Updated: SAR area "too large for tiny Malta" - Frattini

Alex Brincat

Aug 24th 2009, 15:33

@ A Mangion

Yes you are right there. But go and tell that to the Malta ATC company (MATS) which if not mistaken is Govt owned. Every cent we make from our airspace is therefore ours as a country. We lose our SAR / FIR we lose loads of money. I beleive it is millions we are talking about here, not pennies. All would otherwise be pocketed by the the Italian government, which lately has not shown much help.

lgalea

Aug 24th 2009, 09:54

Mark Galea
You are not even sixteen Mark because you have no idea what teh S&R entails.

Lina Caruana

Aug 24th 2009, 09:46

The trouble is the two issues of immigrants and the SAR have been mixed up.What if these immigrants are helped to develop an uninhabited island. Sooner or later we shall be having another conflict similar to Palestin e and the Middle East. Maybe Frattini wants to jump the gun for his own interest.

Mark Galea

Aug 24th 2009, 09:24

@All
It is very funny to see the usual anti immigrant people fighting it all out to retain our SAR? Inconsistent with their prior arguments ... which gives me right to think that these blogs are full of 16 year olds.

Peter Korsten

Aug 24th 2009, 08:58

@Alex Brincat:
"Maybe Dottor Frattini can consider my honest proposal in good faith."

Knowing Frattini, he'd probably happily hand over Naples and everything to the south of it, including Sicily. In certain cities in northern Italy, they're banning foreign food, which apparently includes Sicilian.

Well, at least we'd have somewhere to put the immigrants.

ronald.mifsud

Aug 24th 2009, 08:00

A smaller SAR will mean that the Italians conveniently will only spot the boats of illegal immigrants when they are closer to the nearest port in Malta so that they would have a valid excuse to dump all the illegal immigrants on our islands. Thanks but no thanks, Rajnieha qalbek Signor Frattini.

Stephen Farrugia

Aug 24th 2009, 00:28

I see a bad one coming... Italy is becoming a pain, and frattini should shut up and enjoy his stay in whatever he is. Malta is not an island... malta IS the major part of the mediterranean, and the little land there is, is where people live.

J. Schembri

Aug 23rd 2009, 23:29

I didn't mention Dumink , someone else did before me , I just wanted to put the record straight. To be honest I expect everyone to be four square with our foreign minister.
I can differentiate between , teritorial waters , SAR area and air traffic control area , BUT if one of these areas is taken or given to one of our neighbours because we are small , than it would be a matter of time for the other areas to be taken for the same reason by our friendly neighbours.Frattini does not want the SAR area he is aiming higher.
The so called evidence from the Eritrean 'survivors ' is all made up .

Dennis Cini

Aug 23rd 2009, 23:09

it's about time malta invites a russian or chinese battleship on a friendly visit...

lgalea

Aug 23rd 2009, 22:36

A Mangion
Don't bet your money on it Mangion. Ask yourself. Why this sudden interest by the Italians in our S&R area when they are sending back the illegal immigrants to Libya, WHY WHY WHY?

martin saliba
The EU can never order us to surrender what is ours martin, whatever it says or does.

John Schembri
Did you know that Malta's air traffic control zone extended not only over Libya but also over Sudan? Would any decent country accept that another country control its air space. Get real Schembri and don't try to divide the Maltese citizens on political on such issues. I certainly do not support the present Government politically, but I am four square behind it where Malta's interest is at stake such as the present case.

M Vella

Aug 23rd 2009, 22:30

@ A Mangion

Just answer this question: Do you feel happy with how the Italians are treating Malta?

Lina Caruana

Aug 23rd 2009, 21:36

Of whatever creed we should support the Minister of Foreign Affairs in his statement that the SAR is not up for discussion. Mr. Frattini should turn his attention in other ways in which he can help these immigrants like state aid out of bigger funds so as to keep these unfortunate people in their country . Would he tackle largish Africa instead of tiny Malta ? Mr. Frattini has slipped into unchartered waters perhaps?

