MALSTROM SHAME ON YOU, SHAME ON THE EU IF THEY ADHERE TO YOUR RANTING AND RAVING THAT THIS IS NOT AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. WHERE WERE YOU WHEN YOU WERE BLABBING? ON A PLUSH SEAT, AS COMFORTABLE AS EVER AWAY FROM THE SOUTHERN SHORES OF THE MEDITERRANEAN – YET YOU FEEL YOU HAVE THE GOD GIVEN RIGHT TO JUDGE OUR SITUATION IN SUCH AN INDIFFERENT & COLD ATTITUDE.INSTEAD OF BLABBING YOU SHOULD JUST COME OVER AND SEE FOR YOURSELF – WITH ANY LUCK YOU MIGHT EVEN ENCOUNTER A BOAT FULL OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS – PERHAPS YOU’LL BE ALSO INTERESTED TO STAY FOR A WEEK WITH THEM. THAT WILL PULL YOU DOWN FROM YOUR HIGH & MIGHTY IDEALISM TO DOWN RIGHT REALISM. HOPE THAT THE EU WILL JUST SHUT THEIR EARS TO YOUR POSITION AND START PUTTING ITS ACT TOGETHER. ONCE AGAIN MS MALSTROM SHAME ON YOU!!!”
http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5jgZ9IINmhs43jVZbd8pGsC5RQ7eA?docId=6442779
Demonstrators in Rome protest the NATO-led military action against Gadhafi’s forces in Libya
By The Associated Press
ROME — A few thousand demonstrators are rallying in Rome’s Piazza Navona to protest the NATO-led military intervention against Libya leader Moammar Gadhafi’s forces.
The protesters, including many pacifists, were listening to speeches Saturday and waving rainbow-colored anti-war flags.
Organizers of the rally included Emergency, a non-governmental organization whose Italian founder, Dr. Gino Strada, runs clinics in war-ravaged countries including Afghanistan.
One banner read that “humanitarian wars do not exist.” The U.N. Security Council resolution authorizing the intervention against Libya invokes humanitarian reasons for getting involved militarily.
Italy is letting the NATO-led forces use its air bases, a key logistical part of the avowed goal to safeguard civilians in Libya.
.
They don’t say what they’d do instead.
Isma, tistghu issibu espressjoni differenti minflok ‘coraggio fuggiamo’? Nara ftit kontradizzjoni li ahna nitkasaw bil-kummenti razzisti tal-istupidi li jiktbu fit-Times u mbaghad ahna stess naghmlu kummenti li jinsinwaw razzismu.
Imbilli t-Taljani tiflu l-ahhar gwerra ma jfissirx li storikament fil-militar kienu deficenti u kretini.
L-istess jghodd ghall-Germanizi u l-Gappunizi li ghandhom sens qawwi stoiku u lealta lejn il-pajjiz. L-istorja turina kemm is-suldati minn dejjem taljani kienu fost l-aqwa. L-Italja Rinaxximentali hi ezempju tajjeb ta’ dan. Sahansitra il-mercenarji (dawk li jiggieldu b’negozju u mhux ghall-patria) kienu fost l-aqwa … ahseb u ara dawk awtentici.
Naqbel, imma l-eccess ta’ laghqizmu ghall-Italja, frott l-idea falza li ahna “konna parti mill-Italja” (minn Sqallija, jekk xejn), ikollu jigi bilancjat minn hafna ribbing u piss-taking.
Il-bicca hi li l-glorja tal-passat ma tiswa xejn ghall-prezent. Ara ftit il-Maltin ta’ mitejn sena ilu u dawk tal-lum….. Il-hsara li ghamel Mintoff ghad trid tigi denuncjata mill-istorici.
Agreed. Most commenters here put forward very rational and enlightening arguments. Even if I might not agree with some, I still enjoy reading them.
Some submissions only seem to wallow in racism, bigotry and downright ignorance.
Minn mindu nghaqdet bhala pajjiz l-Italja harget b’dawn l-unuri: ittradiet l-alleanza li kellha ma’ Germanja u l-Awstrja; ghamlet gwerra kontra l-Abyssinia, l-iktar pajjiz fqir fid-dinja; qalbet minn naha ghall-ohra fit-tieni gwerra dinjija.
Rekord tal-misthija. Ma jfissirx li il-poplu Taljan huwa maghmul kollu minn kodardi, l-anqas xejn, imma bhala pajjiz, fil-kolletiv, jidher li ma tantx jaf jaghzel.
Sur Ripard
Ha nghidlek x’rekord rebhet l-Italja li mhu se jghaddiha HADD u QATT. Nofs il-patrimonju monumentali u artistiku tad-dinja jinsab fl-Italja. Minghajr ma nsemmi l-opri Taljani li jinsabu fin-National Gallery, British Museum, Louvre, Alte Pinakothek ecc ecc ….
F’dak is-sens, jixbhu hafna lill-Maltin: They may be brilliant as individuals, but they’re shamefully let down by their government. Thankfully for their armed forces, they’ve been given the opportunity to shine in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The “firm ‘no’ to any request for military involvement by Malta” statement was a serious misjudgement by Prime Minister Gonzi . It has left him with no room for manouver in a rapidly changing and ever worsening scenario. It was a cheap statement that is already costing the nation dear.
Poorly armed individuals are fighting against overwhelming odds and giving up their lives for freedom in eastern Libya. The entire population of Misurata has suffered constant bombardment and has been in a state of siege for many weeks.
