In the war against terrorism, Joseph Muscat’s government stays ‘neutral’
Published:
February 12, 2015 at 4:32pm
Neutrality means you’re not taking sides because you don’t give a monkey’s either way. When the two sides are civilisation and savage terrorism, that means you’re morally disordered.
Roberta Metsola is right to speak up about this.
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Is Muscat willing to recognise Islamic State as counterpart to the rest of the planet?
There’s no other definition of neutral.
Someone stick a microphone under that smirk.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20150212/local/act-on-libya-now-simon-busuttil-tells-epp-leaders.555827
I thought Merkel was sending troops on our behalf. And bailing us out.
Has he found a new teen-crush?
Remember “Dwar il-Libja irridu nkunu prudenti”?
Someone should stick a microphone where it hurts. The man’s smugness, self-satisfaction and indifference to his responsibilities are insufferable.
How is Muscat going to deal with the worsening situation in Libya?
With Dr. Gonzi and a Nationalist administration, we felt safe but that is not the case with these clowns and liars.
Spot on. The prospect of Muscat et al steering this country through the turbulence in our neighborhood is too scary to contemplate. Hopefully he won’t feel compelled to transpose any of his deceptive ‘batman’ stunts in this highly delicate matter.
“How is Muscat going to deal with the worsening situation in Libya?”
Remember how he dealt with the situation when a Maltese national was abducted in Libya?
He will do exactly the same thing now.
He will stay in the shade, on the side lines, for now, until one side will emerge as the winner of the internal conflict, and then, and only then, he will try to steal the limelight with a few trips and invitations to the new Libyan leadership, with a lot of media coverage.
To be topped off with the signing of a few additional MOUs on cooperation in the oil and energy sectors which have little value other than for photo opportunities.
Old Gonz had his shortcomings but at least one could always trust him to make the right decision when it come to the nitty gritty as far as international crises were concerned.
Muscat has already taken a stand. He went to Germany to tell Merkel Sorting out Libya is her job,
And that’s as far as his interest in ISIS goes. He doesn’t care, as long as it remains on his doorstep and not an inch further in.
What about those 42000 Libyans in Malta?
Are those neutral too?
I wonder when he will realise that ISIS are not the bogey man but a very real threat to all those in the civilized world – the one inhabited by his own near and dear ones too.
Even my home help, who is barely literate, is more aware of the danger Isis poses to the civilized world then is our very own democratically elected government.
She was in tears today and worried stiff about what might happen to her two young girls in the near future, after hearing what was said on foreign news channels about the UN report on the atrocities committed on young children and the horrific death of the Jordanian pilot.
Her argumentation was that if this is what they do to their own kind, what will they do to others who are not their own.
[Daphne – Oh for heaven’s sake. You cannot be serious. The last thing you should be doing is encouraging her in that kind of ignorance. She is not more informed than others, but less informed. That is sheer ignorance speaking. When people look up to you because they think you’re educated and know better than they do, tell them the truth and not fiction that serves your propaganda interests.]
Who was encouraging her? I was actually surprised that she went further then idle gossiping on Facebook when using internet or watching Peppi’s inane junk tv.
“When he arrived at the Santa Venera tunnels, he saw police cars and “felt relieved” that the police had come to his rescue. But, to his surprise, the police asked him to lie face down on the ground and handcuffed him, he told the police.”
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20150212/local/ministers-driver-refuses-to-testify-in-case-against-man-he-shot.555834
So Joseph Muscat , who went to Paris and declared Je Suis Charlie, has no opinion regarding the terror group that beheads and burns alive its kidnapped prisoners and crucifies children.
Joseph Muscat is not French anymore.
In my book, if I am not ready to help, I should not expect help either. Any other way seems like arrogance and a false sense of entitlement.
Were we being neutral when KMB gave advance warning to Ghaddafi of an attack on him?
Are we being neutral when we allow a non-recognized person to issue visas and operate from a building which should only be occupied by recognized representatives of a country?
We do realize that IS is neither a recognized state nor does it have a recognized government? If I suddenly decided to set up a Caliphate, started robbing banks and beheading people in order to try to secure ransom, would Malta decide to leave me be so that it remains neutral?
With Labour one always wonders who is really pulling the strings.
Mila, if the dollars are good enough, we see nothing and hear nothing. What a goverment of hypocrits.
So now, for labour supporters IS are the victims.
Was the Police Commissioner, then Head of Immigration, being neutral when he warned a Gaddafi linked-Libyan that Interpol was close on his heels for an IRA arms deal?
Your first sentence sums it all up.
So long as Muscat keeps telling Merkel what to do about IS in Libya we’ll have done our bit.
Is there any other EU country besides Malta who has given the unrecognized government of Libya an Embassy to operate from?