M Callus

Aug 23rd 2009, 21:35

@CArm Diacono

Stop being partisan in this issue. Joseph muscat should be backing the Maltese authorities in this and not excel in the usual politics of convenience.

Edric Micallef Figallo

Aug 23rd 2009, 21:27

I wouldn't want to express my instinctual emotional reaction to Franco Frattini here, in quaint and understandable Italian for I'd fear breaching laws on public decency. Use your imagination.

@Robert Callus

"Bossi calling Malta 'large as a spit' only adds insult to injury"

The Italian expression "grande come uno sputo" does not have any pejorative undertone, just a quick search online will give results that barely signify that something is small in dimensions. The undiplomatic Umberto Bossi (ask the Vatican and Roma ladrona itself) actually did us a favour by stating (quoting from an ANSA.it news report):

""é grande come uno sputo - ha detto - non ci stanno più neppure i maltesi..." affermando, indirettamente, che l'isola non può permettersi di accogliere immigrati."

Indeed, that is most right and Bossi said so, our geographical and demographical reality is that. More offensive is Frattini's assertion that Malta is not fulfilling its Search & Rescue obligations. Worse, Frattini seems to think that our government is stupid. Thumbs up for Tonio Borg.

Frattini, non dimenticheremo quando eri commissario europeo e volevi fare di Malta un maxi centro di detenzione. Mi ricordi una canzone del grande Marco Masini.

A Mangion

Aug 23rd 2009, 21:01

The issue here is the SAR area which has nothing to do with sovereignty, the right to search for oil, territorial administration or otherwise. It does however has to do with Air Traffic Control as basically it is the the amount of airspace assigned to Malta for the provision of both ATC and SAR. We have to admit that there is no way Malta can fulfill its SAR duties for this huge area which basically covers the whole central Mediterranean and we do need help and resources. In times like these when European countries are seriously trying to come together for a single airspace administration and so many other issues it is indeed pathetic to chant a mantra for the return of Malta's political dinosaurs to help us, as is reminding the Italians of their defeat in the last war! Hello all..it is 2009, Malta is in the EU and we are not at war with Italy or any other country.

C. Farrugia

Aug 23rd 2009, 20:31

And now for the points from the Italian jury..

*And for our NEIGHBOURS.... Malta.... ZERO points!!*

So much for Malta's... Euro-VISION!!!

Alex Brincat

Aug 23rd 2009, 20:02

All of you are wrong, completely. Why not take advantage of the opportunity. We can give the Italians, say 75% of our SAR area, in exchenge for a couple of Italian cities, such as Rome and Florence!!! We are a tourist country and would neede some more history in our land territory. Maybe Dottor Frattini can consider my honest proposal in good faith.

Robert Callus

Aug 23rd 2009, 19:47

Frattini & co should stop this shameful abuse of a human tragedy for political/territorial gains.
The track record of the present Italian government on human rights is one of the most despicable in the whole EU. Now Frattini's heart is bleeding! Bossi calling Malta 'large as a spit' only adds insult to injury

G Grech

Aug 23rd 2009, 19:41

The Italians are trying to take over for themselves what they didn't manage to take in WWII using illegal immigration as an excuse.

Antoine Grima

Aug 23rd 2009, 19:32

Stop bullying us Mr Frattini.We are a small island with guts.I am not a Gonzi follower but in something like this i am behind him 100%.

