Let’s put our prime minister’s demand for Libyan coastal patrols into context
The international news agencies report that Libya is – and I quote – “awash with guns and powerful militia” and that the Tripoli-based government is “increasingly isolated” and unable to control “disruptions outside the capital”.
Tribes and other groups are blocking oil exports, reducing them to around 10% of capacity.
The Tripoli government is impotent in the face of armed militias. The prime minister was kidnapped and temporarily held hostage a couple of weeks ago.
And now armed men have held up a van carrying currency to the Libyan central bank in Sirte on the coast, and have stolen – hold your breath – $55 million.
But Joseph Muscat – who has absolutely no sense of international perspective or context – is demanding that the United Nations forces patrol Libya’s coast TO STOP IMMIGRANTS LEAVING FOR MALTA.
All that trouble in Libya, that chaos, the total breakdown of law and order into near-anarchy, and Muscat actually thinks that the Libya-related priority for Europe and for Libya itself is making sure that asylum seekers don’t leave the shore and make a mess on his doorstep.
If the UN goes into Libya, it certainly won’t be to solve Joseph’s problems at this stage. The very idea is risible. His counterparts in the European Union must think him nuts or straight out of the sticks, and are too diplomatic to say so: Libya has descended into near-anarchy but the UN has to go in to patrol…the beaches.
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Our prime minister is becoming a greater embarrassment by the day.
Our credibility and reputation is bleeding from that carotid. How could the electorate be so stupid as not to have seen this coming?
And it’s only been 8 months. Can you imagine what Malta will be like in 5 years? It will take at least 20 years to rebuild the economic and political destruction of hurricane Joseph.
Joseph Muscat IS straight out of the sticks.
He is completely clueless when it comes to dealing with matters beyond Malta’s shores, or with the likes of Shiv Nair and smart foot-in-the-door type organizations such as Henley & Partners, and dodgy China-owned companies, as recent revelations have now shown.
Joseph Muscat is now out of his depth. He is rapidly losing control over his cabinet. Minister Manuel Mallia is calling the shots. Ministers Chris Cardona and Godfrey Farrugia do not have control over their own ministries.
Joseph Muscat’s base is extensively eroded. State revenue base is seriously undermined. Job creation is negative. Unemployment is on the rise. In less than seven months, Muscat has shown himself to be inept in government and in handling Malta affairs within the EU.
All that he now has left is bluff and bluster. Joseph Muscat, and Malta, will be in deep crisis before the year is out.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20131024/local/pm-says-un-force-should-police-libyan-ports-to-stem-migration.491701
“Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has told Sky News that a a United Nations force should police Libyan ports to stem the tide of immigrants if richer countries refuse to help frontline states.”
If the UN goes into Libyan ports at this point, it risks having its patrol boats shot at by the militia. It will embroil itself in Libya’s internal strife, which sounds like a civil war from what we are reading.
No wonder whoever wrote Muscat’s speech to the UN General Assembly never made any reference to such crazy idea.
There is nothing worse than a fool who does not realise that he is a fool (and I use the word fool instead of another word that is downright insulting.
I would say that other E.U. leaders are very much aware of the maxim “One who knows not, and knows not that he knows not, he is a fool. SHUN HIM.
As a matter of fact they have been treating il-ginger exactly that way ever since he set foot in Brussels as head of the Maltese government.
To push home the point about the state of the region, some analysts suggest a number of countries in North Africa and the Middle East could break up. The New York Times suggests Libya could split up into four different countries – maybe Muscat can get another three memoranda of understanding.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/09/29/sunday-review/how-5-countries-could-become-14.html?_r=0
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/29/opinion/sunday/imagining-a-remapped-middle-east.html
With respect to the article – I must say that although the situation in Iraq, Syria and Libya is dire, I don’t think Saudi Arabia will break up.
I’d really looove to see what the US think about Joseph. What I’m not so sure about is, once read, whether should I laugh or cry. Wikileaks, anyone?