Matthew Xuereb
Malta 'magnet for terror attacks'
Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici
Malta has become a magnet for terrorist attacks because of EU membership and participation in Nato's Partnership for Peace programme, former Prime Minister Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici claimed yesterday.
Addressing a press conference, Dr Mifsud Bonnici, renowned for his anti-EU stance, insisted Malta should withdraw from the EU and the PfP and continue to be neutral and non-aligned, as laid down in the Constitution.
Dr Mifsud Bonnici, leader of the Campaign for National Independence (CNI), said the EU was developing into a military superpower and its common foreign and security policy violated Maltese constitutional provisions on neutrality and non-alignment.
He said other countries were viewing Malta as an ally of the UK, France and Germany, among others, making it "a magnet for terror attacks".
"Why should Malta expose itself to such risks?" he asked.
Dr Mifsud Bonnici hit out at Malta's participation in the PfP programme and the Somalia mission. He criticised the new AFM commander, Brig. Martin Xuereb, for having boasted Malta had been participating in PfP meetings since 1996.
He said the current impasse with Libya on granting visas also showed how Malta should not form part of the EU's Schengen arrangement, because what happened in Malta was being dictated by other countries.
"Malta has become a slave of the EU and Schengen," Dr Mifsud Bonnici said, adding the country was losing business because its people could not go to Libya.
Dr Mifsud Bonnici said Malta was a net contributor and not a net beneficiary, and this was why the country should not be part of the EU. This year, he said, the country was forking out €66.5 million to give to the EU, around €221 per capita, while since EU membership in 2004, the country paid the EU a staggering €376 million, apart from the cost of adopting the acquis.
Turning to the water and electricity tariffs, Dr Mifsud Bonnici said CNI would participate in Sunday's protest because it was the EU that had forced the government to withdraw subsidies for essential services.
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Martin Cassar
Feb 24th 2010, 14:47
@ Joseph W. Galea
Sir,
During the past ten years and more specifically after the 9/11, practically most if not [ALL] global news bulletins has got to do with either Middle East –Zionists (the Jews and the Zionists aren’t the same please) conflict, USA, ‘terrorism’, Muslims or Islam. Have you attentively listened to any news bulletin during this period please? I very much doubt!
The era of spoon-fed news has gone forever Mr. Joseph W. Galea. In today’s globalize world one must analyze global politics to comprehend own national politics. The international politics isn’t only limited to the EU, Dr, Gonzi, Dr Mifsud Bonnici or Mr. J. Muscat! We (the whole Europe coupled with the EU) are just a very [SLIM] slice of the globe Mr. Galea!
Joseph W. Galea
Feb 24th 2010, 09:39
@ Matin Cassar,
Excuse me, but are you sure that you are on the right article?
What has the US to do with what Mifsud Bnnici is hallucinating about?
Or did you take this opportunity to attack the country, even though what you say is totally irrelevant with the case under discussion?
George Pace
Feb 23rd 2010, 22:50
.
Nini Nini Karm!
Viva il- Liberta!
Viva l- Ewropa!
.
Christian Sciberras
Feb 23rd 2010, 22:05
Matin Cassar - it took 46 years to officially end the Cold war, and we still see the signs of it. What makes you think a 200+year war will end in
lgalea
Feb 23rd 2010, 20:03
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen.
Samuel Adams, speech at the Philadelphia State House, August 1, 1776.
Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. Benjamin Franklin
Necessity is the plea of every infringement of human freedom.
It is the argument of tyrants;
it is the creed of slaves.
William Pitt
In the beginning of a change the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned.
When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot.
Notebook, 1904 Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain)
Matin Cassar
Feb 23rd 2010, 17:52
In 2003-while North Korea was testing nuclear long-range missiles and defying the International community (USA), the latter went to attack Iraq instead. Wasn’t USA’s message clear enough to read: If you don’t have a deterrent weapon you have no place on planet Earth? Can I accuse USA foreign policy makers of creating the conditions for terrorism and tension?
After 9 years of useless wars-what did we achieve?
Taliban and Al-Qaeda were in Afghanistan and today there are too many global invisible branches of Al-Qaeda.
We were relatively fear-less and free. Today we have our panties to be scanned-‘losing’ our freedom and privacy and have turned to a police-states.
We were economically stable. Today we are facing bankruptcy because of wars that costs TRILLIONS and didn’t achieve a thing. Did Al Qaeda finish? No, About to? Neither.
The USA initiated the wars and it seems only Al-Qaeda will decide when and how to finish this war. At what price?
The trion of fiendishies (USA,UK,the Zionists) are to be responsible for creating chaos,instability and insecurity. We must detach ourselves from all this. Why don't we learn from the Dutch peoples?
Matin Cassar
Feb 23rd 2010, 17:34
Neutrality is immune from terrorism.
Are you aware that Mr. Bush have lead us to bankruptcy and made us more unsecured then left the white house without giving us an agreed-upon definition of terrorism?
Joining the big power club (NATO) or possessing the nuclear bombs and using the state of the art war machines has not prevented the USA from losing its security virginity and now losing both financial and military muscles in the international arena and scrambling over an exit from from Afghanistan. Nuclear arsenals didn’t immune the USSR from collapse or enabling Israelis to sleep 24 hours in peace and not be terrified from Hamas fire-works.
Occupation of other peoples land and or meddling in other countries affairs.,killing innocents and stealing nation’s lands and wealth creates the conditions for what the USA calls ‘terrorism’.
To those who got stuck in the past please note, the Great Siege took place in 1565, an era when people still thought that the earth was flat, that snakes came from roosters' eggs, Galilleo was persecuted by the Roman Catholic Church for suggesting that the earth rotates around the sun.
Wilfred L. Camilleri
Feb 23rd 2010, 17:12
The notion of neutrality in this day and age is wishful thinking at best and outright dangerous at worst. How can any country remain neutral with terrorists being able to move around using false identities, illegal immigrants of unknown background flooding every country, and the ability of anyone to fly anywhere withing hours? Dr. Bonnici is obviously ill informed and has blinkers on. Even the famous Swiss neutrality is an illusion in reality.
Paul Smith
Feb 23rd 2010, 17:03
This man is well passed his sell by date. He simply lives in a different world than you or I.
John Tabone
Feb 23rd 2010, 16:56
Uccello del malagurio... you never ever come with anything positive KMB... smile ... enjoy life...magnet for terror attacks because we are in the EU...another one of your genius quotes...
Joseph Calleja
Feb 23rd 2010, 16:30
CONSIDER THE SOURCE!
J Martinelli
Feb 23rd 2010, 12:46
Malta did not require a 'magnet' for attracting terrorism some twenty five years ago - it bred its own home made brand.
It is worth pointing out that back then Malta was not an EU member and neither a participant in Nato's Partnership for Peace programme.
Christian Sciberras
Feb 23rd 2010, 11:16
Put simply, Mr Bonnici have no idea what he is talking about.
How can one judge national defence from a financial perspective? Especially when such a person have no actual idea of defence?
You do not COUNTER ATTACK by DOING NOTHING.
Better side with POWERFUL NATIONS then go by THE WIND.
Need I remind you of Malta's history of passing between different nations?
What stops a terrorist/tyrant from capturing Malta?
The siding of nations is what bring some solid shelter to Malta.
How come Mr Bonici doesn't mention EU military donations? As if Malta would wage war/defend itself with a couple of knights swords. Even does times, it sided with the knights (or rather the way round).
Point being, Malta, by itself, is hopeless. Period.