Emanuel Magrin

Aug 23rd 2009, 19:28

Malta could serve as a Mediterranean base for Search And Rescue.
An international team operating from Malta could easily remove the stress from the Maltese authorities. This does not mean that Malta will reduce its responsibilities or SAR boundaries. It simply means that more countries join in and co-opeate in SAR operations launched from Malta. This was done during operation ESMERALDA when both Maltese and foreign forces - including private aircraft - were searching for the crew and passengers of the Maltese yatch - ESMERALDA - that foundered off Sardinia in the early 90's.

albert leone ganado

Aug 23rd 2009, 19:25

This extent of our SAR area is a issue of maltese national interest and we must back the deputy prime minister fully and unconditionally in protecting what historically are our rights.
Certainly it was not Frattini or any italian government of the past who provided us with these rights.
We inherited this control zone because of the past British naval historic dominance of this region.
It is however a fact that operationally it is difficult and costly to manage such a large area without equipping oneself with the latest ships and monitoring hardware .
It is perhaps time to revisit the military mission agreement with Italy and consider how operational management of this SAR region could, without ceding any of our historic rights. be jointly managed as part of a new naval cooperation agreement.
The Italian government should realise that there would certainly be others more than willing to offer help if we seek it to jointly patrol a zone of major strategic importance in order to discharge our duties to the international community.

Sandro Pace

Aug 23rd 2009, 18:59

Its either that Sig. Frattini expects Malta to intervene in Libyan SAR in such cases. Not the first time when one remembers the tuna pen incident while he was commissioner. For him, in such cases, SAR boundaries are just bureaucratic things. He cannot stand Malta in being strict about this, having no other option.

Or else he expects Malta to patrol all its SAR 24 hours a day 7 days a week for boats in distress. No country is obliged to do so. Usually a country acts on distress signals from the crafts, and its co-ordination responsibilities does not necessarily depends on its resources.

No distress was recieved from this boat. Which can mean that their ordeal was in Libyan SAR. So, with all its resources, does Libya also has a too large SAR? If Malta ceases a bit of it, will Libya do the same? Since Libya has a large desert frontier which it cannot manage, will it cede part of its territory to the Italians?

Anthony Baldacchino

Aug 23rd 2009, 18:58

I cannot understand the Maltese, they complain about illegal imigration, but still want to mantain a huge search and rescue area, or is it that they are making big money to honor what they are not? by sending all the boats to Sicily or Lampedusa ? maybe fishing and oil exploration have something to do with this as well? fly zone tax? who knows? ;

C.Sammut

Aug 23rd 2009, 18:56

I said this before and will repeat it. Even the whole island is not enough to deal with the immigration problem being created. Hence giving away the island or its inheritance should not be the solution!

Tony Scott

Aug 23rd 2009, 18:52

The arrogance of certain Italian politics have no limits. They tried it in WW11 and they are trying it again now. And it seems that history repeats itself!! Dr. Tonio Borg the real Maltese are behind you. Don’t let these people think that they can do what they like because we are ‘TINY”.
KEEP IT UP DR. TONIO BORG REAL MALTESE ARE BEHIND YOU.

Carm V Diacono

Aug 23rd 2009, 18:46

John Schembri,
Can you please stop being partisan on this issue? Our country is facing such circumstances quite on a regular basis and one thing that we don't need at this point in time is to divide ourselves politically.

At least don't use this issue to give a perverse idea of what happened in the past. It is true that part of the traffic control zone which you are referring was released from part of the whole Maltese area. In fact it was given back to Libya because Malta could no longer control air traffic in a particular zone which needed to be supervised by the Libyan authorities. You should have mentioned that the concerned air zone also reached the Libyan mainland and it surely wasn't part of what should be Malta's air traffic control zone.

Us Maltese need to worry about the shameful attitude the Italian Government is expressing when it comes to Malta. The local Government have blown the balloon so much that it has exploded in our faces. We are disappointed because the Minister should have been honest in the first place and admitted that he wasn't involved at all in the discussions!

martin saliba

Aug 23rd 2009, 18:45

@ John Schembri

Air traffic control and SAR are not the same. It seems that your are being politicaly biased in your comment. Lets me assure you that my eyes are neuther red or blue, they are the clour of my pocket. Lets now hope that Italy is not preparing to take this to some EU commision to force Malta into surrendering part ot our waters that might be lucerative in the way of oil.