Hedging his bet.
And the bit that our Labour government will have done is that of unfunny clowns in the European and world circus.
Ant the “bit” that our Joseph Muscat government will have done is that of unfunny clowns in the Eurpean and world circus.
Malta’s neutrality was tailor-made for the cowardly wimp that was Mintoff. Joseph Muscat is following in his footsteps and, being the amoral politician that he is, sees no difference between NATO and ISIS.
Not taking sides? Wrong. We are actually provoking the other side to take a belligerent stance by licensing an Israeli oil company to explore for oil over continental shelf claimed by Arab nations, one of which, Libya, may be partly controlled by Islamists.
What people don’t realise is that Malta, like Spain and Italy are the European countries that should really be at the forefront of the fight against ISL.
The ideas of the Caliphate are to restore the ancient borders of the seventh century Umayyad state and to force their version of Islam and sharia law to this state.
If we pay attention to extent of the borders during this time, we would notice that this includes part of France, most of Spain and all of Sicily, including Malta.
ISL intends to bring war and devastation to Malta whether we like it or not as it sees Malta as one of the lost lands of Islam.
Sitting on the fence protected by the paper shield that is neutrality will not work for us as it did not work for Belgium, The Netherlands, Denmark or Norway in the 40s.
We must fight this all together, for the alternative is too terrible to imagine.
Muscat and Co think that by not taking a stand against Isis, and using ‘neutrality’ as a skewered, cowardly excuse, this will stop ISI from annexing Malta to their Caliphate.
How ignorant and short-sighted can he possibly be. These fanatics will not stop at anything to fulfill their mission, and the EU and the rest of the global community is our only hope of protection against them.
He tries to appease the unappeasable, and alienates our protectors. What an unbelievable Mintoffian wanker. If our country is destroyed by Isis, I will put the blame squarely on the shoulders of the so-called switchers because they should have known better than to put this baboon and his fellow simians in government. Kollu mhabba n-nejk l-ghandhom.
Gives a new meaning to Mintoff’s infamous words, “min mhux maghna, kontra taghna”.
But then again, sitting on the fence, hedging (pun intended) as to which side to fall, depending on public opinion, has been the hallmark of this silly government.
Muscat is really standing up to be counted. His supporters are denouncing Dr Metsola for her stand.
Too scared of professional women or cowards?
The result is the same. We’re sending a message to the world that Malta stands idly by while the whole world unites against terrorism.
Je suis Charlie my foot. Biex jidher biss tajjeb
Labour always sold its soul to dictators like Gaddafi, Ceaucescu, and between good and bad they leant towards the evil.
Perhaps all the people who advocate such neutrality should take a good look at what happened to the Netherlands in the Second World War.
In my opinion, staying neutral means affirming what others are doing.
That is the stuff amoral cowards are made of.
Just watching the news and the reportage on the EU leaders meeting today.
The pre-meeting entry of the EU leaders was an exercise in camaraderie, except for one sulking out of place person and his entourage, on the fringes of the place: Joseph Muscat.
At one point he seemed to be butting into other people’s conversations, like Renzi’s. Then he retreated back into his corner.
It reminded me of Peter Sellers’s The Party, when he was erroneously invited to a big shot Hollywood party without knowing anyone.
I invite you to see both – The Party is available on Youtube.
The resemblance of both people in similar situation is just uncanny. And saddening.
Our PM is seriously out of his depth here. Taghna Loll and HuGoFik tactics are wasted here. Muscat is just shunned as a necessary nobody, or as the British say, meat in the room.
Padding. Nothing else. To this has our country been reduced.
Oh and in the background…..Cyrus the RevengePorner
Joseph Muscat qed jilghab man-nar u msejkna ahna.
Being neutral in this situation is being a coward.
http://ceuvideo.eu/775-980-15402
Daphne, can’t wait to read your comments about the PM’s look in this photo.
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2015-02-12/world-news/Summit-in-Brussels-Greece-eurozone-make-conciliatory-move-on-debt-talks-6736130528
The attack on the Maltese hotel in Tripoli must have changed his mind, because before he was speaking on a somewhat different language. If it is so I do not like that our foreign policy is dictated by the interests of a commercial group.
On the other hand, neutrality or not, no one can deny that Malta has not already provided some logistical support against ISIS.
George Vella has already voiced harsh political criticism against ISIS, and if need be I do not think that Malta would refuse any humanitarian assistance to victims of ISIS. So it’s all about saying one thing and do another.
Neutrality is truly manifested in military terms, and it seems that both Parties agree against any direct military involvement.
“If it is so I do not like that our foreign policy is dictated by the interests of a commercial group.”
In terms of unfolding events, so was the Gonzi government relatively late to declare support actively.
