On back scratching

Interesting that the visiting Libyan Foreign Minister would express his country's gratitude to Malta's Prime Minister for the "forewarning" that Malta gave Libya, prior to the 1986 bombing of Libyan military installations, airports and missile guidance sites by the US (January 21). At that time, the Libyan leader was known to inhabit a tent pitched on the grounds of the El Azizia military barracks outside Benghazi; he must have felt he had been specifically targeted. Despite all of this, the Libyan Foreign Minister's predecessor, Abdel Rahman Shalgham, credits former Italian Prime Minister Bettino Craxi with having warned the Libyans about the impending attack by the US.

Even so, was this then a case of Libya looking at "the enemy (Malta) of my enemy (the US) is my (Libya's) friend"? It is a known fact that at that time Malta and Libya had very cosy relations, with Malta adopting a very strong anti-western stance and Libya aiding Malta both materially and financially. So if this was really a case of "the enemy of my enemy...", then what does this "involvement" by Malta say about its vaunted neutrality?

Neutrality aside, the Libyan Foreign Minister can express his country's gratitude in more tangible ways. Namely by relinquishing all claims by Libya to Malta's continental shelf, and by his country allowing the return of the illegal immigrants that Malta complains so much about, and wishes it could send back.

However, he must have been ambivalent on the former (the file on the matter was "active"), and poured water on the latter by insisting "illegal immigration was Europe's problem".

Correct us if we're wrong Mr Foreign Minister, but isn't Malta part of Europe?