EU refuses to react to Gaddafi's comments
The European Commission yesterday refused to react to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's latest request for €5 billion a year to stop illegal immigrants from Africa entering the EU through its southern border.
Col Gaddafi’s comments, in which he also said Europe could soon become “black”, were made during an official visit to Rome on Monday.
Asked for a reaction, European Commission spokesman Matthew Newman said the EU executive did not wish to give any reaction on what President Gaddafi said.
When pressed, he only said that, “through dialogue and comprehensive cooperation, the EU can improve the situation ... in particular with regard to prevention of irregular migration”.
Commission sources said this was not the first time Col. Gaddafi or other Libyan officials made financial requests to the EU in exchange for help over the illegal immigration issue.
“Some years ago, the Libyan government sent the EU a list of military equipment it needed to police its borders against illegal immigrants. The equipment costs much more than the € 5 billion Col. Gaddafi mentioned last Monday,” the sources said.
The sources acknowledged that Libya did hold the key to control the flow of illegal immigrants as the bilateral agreement between Libya and Italy had shown.
Since the start of Libya-Italy joint patrols in Libya’s territorial waters last year, the flow of illegal immigrants reaching the shores of Italy and Malta have been reduced drastically. So far this year, no illegal immigrants have reached the island and, in 2009, there were 1,475 people arriving, almost half the amount of 2008 (2,775), when the agreement between Italy and Libya was still not in place.
The European Commission has been negotiating without success a partnership agreement with Tripoli. The partnership would likely involve substantial aid however, progress has been very slow.
A visit by the former EU Justice Chief to Libya, Jacques Barrot, had been postponed several times eventually never taking place and the new European commissioner responsible for migration issues, Cecilia Malmstrom, is still waiting to visit Tripoli for official talks over the proposed partnership agreement.
But the Libyan leader is positioning himself for the negotiations.
Speaking in Rome on Monday evening, Col. Gaddafi said the money would avoid that Europe “turns into Africa” as “there are millions of Africans who want to come in”.
He said that “tomorrow, Europe might no longer be European, and even black, as there are millions who want to come in”.
“We don't know what will happen, what will be the reaction of the white and Christian Europeans faced with this influx of starving and ignorant Africans. We don't know if Europe will remain an advanced and united continent or if it will be destroyed, as happened with the barbarian invasions,” President Gaddafi said in the presence of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi who did not react to the controversial comments.
Alternattiva Demokratika yesterday urged the main political parties to stand up to such “blackmail”.
Arnold Cassola, AD’s spokesman on EU and international affairs, said: "Gaddafi has also asked the EU to give him at least €5 billion a year or else, he threatened, Europe could become Africanised, through migration. The European Union should not give in to this backmail and, indeed, should insist on Gaddafi and Libya signing and ratifying the Geneva convention on human rights instead".
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Martin Cassar
Sep 5th 2010, 00:05
@ Trevor Lorenzo Mizzi.
You are absolutely right; the Jews were there even before Jesus was born and this is not the point so far. How many times do I have to remind you that Judaism is a confession not a nationality please?. Is this too complicated to comprehend? Any way the good Jews understand this simple fact very well while the Zionists do not.
gaffarena joseph
Sep 3rd 2010, 23:47
So a dictator want to dictate to us,to become moslims and giving him millions of euros, if not he will send thousands of illegals in the EU, countries.
There is no doubt now that we reached the end of a tunnel.
No wonder this planet is going to stop in the year 2012.
Joe Xuereb
Sep 2nd 2010, 11:31
Apologetic do-gooders tend to present a trusting, benign front. A million miles removed from paranoia and cynicism. But a front is all it is. Behind the front, there are self-serving agendas. They usually live to regret their self-inflicted legacy. It's a question of time. 'Sin begets its own punishment' sort of thing.
Sean Grima
Sep 2nd 2010, 16:18
perhaps you would care to clarify what these 'agendas' are? perhaps the agenda of wishing to genuinely help these people?
Trevor Lorenzo Mizzi
Sep 2nd 2010, 16:50
@ sean grima,
Help them in their own nations.
Sean Grima
Sep 3rd 2010, 14:58
help them where they are.
Sean Grima
Sep 2nd 2010, 10:33
i completely agree with Arnold Cassola. The EU should insist that Libya ratifies the Geneva convention, in order to protect these people's human rights.
martin saliba
Sep 2nd 2010, 20:14
How about israel and the 1947 sanctions ?