Yet Malta publicly declares that it shall continue to deny even the temporary use of its air and harbour facilities to coalition forces authorised by UN to prevent the ongoing massacre,
Despite mounting evidence of atrocities by Gaddafi and his regime over the past few weeks (to say nothing of the preceding 40 years), not one parliamentarian from either side of the House has yet been able to mouth three simple words ‘Gaddafi must go”.
Malta stands idly by, while the slaughter of innocent people proceeds unabated.
This is a blot on the nation’s history, abetrayal of the values of freedom and democracy handed down to us over many generations.
Malta stands discredited on the international front.
Sorry to digress, but I just can’t take our trumpet-blowing politicians much longer.
Wara s-success ta’ l-istorja tat-Twistees, there’s “The Hon. Tonio Fenech, Minister of Finance, the Economy and Investment, in attendance” – on his OWN Facebook wall, naturally. You’ve got to see it to believe it – http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/profile.php?id=1073243836
Ironic?
“As a lawyer in private practice, Dr Borg specialised in Human Rights cases.”
“In 1990 Dr Borg was appointed member of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Punishment or Treatment.”
http://www.tonioborg.com/profile_en.htm
Is EU-sanctioned action also UN-sanctioned?
I can confirm that the UAE and Qatar have pleaded, repeat, pleaded with the Maltese government to host their jets here in Malta for a short period. Our government tried every which way it could to refuse and when all verbal discussions were exhausted was made to put the refusal in writing.
The reply was not easy because there was no real reason for Malta to refuse. We must remember here that all NATO bases are full to the brim and even member countries were fighting internally to get a slot in any base as close as possible.
So both Qatar and the UAE had nowhere to base their aircraft and thought that Malta would be the ideal place. But of course, we are only the nurse of the Med.
These two countries will forever remember our refusal at a crucial time to allow them to show they also wanted to be part of UN Resolution 1973. And Benghazi will not forget either.
What Malta gained on the world stage just two weeks ago it has now managed to destroy in just three days. Now Malta thinks it can hawk itself round Europe asking for help with a refugee crisis and Frontex operations, or anything else for that matter.
No prize for guessing what their reply will be. We had a polite taste of that already from the British defence secretary who, when in Malta a few weeks ago, was asked by a reporter whether Britain intends to help with the expected refugee problem – and this after the Maltese prime minister standing beside him said that Malta will not be used as a military base. Britain’s position is to act to avoid a refugee crisis in the first place, so that there will not be one to deal with, Liam Fox replied.
Do we really not think here in Malta that the EU has been taking the mickey out of us on Frontex partly because we keep making life difficult for anything that has any military connotations?
Do we now expect two influential and wealthy countries like Qatar and the UAE to be generous to us when it comes to investing in our economy?
We have lost face completely and the new government in Libya, whenever it comes to power, will not forget Malta’s stance either. Our much-vaunted humanitarian aid did not help Libyans. It helped foreigners escape from Libya, leaving those Libyans behind to suffer the mayhem and carnage.
If anyone here thinks that Dom Mintoff kept Malta absolutely neutral, then they should be told that Libya based at least five helicopters here in Malta. When Gaddafi sent his gunboats to threaten our early oil exploration efforts, Mintoff kept those helicopters hostage. Gaddafi’s response was to get his pilots back from Malta to Tripoli in a hurry, and they took the helicopter logs with them. These Alouette helicopters went on to become part of the AFM equipment list.
If Mintoff was guilty of consistently and bloody-mindedly siding with those regimes who were – and still are – on the wrong side of history, the primadonnas currently in government are putting Malta’s foreign policy in great jeopardy by not siding with anyone at all, and in the process being perceived as siding with Muammar Gaddafi.
The government is providing us with the best example of how not to run a country’s foreign policy but while operations against Gaddafi’s regime are ongoing, Malta still has a chance to put things right, to be sensible on the world stage and to be sensitive to the Libyan freedom fighters.
Acting in such a selfish and ostrich-like way is not an option.
I’d say that they have their finger on the pulse of the average floating voter.
That’s all they care about.
“I can confirm that the UAE and Qatar have pleaded, repeat, pleaded with the Maltese government to host their jets here in Malta for a short period. Our government tried every which way it could to refuse and when all verbal discussions were exhausted was made to put the refusal in writing.”
Does this mean that the Prime Minister has lied again? He repeatedly said there were no requests to host military aircraft in Malta.
Isn’t it time for someone to confront Lawrence Gonzi or Tonio Borg with this kind of information, and ask for an explanation?
Sssshhhh….intom fiex tifhmu?
According to Profs. Godfrey Pirotta (our main guy in Social Policy at Uni) :
“… under normal circumstances all issues should be openly debated in Parliament but I would contest that the crisis in North Africa, especially Libya, falls under the category of normal circumstances. You will find that when a country is faced with potential danger the need for government and opposition is to remain focused rather than to shoot from the hip. But really what is there to debate on this issue in parliament? Whether we should make available our non-existing military facilities simply because of a bunch of foreign correspondents remain rooted in the years when Malta was a military base? Obviously they have not been to Malta in the last twenty years for otherwise they would have seen how we have transformed these former military facilities in all sort of tourist, commercial and social projects. e.g Tigne Point…..”
http://www.timesofmalta.com/blogs/view/20110328/alison-bezzina/sugar-coated-news
Cuc int, u icwec minnek minn ghamlek Professor.
http://www.private-eye.co.uk/covers.php?showme=1285&
Colonel wears his gongs with pride