Released Dutch navy crew flown to Athens

Evarist Saliba

Mar 11th 2011, 12:38

Way back in the 70's, when George Borg Olivier was prime minister, and Arvid Pardo was Malta's representative to the UN, Malta proposed the setting up of a register which would record all arms sales between countries. This initiative did not find favour although it was taken up again by others decades later. As far as I am aware no such register exists today.
Who will decide who is a dictator? Ghaddafi says that he has no power at all in Libya. Many countries who include the word "democratic" in their name are in fact a dictatorship.
Unfortunately, these are also members of the United Nations with powers equal to countries (the 5 UNSC permanent members excluded) that are genuinly democratic and not run by dictators.
That is why the current unanimous condemnation of Ghaddafi's Libya in the UN is momentous and has to be heeded.

Eric Gahn

Mar 11th 2011, 16:42

This is all good thinking. At the moment everyone is angry Gadhafi has his guns BUT no one is saying anything about sale of arms to, say, Saudi, Israel, Ghana, Sri Lanka.

The movie 'Lord of War' is a good education on the subject, especially the last 'talk'.

c spiteri

Mar 11th 2011, 11:34

OR TO BAIL AIR MALTA

D Vella

Mar 11th 2011, 11:45

Difference being that the two Libya jets were stolen and the Dutch helicopter flew in to Libyan territory without permission. Did I really have to point that out to you J Attard?

J.attard

Mar 11th 2011, 14:08

@ D.Vella
Stolen ? they are not stolen. They are just being held back. Please remember that They entered maltese airspace without permission as well ! And in many cases as this ,when the aircraft have been abandoned , they fall under juristriction of that country, unless malta decides to send them back. How do you think we got those 5 alouette helicopters all those years ago ?