Sean Grima
Sep 3rd 2010, 14:59
what about them?
P. Borg
Sep 2nd 2010, 07:36
I have been very disappointed with Berlusconi lately. Inviting such a type of person has proved the "laqizmu" tradition once again. EU should keep away such persons and not invite them. In my opinion he should have been shut up when he sad that Islam is the future religion of EU. Islam my foot!!! I have never seen a so direspectful religion towards others beliefs. I constantly continue to ask myself - WHY THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT CAPABLE OF RESPECTING OTHERS????? I never heard a catholic preacher saying that other religions are condemned but these islamists do it constantly.
Illegal Immigration has always been a strategy that unfortunately turned to be successful. As long as we keep illegal immigrants and help them to go to other countries instead of sending them back from where they come, Gheddafi will conitnue to have success in his plans. This is something that should be pushed down the throats of some priests, Jesuits etc that instead of defending their religion they are selling it for some illegal people who broke our laws.
Joe Xuereb
Sep 2nd 2010, 02:04
@ Martin Cassar(5hrs.53mins.). At a meeting this evening protesting the expense incurred during the pope's impending visit to UK, someone told me that at the time, Britain proposed Uganda as a resettlement of the Jews after the end of World War II. The propostion was refused as Uganda was an alien land/culture. This of course was British imperialism at its most crass. The State of Israel was created and the rest is history. But at least it was 'the promised land' so it felt OK.
Martin Cassar
Sep 1st 2010, 19:15
While the Israeli and Palestinians are holding a direct peace negotiation to urge Israel to halt building more illegal settlement and end illegal occupation Mr.Gadaffi transmits his message from Italy. The signal sent from Italy in few words it says: Arabs do not want an alien-body with alien culture and religion (Israel) among Arab countries. You support Israel that terrorizing the Middle East I SEND more immigrants to Europe. Survivors of the Nazi Holocaust were thrown out of Europe and Europe became Jew-free. Britain then helped immigrants Jews to settle in Palestine. In 1948 Israel was born and the annihilation of Palestine inhabitants (Muslims and Christians) has begun. Arabs don’t accept an alien body among them, let alone an alien with nuclear arsenal. European Jews Immigrants were exported to a place they don’t belong to in terms of culture, values and religion. This is precisely the same case as of African illegal immigrants to Europe. Israel is alien to Arab world, so are the illegal immigrants in Europe. Israel is creating instability in Arab world, so are the illegal immigrants. Israel is creating antagonism among Arab populations, so are the illegal immigrants among Europeans.
Trevor Lorenzo Mizzi
Sep 2nd 2010, 17:30
Jews were in their homeland of Israel long before muhammad ever came along.
Sean Grima
Sep 3rd 2010, 14:59
jews co-existed with many other nations at that time.
d. borg
Sep 1st 2010, 19:00
What the majority of the Maltese have been saying all along, that the illegal immigrants are not fleeing but are being sent as a strategy to invade and islamize Europe. Now that we have it right from the horse's mouth, can we have the comments of JRS, NGOs and the Church please?
P. Borg
Sep 2nd 2010, 07:30
I totally agree with you. What he said during his visit is very condemnable. He showed EU that all he has been doing till now has been a strategy that thanks to the dogooders has found success. Everyone in Libya knew of illegal immigration and they left people get out as a strategy. They want everywhere to follow Islam and if someone is not going to stop them this will be a reality in few years.
Where is the church now? Are you only good to restrict people's rights by not introducing divorce? This is the time to defend christianity really by fighting such an irresponsible person as Gheddafi. What rights does he has on Europe. I always believed that he is just another Saddam Hussein and from this visit I have been proven right.
His only intent is robbing the EU from funds and feed them to illegal immigration. I hope they open their eyes and get rid of this stupid attitude, thinking that illegal immigrants do not place risks on our countries and traditions.
Sean Grima
Sep 2nd 2010, 10:32
this is complete paranoid nonsense. gaddafi did not say that africans are being sent on purpose by their governments to take over europe.
Trevor Lorenzo Mizzi
Sep 2nd 2010, 16:47
@ sean grima,
It does not matter who did or did not sent them, the results will be the same.
You got it from the horse's mouth, Col. Gaddafi, "millions of starving and ignorant africans(mostly muslim) who want to come to europe".