The little area of commercial interests always commanded priority position.
The controlling 2% in the Corinthia’s Libyan funding covered, handled and transferred under a Gonzi government by both parties acting in synch.
Even when the Gonzi government did declare its support, commercial interests were prioritised over humanitarian ones.
Decisions “ta’ barra minn hawn.”
War’s a bugger.
Our neutrality is a not worth the paper it’s written on because it is predicated on a world where super-powers still exist. What Muscat appears to be saying here is that ISIL is to be treated in the same way as he would a super-power.
It is mind boggling that neutrality is even brought into this. Serious neutral countries, like Ireland, Sweden, Finland & Austria apply constructive neutrality and contribute, for instance, to UN peace-keeping, which Malta has had to do almost in secret, for fear of being in breach of this ridiculous clause.
These four countries have declared themselves to be wholeheartedly against ISIL, because a civilised country cannot possibly be neutral in the face of this barbarism.
Yet again, Labour lets us down.
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2015-02-12/local-news/Malta-seeks-assurances-that-Greek-debt-will-be-honoured-ahead-of-concessions-Scicluna-6736130511
Here’s the cash flow problem…
What will convince Muscat that Malta can no longer stay “neutral” when facing the horror that is Isis? When the embassy building of a country in the coalition against terror gets targeted by a terrorist attack on Maltese soil?
We need to be part of NATO at this particular moment in time in world history – and f*ck the neutrality clause that may have made some sense at the height of the cold war but not now. The world has changed quite a lot since the days when we were officially, ‘blood brothers’ to the Libyans.
For far too long have we supported or hidden a stupid clause in Malta’s Constitution that renders us as living in the past.
Neutrality is the policy of the undecided, the incompetent, the fickle and the-fuck-you-Jack-as-if-I- care lack lustre politicians.
This is the return to the AAPSO Period of Mintoff’s era type of politics.
Then we will be the first to expect with our usual sense of false entitlement to have every EU country, the US and all come to our aid should Malta be threatened in any way.
Balzan’s epitome of dishonesty – shameful article . Gonzi should sue Salvu’s pants off. Gonzi never said that MaltaToday should not have revealed the scandal, but that whoever held onto the publication until the election campaign should have released the information earlier if their interest was really justice and not political motivation.
Balzan – liar, liar, liar.
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/comment/blogs/49463/dishonesty_is_too_kind_a_word_for_you_dr_gonzi#.VN2UG2K9KSM
His moral compass must be stuck next to a big magnet.
I agree 100% and expect Balzan to make an apology to his readers and to Dr. Gonzi.
Otherwise he will be held in contempt by people of good will
Don’t worry, Balzan will eventually have to swallow back all his bile.
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2015-02-14/local-news/EXCLUSIVE-George-Farrugia-reveals-to-The-Malta-Independent-how-he-obtained-his-pardon-6736130647
How can any decent politician, nay, human being, declare neutrality in the face of the inhuman barbarism that is ISIS? Joseph Muscat’s government’s stance on this issue shames us with Europe and the world. Where are the (MCAST) students’ with their cries of ‘Shame, Shame, Shame on you’ cries now? Surely they cannot be backing this amoral cowardice.
Veru ma tafx fejn int ma’ dan il-gvern.
U fejn hu Peppi ta’ Xarabank. Hawn tant fuqiex wiehed jista’ jiddiskuti, ser noqghodu intellaw programm jekk Angelic kellux il-Bambin Gesu f’idejh.
Malta’s PM is not ‘ neutral’ He is ‘neutered’.
Punto e basta!
Salvu Balzan still cannot fathom the fact that Dr Gonzi defeated his idol John Dalli as PN leader. It would have been more interesting for Salvu Balzan to publish a book on Dalligate and the OLAF findings to show his credibility.
http://www.maltapark.com/item.aspx?ItemID=4023350
In good what?
A Labour government on the wrong side of history. Yet again.
Does every light breeze send Muscat in a different direction? Is this his usual stance of straddling the fence?
”Prime Minister Joseph Muscat welcomed an announcement by Italy this evening, that it would be ready to join a UN-led force to battle “an active terrorist threat” after recent advances by a faction in Libya that has sworn loyalty to Islamic State militants.
In a tweet, Dr Muscat said:
Glad #Italy willing to intervene in #Libya under UN mandate. #Malta will play it’s part to ensure #Mediterranean stability -JM @matteorenzi”
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20150213/local/joseph-muscat-welcomes-italy-announcement-on-possible-intervention-in-libya.555955
Government by Twitter is for the bird-brained. Everyone seems to think it’s perfectly normal for a prime minister to speak to the electorate sidewyas through a message aimed at sucking up to another PM.