EU patrols postponed after 'pressure from Libya'

The long-awaited EU border patrols off the Maltese coast had been scheduled to start last Thursday but last-minute opposition from the Libyan government forced the European Commission to change its plans, according to Libya's Foreign Minister Abdulati Alobeidi.

Mr Alobeidi gave an interview to the Italian press on Wednesday during which he dismissed comments made by European Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini that his country was looking into the idea of joining the "Jason 1" patrols.

The Commissioner had told Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg the previous Saturday that "the Libyans are seriously considering" joining the operation if there is assistance from the EU to patrol Libya's desert borders.

This had been given as the reason for the postponement of an inter-ministerial meeting on illegal migration between Malta, Italy and Libya that was to have taken place in Malta on Wednesday.

Dr Borg had welcomed the development, saying he preferred to postpone the meeting in order to give the possibility of Libyan cooperation a try, adding that patrols would be better with the cooperation than without.

According to Mr Alobeidi, however, the decision to delay the start of the patrols was taken following talks he had in Rome on September 1, with Mr Frattini, during which he relayed Tripoli's objection to the patrols.

In his interview with the Italian daily La Stampa, Mr Alobeidi levelled harsh criticism at Mr Frattini, accusing him of taking a unilateral decision without consulting Libya.

"They (the EU) had decided to start these patrols on September 7 without even consulting us. I had to go personally to Rome last week to discuss this issue with Commissioner Frattini. I think that rather than taking such unilateral decisions, Commissioner Frattini should first concentrate on helping Libya deal with its southern borders," he said.

Mr Alobeidi said it was following his meeting with Mr Frattini that last Wednesday's planned political meeting in Malta was postponed and the start of the operation put on hold.

Libya wanted to collaborate with all the EU member states on illegal immigration but in order to do so "Libya wants to be part of the decision and not find itself in a situation whereby a decision has already been taken without its consent," the Libyan minister said.

He said border patrols would not solve the illegal immigration problem. "We have to start from our 4,000 kilometre southern border from where thousands are crossing over. We need the EU to give us helicopters, boats, pick-up trucks, night visors and other equipment to be able to patrol this border."

Asked for his reaction to the Libyan minister's version of events, Mr Frattini's spokesman chose not to comment.

"At this stage my only comment is that, in peace and quietly, we should first conclude the negotiations with all the parties involved. I think it is very clear we need to have a successful operation and this also depends on third countries. We need the cooperation of Libya on this operation."

The European Commission has been asking Libya for its cooperation on these patrols for the past few months but Libya never gave a formal answer until its ambassador to Malta dismissed the idea in an interview with The Times.

Asked whether the EU needed Libya's green light to launch its planned operation, the Commissioner's spokesman said that was not necessarily the case. "As I said before, this operation can be truly effective if it involves the full cooperation of third countries, in this case Libya."

These latest developments leave the Jason 1 patrols in the balance as no date has been established for the start of the operations. It is understood that discussions between the EU and Libya are still ongoing and a presentation on possible help to be granted to Libya will be given by Commissioner Frattini to EU Home Affairs Ministers in an informal council meeting in Tempere, Finland, on September 20. The future of patrols off the coast of Malta will also be discussed at the meeting.

Minister Borg and Foreign Minister Michael Frendo were both unavailable for comment yesterday.