Sean Grima
Sep 4th 2010, 10:20
if you were starving, you probably would try to go somewhere where you can survive, no? but you callous stand is that africans should remain in africa, even if they face starvation! it is just as well that your voice is disregarded by those who wield authority.
Trevor Lorenzo Mizzi
Sep 4th 2010, 14:54
They have to stand on their own two feet sometimes.
Africa gets billions of dollars worth of aid from western nations and I got news for you, They are being stopped from entering europe thanks to Mr. Silvio B.
martin saliba
Sep 1st 2010, 17:37
5 billion euro is approx. the same ammount of money the libyans were blackmail for to lift sanctions after they , and malta , were framed for the lockerbie crash.
Sergio Vassallo
Sep 1st 2010, 17:19
Where are you hiding Sean Grima?
N.Farrugia
Sep 1st 2010, 16:33
Col.Gheddafi seems to enjoy his visits to Italy as he finds a bird of the same feathers-Silvio Berlusconi. Both are proud of their superiority complex and have the same soft spots for beautiful women!! Gheddafi once more has shown Europe and especially the Mediterranean countries that they are at his whims and any time he could easily send over to their shores hundreds of illegal immigrants. Knowing that we Europeans do not like this' business', he's black-mailing us all. Ghaddafi is 'a modern cow-boy' that blows his head off to show his power. We still remember the military threat he imposed on us Maltese when we had the 'Saipem' affair. Even Mintoff-a strong Ghaddafi admirer was hurt with this belligerant action against a nation which, for many reasons, has strong ties with Libya. Ghaddafi is not to be trusted as he is another Fidel Castro!!
Martin Cassar
Sep 1st 2010, 15:53
Libya will never serve as a [free of charge] safety-valve for Europe as you may wish.
Libya has been a major player in the Mediterranean basin for decades and it will remain so until an alternative to oil is discovered.
The Libyan’s oil pipes are long enough to influence the EU economies and policy makers; this of course include our government. The illegal immigrants card is always available at Libya’s table and is well used when the need arise.
Such piece of news may stir anger against immigrants; however the bigger picture is that:
-The English company BP after facing Bankruptcy is being granted a piece from Libya’s cake (OIL) and probably the Italian companies got a share too.
-The entire world is facing financial earthquakes (thanks to the USA ex president Bush!) many jobs are lost across Europe and the new trend of immigration is now heading from North to South (Do you know how many westerners approach Libya every day?)
-Europe irreversible population deficit is no longer invisible and Gaddafi knows that the European economy is in dire need for African manpower so EU governments will be able to finance pensions for ageing European population.
CZarb
Sep 1st 2010, 18:14
Europe does not need cheap labor. Labor intensive industries had moved to China where work can be done at a fragment of a price. What Europe need and will be needing is skilled labour in well specialised area and not an uncontrolled horde of uneducated young immigrants
patrick zammit
Sep 1st 2010, 22:49
M Cassar
"-Europe irreversible population deficit is no longer invisible and Gaddafi knows that the European economy is in dire need for African manpower so EU governments will be able to finance pensions for ageing European population."
This argument does not hold water. Illegal immigrants themselves grow old and need a pension themselves. So what uncontrolled immigration does only makes the situation worse and pospones the pension problem.
Stephen Koludrovic
Sep 1st 2010, 15:29
LOL! the reason why the EU commission has still not commented is because probably most are still on holiday, and the rest are all fast asleep.
c spiteri
Sep 1st 2010, 16:03
not asleep but in coma
Louise Vella
Sep 1st 2010, 14:21
Gaddafi's comments give the lie to UNHCR and all those do-gooder NGOs which have been saying that the Africans arriving in Malta are refugees. It has long been obvious to all those who have eyes to see and a mind to think with, that this is a deliberate policy of flooding Europe with "starving and ignorant Africans" (as Gaddafi calls them). At best they are economic migrants trying to improve their lives on the back of European countries.
Note also that UNHCR and the do-gooder NGOs have never told us how many thousands of African illegal immigrants they want Malta and the rest of Europe to be burdened with.
They never speak of numbers. Now Gaddafi has told us there are millions of them ready to cross over, enough of them to turn Europe from Christian to Muslim and from white to black. The EU has not commented, but neither have UNHCR and the do-gooder NGOs.
