Italy recognises Libyan opposition council
Italy said today it was recognising the Benghazi-based Libyan National Council as the only representative of Libya.
Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said the Gaddafi governemnt had lost its legitimacy.
He said any solution for the future of Libya had the pre-condition that Col Muammar Gaddafi and his family had to leave Libya.
The Libyan regime, he said, was sending envoys to Greece and Malta to make proposals.
"These proposals are not credible," Mr Frattini said.
He said he had spoken to the Greek Foreign Minister who had described what he had been told by the Libyan envoy.
Nothing was said about the departure of Gaddafi, which is a pre-condition, Mr Frattini said. Therefore it is not possible to accept the proposals.
Mr Frattini said Italy was opening a representative office in Benghazi.
"This is the starting point for revitalising existing treaties with Libya," he said.
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Muhannad Shembesh
Apr 4th 2011, 18:26
"Elements" of Al Qaeda in Cyrenaica (eastern libya):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xi7IXnMIraU&feature=player_embedded
r ferriggi
Apr 4th 2011, 16:41
ma nistax nifhem kif hawn maltin ghadom BXI MOD JEW IEHOR isostnu li ir regim ta gaddafi ghad ghandu xi legittimita fih. intom f'sensikom jew le?? imbaghad nistaghgbu kif fit 2 gwerra dinjijja,,, gara il holocaust u HAFNA baqghew ma ghamlu xejn. meta ma taghmel xejn tkun komplici ta.!!!!!!!!!
C Muscat
Apr 4th 2011, 16:11
I hope to be proved wrong...but Italy changed tactic now...France commenced the war...England followed and left aside...it appears to be 40 thieves all wants all the cake.
The rat when he is cornered will attack with everything there is..
I am sure we are lucky to have spent all the money in national coffers and we do not have any oil flowing....
PNGonzi it is not easy task at the moment with all these sharks...the bible says Lord help me with my friends because the enemies I know of and can take care....
j brincat
Apr 4th 2011, 15:38
Then the conditions have been set. So now it is getting complicated. Gaddafi will only leave if he is guaranteed a safe exit out of Libya for him and his family and that he would not be prosecuted for any war crimes!
Short of this we are in for a stalemate which will last for months on end. War has now been raging on for more than a month!
(JB)
Anthony Farrugia
Apr 4th 2011, 15:14
And still our Prime Minister and all politicians of whatever hue cannot spell out that the solution to the Libyan conflict is that Muammar Gaddafi, his sons amd all his clan have got to go. The Libyan envoy should be told that there is no solution with the Gaddafis still in Tripoli; they have got to go.
DGalea
Apr 4th 2011, 15:12
I hope Dr Gonzi will emulate Mr Frattini and as soon as possible too.
The Libyan people's revolt started as a popular pne and not a military one. It was Gheddafi who chose to turn it into a bloodbath.A goverment that turns on its own people in the way Gheddafi has done ,loses any claim to legitimacy.
Mr Prime minister, give that Libyan envoy , when and if he arrives here, a lemon tea served in a Tal Lira Glass and a pastizz tal-irkotta imsahhan and then dispatch him back to sender.
This country can no longer afford to be seen to be buddy buddy with such regimes, if it is to retain what little credibility it still has left.
david farrugia
Apr 4th 2011, 14:19
Those who share same thoughts kindly add to the facebook group:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_194211740612169&ap=1 .
Alfred Farrugia
Apr 4th 2011, 14:16
It is clear that Italy has lost its own credibility with the Libyan government! If the Libyan acting foreign minister Abdel Ati al-Obeidi is visiting Malta in addition to Greece and Turkey, it is clear that the Libyan authorities do not trust Italy any more for obvious reasons.
Who is giving Italy, and any other third country for that matter, the authority to make pre-conditions on the peaceful resolution of the Libyan conflict? Are we certain that UN Security Council Resolution 1973 followed the correct rules of procedure in its adoption? 2 permanent members – China and the Russian Federation – did not “concur” or give their “affirmative votes” on the resolution as Article 27.3 of the UN Charter requires!
How can a country recognize a group that after weeks of armed struggle is still not clear who they are? If the group really includes elements of al Qaeda, does it have legitimacy?
c.cefai
Apr 4th 2011, 13:33
@ Joseph Cachia
Well done Sig. Frattini; hope others will follow suit; recognising the Gaddaf Regime for forty years does not mean that if the regime lost its legitimacy, you are obliged to stick to it;
so be more sensible in your reasoning!!!
P Gatt
Apr 4th 2011, 13:31
It seems that Maltese politicians have been caught with their pants down. Now that Italy has recognised the Benghasi government, they will negotiate a maritime boundary with Libya (Benghasi government) and Malta will be left out of the equation. At stake is our hydrocarbon-rich Medina Bank which will now be partitioned between Italy and Libya (Benghasi).
Shame on our politicians for not having any political foresight and for clinging to Gadaffi's regime till the end in the hope that its wickedness will prevail.
N Abela
Apr 4th 2011, 14:18
P Gatt do you think that it is as simple as that Gatt? Have you ever heard about the International Court of Justice where issues between states are decided? Part of our continental shelf has already been delimited by the ICJ way back in the Malta-Libya case so Libya and Italy cannot simply agree what to do and how to do with our continental shelf. As always, fools rush in where Angels fear to tread.
P Gatt
Apr 4th 2011, 15:50
It was precisely in the ICJ case between Malta and Libya that Italy had intervened to stop Malta from having its eastern maritime boundary recognised.
I suggest you read the ICJ documents in order to understand how Libya and Italy worked together to stop Malta from getting a recognised hold on the Medina Bank. In fact, a minority report by some judges questioned Italy's right to intervene in that case. Nothwithstanding, italy managed to undermine Malta's claim in the east.
Now that Italy has recognised the Benghasi government (but Malta did not) we are effectively thrown out of the negotiations because we cannot negotiate with a side that we do not recognise. On the other hand, the Tripoli regime tha we still recognise has lost its de facto control on the Medina Bank ever since its 'boundary' was pushed to west of Brega.
N Ablea
Apr 4th 2011, 18:26
P Gatt I suggest that you reread those documents because that doesn't mean that Libya and Italy can agree among themselves to take our continental shelf. If the government is awake it would immediately intervene and hold talks with Italy and Libya to take the case to the ICJ. Te present situation where neither Gaddafi nor the rebels are effectively in control of Libya makes it highly unlikely for any agreement between Italy and Libya to be recognized by the ICJ especially since Malta's interests are concerned and if they are brought to the notice of the ICJ. As I said I only hope that the present government will be alert for any collusion between Italy and Libya and take immediate steps in any circumstances.
joseph cachia
Apr 4th 2011, 12:28
Sig. Frattini QUO VADIS ?
How can you declare regime lost legitimacy when your country reconized regime
for forty (40) years.
How can you reconize a group of renegades who illegaly killed -burned public building
in order to steal arms to fight opposition and regime authorities.
How can you and cameron set conditions on Gaddafi departure, when both your
governments reconized him for forty years.