Dave.Gauchi

Aug 23rd 2009, 18:45

Frattini, no Boot shaped country is going to Walk all over us.

lgalea

Aug 23rd 2009, 18:42

IF YOU THINK THAT YOU WILL PAY US BACK BECAUSE YOUR COUNTRY SURRENDERED IN MALTA 69 YEARS AGO YOU CAN FORGET IT FRATTINI.
OUR S&R AREA WAS NEVER YOURS EVEN IF YOU ALWAYS DREAMED OF MARE NOSTRUM.
THE S&R AREA IS NOT YOURS. YOU GAVE US NOTHING FRATTINI.
YOU ONLY WANT TO FURTHER DEVELOP YOUR IDEA THAT MALTA AND CYPRUS BE TURNED INTO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS OPEN CENTRES AND YOU STARTED WITH MALTA BECAUSE CYPRUS IS A HARDER COMPLICATED NUT TO CRACK.
BUT FRANCO FRATTINI YOU KNOW WHERE TO SHOVE YOUR OPINION THAT OUR S&R AREA IS TOO BIG FOR US.
EVERY MALTESE CITIZEN STANDS FOUR SQUARE BEHIND OUR GOVERNMENT ON THIS.
RICORDA CAPORETTO FRATTINI?
IL-NOSTRO URLO DI BATTAGLIA NON E MAI CORAGGIO FUGGIAMO FRATTINI.

M Vella

Aug 23rd 2009, 18:31

@ John Schembri @T Abela

This is why we Maltese rarely make it! Instead of taking the opportunity to be partisan in your comments, we should join forces for Malta's sake. This is no misplaced Nationalism as someone said! Targeting your brother is so wrong instead of focusing who should reallly be dealt with.

J. Schembri

Aug 23rd 2009, 18:08

Joseph should be backing Malta on this. And in Dumink's time Malta surrendered parts of its air traffic control zone.

M.Bezzina

Aug 23rd 2009, 18:06

SAR area "too large for tiny Malta" - Frattini

If you say that SAR it is too large for Malta therefore why dont you help us Signor Frattini? You have many planes to spare and base in Malta or operate from Sicily if you dont want to base it in Malta!!
But we can see that you are pushing this issue for another agenda in your mind!!
I hope you or someone will forward the below comments to you!!

J.Azzopardi

Aug 23rd 2009, 18:03

Lenny Micallef
Yes correct !
What a coincidence hux ? Lo and behold Silvio Berlusconi is visiting Libya next week :
http://www.voceditalia.it/articolo.asp?id=37533&titolo=Berlusconi%20in%20visita%20da%20Gheddafi.

In the coming weeks and months, Malta be ready for some vile scheming by the sounds of it and there is more to it then the Frattini banal hypocritical excuse of saving illegal immigrants.

The Brits are at it too :
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8215807.stm

Oil speaks my friends. When it comes to these terms there are no friends !

Paul Barrett

Aug 23rd 2009, 17:59

Don't concede one inch of the SAR - it is known as the thin edge of the wedge - before you know it they will claim Gozo and Comino as theirs.

M Vella

Aug 23rd 2009, 17:52

Persistence from Frattini is purely arrogance! Who is he to decide what is best for the internatinoal community when they are not even capable of protecting their civilians on their own land! Tackling Camorra and Mafia may be a little too difficult task for them but they weren't even capable of keeping public hygiene by collecting their own rubbish. And now they want to TURN INTO the heroes of the Mediterranean!

I also agree with someone else's point when he said that we need to take a tougher stand (Attn: Tonio Borg) when protecting Malta's interests. Mr. Frattini and the rest of his colleagues pompously and "heroically" tend to show the rest of the world that the wheel without them wouldn't turn - simply Italian male pride! And then they say that the French are proud ppl?! Instead we Maltese tend to beg for what is ours by right!!!!!

Quote: "Italy still believed that Malta's area,"...."was massive for the country"

And please Signor Frattini you can keep "ITALY'S" super saviour believes with regards to the International and the Maltese community for you. We surely doesn't care about what you believe!