Charles Sammut
Sep 1st 2010, 13:43
You certainly cannot accus the Colonel of being a hypocrite. He speaks his mind in no uncertain terms. His goal is the Islamisation of Europe. Not such a bad idea really. At least Islam is a real religion that stands up for itself, unlike Christianity with its turn-the-other-cheek, anti-nature, we worship the same god, attitude.
leo attard
Sep 1st 2010, 13:33
i guess Gaddafi talks cocky because he is aware of the economic problems europe and USA are going through ----- he spoke a different tune when Ronal Regan sent him a ''wake up call'' way back. Forgot the exact year)....what he is doing amounts to blackmail! I know a cheap way of dealing with the threat to turn europe black amd muslim ---- any boat that approaches EU shores, SEND IT BACK!!!!!!!
patrick zammit
Sep 1st 2010, 13:11
Let us not forget what the EU thinks of illegal immigration in relation to Malta.
The EU wanted Malta (earlier this year) to have the honour of hosting the free ferry service known as Frontex. One of the strings attached to this great honour was the condition that all illegal immigrants picked up by Frontex anywhere in the Med would be brought to Malta.
The Govt, to its credit, politely declined the generous offer. It seems that Govt learnt its lesson following the "voluntary burden sharing" flop.
CZarb
Sep 1st 2010, 13:00
Why should the North European countries agree to pay 5 billion euros when they can simply return immigrants to Malta, Italy and co thanks to the Dublin convention signed by Frontex/Voluntary burden Sharing guru the PN government?
Karl Consiglio
Sep 1st 2010, 12:56
Another problem is that no one wants to make him angry.
Karl Consiglio
Sep 1st 2010, 12:54
He doesn't feel rich enough yet? And say we give him this money, what happens to these people when they try to escape Africa? Whats been happening to all those that did not make it over since Libya's deal with Berlusconi? This aint just blackmail in the truest sense of the word, its also quite a Catch22 situation, he either lets them keep coming, and if we pay him(which Lord knows we shouldn't) God knows what he does to them.
Joe Xuereb
Sep 1st 2010, 12:52
This keeps coming back to haunt me. Should there be more mosques in Malta?
http://www.timesofmalta.com/blogs/view/20090509/fr-joe-borg/should-there-be-more-mosques-in-malta
Aptly, in preparation for the pope's visit to Africa not so long ago? When he entreated the already christianised Africans to stop using witchcraft as this was unacceptable in European christian circles?
K. Zammit
Sep 1st 2010, 12:45
I think Europe can find something better to do with 5 Billion Euro. How about they give 5m euro to Malta to police its southern European border together with the Italian Armed forces and stop all those wishing come over illegally? Col Gaddaffi is responsible for who leaves and enters his country if he is not adhereing to international regulations then its time the international community did something to rectify this. I just don't get it why should we or anyone accept people who choose to enter a country illegally ? There are proper channels for immigration if anyone wants to come to Europe then apply for a visa ......if not stay where you are or go somewhere else. WAKE UP EURO POLITICIANS eough of this political correctness learn from the likes of ex Australian prime minister John Howard. This is our country our Europe our way of living our religion if we choose to accept you need to accept our ways alternatively go elsewhere. Need suggestions ? How about Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Kuwait, Emirates..... all very prosperous countries however like it or not you have to go there using the right channels otherwise you'll get sent back home.
Joe Xuereb
Sep 1st 2010, 12:18
Matthew Newman (European Commission spokesman) said, and I quote: 'when pressed, he (Newman) only said that, “through dialogue and comprehensive cooperation, the EU can improve the situation ...' Dialogue with the Colonel is futile. As for cooperation, he'll only cooperate if paid blood money to the tune of five billion whatever. So, it's one step forward and fifty back. Cooperation, my habb ghaziz!! As in megalomaniac narcissism. Always dangerous, that!
R.Borg
Sep 1st 2010, 11:23
2EU REFUSES TO REACT TO GADDAFI'S COMMENTS"
A well-taken decision.
Has Chevalier Berlusconi reacted?
K Agius
Sep 1st 2010, 11:16
Waqa l-ass, Gheddafi jirridikola l-Ewropa kollha u l-Ewropej kulhadd jibza jaghmel reazzjoni. Li qal vera ghax din is-sena l-problema ta dghajjes bl-immigrati sparixxiet li nahseb juri li l-Libja mdahhla f'din l-affari. Komplu hekk nuru kemm ahna bla sinsla u nhallu l-Gheddafi li kulhadd jaf xinhu jkompli jaghmel li jrid. Ghal pozi u ritratti tajbin u bix naghmlu l-hajja ta nies dejjem aktar difficli imbaghad min jaf intom xintom u ma jibzghax minkomm jdawwarkom fuq subajh. Ma nafx haqqux t-tghajjir jew it-tifhir Gheddafi. Dik is-sahha ta Unjoni Ewropeja.
Patrick Sacco
Sep 1st 2010, 11:13
I know of a much better (and much cheaper) solution than to be blackmailed and having to fork €5 billion a year to stop illegal immigrants from Africa entering the EU through its southern border.
Simply use our armed forces to keep them 14 miles out - no violence needed!
After all, it is the duty of every Government to defend its own country!
Nothing extraordinary or impossible here!
Charles Sammut
Sep 1st 2010, 12:54
Not when you have the Church running the country whilst its NGOs receive funds from the EU to welcome illegal immigrants.
Joe Xuereb
Sep 1st 2010, 10:59
This is why any goodwill gesture from this man has to be taken with a pinch of salt. His true nature, his real agenda, does not take long to surface.
Five billion a year? To stop Europe becoming 'black'. This is in-your-face blackmail money. Five billion. Not from Malta, surely. So Malta can go to hell.
Quote: 'in exchange for help over the illegal immigration issue'. If I am the source of a problem, why would I request handsome, ransom money for its solution? Comments from Berlusconi would be welcome. Five billion, even in Italian money, is still a lot of money.
Anyone wants out of the EU still? Anyone thinks that when all Europe is 'black', with Malta 'out of Europe', Malta will remain 'white'. And allow me to pre-empt any stupid comments. This has NOTHING to do with racism. Not when my skin, and yours, our survival, is at stake.
Jon Attard
Sep 1st 2010, 10:48
It seems that AD never learns.
Col. Gaddafi knows that he is fundamentally right in what he says, and he is using that as a bargaining chip, as Mintoff used to do in his own time. He has also proved himself a conosseur of classical history.
€5 billion is a small price to pay for keeping these "starving and ignorant" barbarians back from invading us, but will be a boon for the colonel.
Perhaps it's time to propose our counter-bargain: either you hold the invasion or else we will topple your regime.
Gaddafi is an avid politician. If only we had any good politicians in the EU!
patrick zammit
Sep 1st 2010, 10:34
This shows how weak the unelected Commission is in handling the illegal immigration problem. It has brought the EU in a position of being blackmailed by Gaddafi.
However, this weakness does not manifest itself when commissioners get outrages pay packets and other perks together with a pension of more than one million Sterling.
And they have the audacity of telling us that we should tighten our belts!
http://www.theparliament.com/no_cache/latestnews/news-article/newsarticle/eu-commissioners-take-home-more-than-EUR1m-on-leaving-office/
http://www.openeurope.org.uk/media-centre/pressrelease.aspx?pressreleaseid=102
N.Lawrence
Sep 1st 2010, 10:18
I see a future when all the Africans have emigrated to Europe, the Europeans will all move to Africa AND MAKE THE CONTINENT WORK, (ie Rhodesia, BEFORE it was handed back to- well you know.). Then all the (ex) Africans will want to move back.
Simon Ciantar
Sep 1st 2010, 10:08
Giving Military aid to such a man would be madness. Military aid to dictators has always backfired. Why do politicians never seem to learn from history ? The only way to stop illigal immigrants is by making it unattractive . How? - by forcefully turning them back , indefinite detention etc.. it might sound harsh and inhuman but drastic situations demand drastic measures . this is what the good doers just dont want to understand . Shall we give military assistance to somone who wants to convert us (albeit forcefully ) to Islam ? who has an open agenda of converting Europe ? This is not just about religion , it is about our whole way of life . The really sad thing is that his wish is becoming reality . Already in whole districts in europe "white locals" are a minority. Locals are moving out of their towns and villages because they feel strangers in their own country.
Our politicans should nt even be talking to him - but as always we just look at short term financial benefits and ignore the long term reprecussions
anthony mercieca
Sep 1st 2010, 14:12
Well done Simon.
It's high time our politicians do something about illegal emgrants. Illegality became legality nowadays! Shame on the politicians,sic. I pity Malta, once it was for the Maltese. How on earth could you accept such treathening words from a dictator. Poor EU! Is this the promised land we were offered!
Remember what happened to Kosovo, Lebanon,Biaffra etc. even in the EU itself, there are 'no go areas' for the whites. In Malta every body is smiling and nobody is thinking.