J. Schembri

Aug 23rd 2009, 17:49

"maybe, we gave a search and rescue area that is too large for tiny Malta". Who are "we"? Malta rightfully inherited this area from its coloniser. This area has been monitored from Malta for ages , and now we have a Frontex helping us.
"Tiny Malta" was the place where the whole Italian Navy surrendered its remaining battleships.

P.Pulis

Aug 23rd 2009, 17:47

"maybe, we gave a search and rescue area that is too large...."
Who we? The Italians?
If I remember correctly we 'inherited' this from the British.
As for Tiny Malta,all you (Mr Frattini), have to do is look back 69 years and you will remember what tiny malta was capable of doing.

T ABELA

Aug 23rd 2009, 17:34

fejn int dumink! kieku frattini u shabu ga hadu sehemom. kemm kienu8 zminijiet sbieh tara s super potenzi jehdua kintra tiny malta. kont tkun kburi tghid li int malti. tiftakruhom lill carrington, lunes, u ohrajn li ippruvaw jnizzlu gharkubjha lill malta. zoomu sod malta nhux ghal bejh...

Lenny Micallef

Aug 23rd 2009, 17:34

Let's keep strong. This italian minister seems to have something against the maltese and it seems the Italian's want something back for the millions they gave to libya.... We are not going to pay the price.

Eric Camilleri

Aug 23rd 2009, 17:29

Mr Frattini cannot get more disrespectful than this towards Malta. So much for friendly neighbours. As if Mr Frattini is genuinely the least concerned about the well being of the illegal immigrants and their fate at sea. There is more to this than being said by the Italian side. This is a national issue which Mr Frattini is targetting against Malta. Keep whinning as much as you wish Mr Frattini.

Andrew cachia

Aug 23rd 2009, 17:15

Mr farrugia you say italy is not malta's friend. Then who in your humble opinion is maltas friend?

J Farrugia

Aug 23rd 2009, 17:02

Ministru Borg minflok toqghod telogja lil dan Frattini, ahjar tibqa zzomm iebes u turi li ahna l-Maltin ma naccettawx imposizzjoni minn gvernijiet taljani. U jkun ahjar ghalihom jekk jaghmlu l-parti taghhom u jghinuna billi jghidu lill-Gaddafi ma jibqax jibghat iktar klandestini go l-ibhra mediterranji ghax issa zzejjed. Nafu kemm il-media taljani hija mahmuga u hliegf titfa tajn ma tafx. Ejja nnehhuha minn mohhna li t-taljani huma hbieb taghna.

Muscat Pat

Aug 23rd 2009, 17:00

If Frattini and Co cannot control the Mafia in the South and in Sicily-on the mainland, how are they going to control the human traffickers in the Med? Mare Nostrum dried up with the surrender of the Italian fleet at ST Paul's Bay at the end of the Second World War.

malcolm seychell

Aug 23rd 2009, 16:59

Seems the Italians are not forgetting, that the PN was all out in favour of Prodi rather then Berlusconi.

Frattini is doing whats best for Italy.

We should do the same and praise Italy on illegal immigration and not keep our mouth shut.
It is the less we can do.

c. Farrugia

Aug 23rd 2009, 16:54

Jeremy J Camilleri (12 minutes ago)
This is getting rather eerie in my opinion........


A little too much for *comfort* I reckon........

jbusuttil

Aug 23rd 2009, 16:45

Frattini is turning out to be the worst Italian Foreign Minister that Malta has ever dealt with the Italian ambassador to Malta should take note about the Maltese feelings towards this person and informs the Italian Prime Minister together with the Italian President that things seem to be going from bad to worse. On this issue I hope that the Maltese will unite and make our voices heard when speaking to our Italian friends when they visit Malta. We have to show them that this one person is causing problems to our two countries friendship.

Jeremy J Camilleri

Aug 23rd 2009, 16:39

This is getting rather eerie in my opinion........