Qum minn hemm 'sur gvern'!!
M. Zammit
Sep 1st 2010, 10:04
You must admit Gaddafi is a shrewd buisnessman... trying to capitalize on the general xenophobia of the European population.
John Falzon
Sep 1st 2010, 09:44
Now more than ever, the need to move away from fossil fuels has not only become a matter of climate change but also a political and survival issue. Libyan and Iranian leaders have no qualms threatening the international community because they possess a commodity that for now the world is so hungry for making them powerful, not because of their merits or their people’s achievements but because they happen to be in an area rich in oil. How Gaddafi behaved this week in Italy proves the point disrespecting a culture built on many thousands of years which ultimately formed the European legacy. Italian prime minister astutely did not react.
I wonder what the scenario would be if the demand for North African and middle eastern oil stops!
Frans Sammut
Sep 1st 2010, 09:38
(contd.) Weren’t the two political personages celebrating the anniversary of the admittance on the part of the Italian Govt of atrocities the Italian Fascists committed through Graziani and the rest of his schifosi eserciti? Weren’t the two sides commemorating the martyrdom of Omar Mokhtar, (in the absence of the spectacular film depicting his life that was banned in the democratic West?) and the persecutions the Libyans suffered at the hands of the Italian Fascists? So, it was only logical (never mind the “eccentric” tinge Westerners keep noticing in his antics) that the follower of Omar Mokhtar should twist Europe’s arm into paying compensation for the rest of the atrocities carried out in sub-Saharan Africa. Have your say as much as you wish, Dr Cassola, but I can see the logic and above all, the moral right in al-Qaddhafi’s reasoning. I don’t know how it is known in your book. I call “brinkmanship” – a necessary negotiating stance that is obligatory when dealing with such countries as Germany and the other big powers that dominate the EU.
Louise Vella
Sep 1st 2010, 09:37
The Swede Cecilia Malmstrom, the EU Commissioner responsible for illegal immigration, should get off her high horse of idealism and take Gaddafi's words at their face value. He has already shown his policy of wanting to flood Europe with African illegal immigrants, whom he himself calls hungry and ignorant. Cecilia Malmstrom should acknowledge the obvious. The only policy that has worked is Italy's policy of maintaining a strong coastguard to push the boats back to Libya. So far Libya has cooperated with Italy. But Gaddafi himself is telling us all that we cannot continue to rely on Libyan cooperation.
Cecilia Malmstrom should start working to make Italy's policy effective at the level of the EU. We need a strong EU coastguard – a Frontex with teeth - to discourage the boats from coming and to push back those that take the plunge. The EU, and especially Malta, cannot remain at the mercy of Libya's blackmail.
Frans Sammut
Sep 1st 2010, 09:35
Let me try to think out of the box, one of my rather constructive habits. As could be expected, many observers have commented on al-Qaddhafi’s bizarre way of doing things. Quite understandable, coming as these comments do, from European minds and the Western Weltanschauung. I find it also comprehensible that the Vatican may take offence at the remarks passed by the Libyan strongman, even though the Holy See is apparently all out to help African refugees “invading Europe in the fashion of the barbarians” as al-Qaddhafi himself aptly put it. On the other hand, I cannot but confess that his appeal (or whatever one might like to call it) makes a lot of sense in the line of thought he was following vis-à-vis the Italian (benevolent) dictator.
Karl Axisa
Sep 1st 2010, 09:28
It's a win win situation for the Colonel. He is holding the EU by the softer anatomical parts....... otherwise known as black mailing. So much for the EU's political correctness....il Colonello does not give a hoot about it. Worse still, he uses it against the EU. He loves it when a plan comes together......
Stephen Koludrovic
Sep 1st 2010, 09:24
I quite agree with Gaddafi's statements. If this EU does not do something drastic in stopping this biblical immigration, then in the next ten years Europe will become Africanized, with the consequences that are already being felt in certain parts of Europe, Malta included.
Geoffrey Mifsud Farrugia
Sep 1st 2010, 09:12
Let us kindly remind Col Gaddafi that he also forms part of that Africa that he seems not to be so proud of. calling his fellow countrymen starving and ignorant Africans is rather drastic. Barabaric invations - this is what he actually wants, and what all the hard line Muslims want. it has been happening already.
Norman Lowell was found guilty of inciting hatred for saying similar things. But its ok if Gaddafi says more or less the same.
oh and by the way, i really cant understand what is all this fuss just because Gaddafi was on a state visit in Italy! He used to come to Malta regularly in times when Libya was blacklisted everywhere. i remember as a child, roads used to be tarmaced hastily just before his arrival (some things never change do they!!).
A quick glance at the Malta papers during those dark days is recommended!
M Pace
Sep 1st 2010, 09:10
Col Gaddafi was right in saying that millions are waiting to come to Europe. We could stop them by sending them back to their countries and ignore these stupid human rights. We should educate these people before it is too late to live in their own country Africa and be able to fend for themselves and immigration would be only to expand their knowledge and thus reducint the outflow from African countries. “We don't know what will happen, what will be the reaction of the white and Christian Europeans faced with this influx of starving and ignorant Africans. We don't know if Europe will remain an advanced and united continent or if it will be destroyed, as happened with the barbarian invasions,” Europe, NGOs and United ations please take heed Gaddafi is right we have only ourselves to blame!
Charles Sammut
Sep 1st 2010, 09:06
Arnold Cassola has a cheek to urge the main political parties to stand up to such "blackmail" (pardon the pun). Dr Cassola and AD have always supported illegal immigrants and according to them, colour is only skin deep. Why the sudden change in heart?
The E.U., by refusing to comment, is confirming our worst suspicions that where foreign policy is concerned, it is completely fragmented and incoherent. Statements such as Gaddafi's should be countered with a robust and resolute rebuttal. It is clear that the EU is strong with its vassals but weak with foreigners. How reassuring!
Joe bOrg
Sep 1st 2010, 17:18
You are perfectly correct Mr Charles Sammut. First they defend the illegal immigrants against the wishes of the vast majority of Maltese citizens and now they want to stand up to Gaddafi.
W Spencer
Sep 1st 2010, 09:01
Perhaps it would be more constructive if every European Country pulled its troops / personnel out of the senseless / unwinnable wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Then use the same troops / personnel to protect their own Borders from invasion by illegal immigrants and fake asylum seekers.
M. Fenech
Sep 1st 2010, 08:47
It seems that Berlusconi is doing some good business deal, from behind as usual, with Col. Gaddafi! He used to preach that he's like De Gasperi. Far from it, he's full of bluff, and he wants to change most criminal laws in Italy, so that he can avoid being charged! How democratic he is!!!! Does anybody from the PPE has anything to say about this? Where are the Christian Democratics???
Censu Vella
Sep 1st 2010, 08:42
if the 5billion are used well....thus training, educating and development of "thier" respective countries....it will be money well spent and actually a drop when compared to the money which europe's past colonuinists have drained out from Africa and the north african coast in past centuries.
I don't see this as blackmail....it's reality and a parctical solution to illigal migration!
Religion, i don't comment about.
D. Xerri
Sep 1st 2010, 08:42
A Dictator dictates what must be done - In power in his country without an election which is totally against democracy and now dictating to Europe !
EU refuses to react to Gaddafi`s comments - What EU ? Which EU ? Maybe the EU that they strategically showed us before the election of 2003 which today turned up to be totally and completely different from what the Government and his followers tried to show us and impress us with in those days. They used to tell us we`ll be protected and we`ll be in a strong European block and we cant stand alone and bla bla bla - And today Europe has to bow its head to the words of a dictator Gaddafi - The more time goes by the more the maltese are seeing with their own eyes that they were totally and completely misled about the EU and the false promises they told us in 2003. Everything is turning up so fake and superficial now - Surely Not The Rebbiegha Gdida we were promised and surely Not the Finanzi Fis-Sod they shouted so loud about and most of all surely NOT GOOD Ghalina u Ghall-Uliedna :~)
l.ellul
Sep 1st 2010, 08:40
Great. What's the use of having a European "Union" if they can't react to a dictator's comment and blackmails? He admitted himself that Libya is allowing illegal immigrants to flow freely into Europe. Coming to a place near you : The Islamification of Europe~
C Grech
Sep 1st 2010, 08:38
L-Ewropa...kultant nahseb li ahna kbar ghal xejn!! Kulhadd jahseb ghal rasu u bl- ghajta tal liberta issir kollox u ma issir xejn.
Charles Abela
Sep 1st 2010, 08:32
Jekk m'ghandu xejn Gaddafi imma jaf jisthi pero' !!