The Labour Party said today it dissociates itself from comments given to this website this morning by former minister Reno Calleja.
A spokesman said the party disassociates itself from Mr Calleja’s comments, which, it trusted, were made in good faith.
"The leader of the opposition is being continuously consulted by the PM and has been assured that Malta’s role is purely of a humanitarian nature," the PL said.
Reno Calleja, who served as Tourism Minister in the Mintoff government, criticised a declaration made yesterday by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi that the end of the Gaddafi government is inevitable.
In a comment to timesofmalta.com, Mr Calleja said he strongly disagreed with such sweeping statements.
If he survives (and he is known to be a survivor) he will never forget what the Prime Minister of Malta, a close and friendly country, had to say about him when he was drowning. The Prime Minister should have called for dialogue and mediation and not follow blindly what others, whose only interest is to get their hands on Libya's oil reserves, are saying," Mr Calleja said.
"I am also worried that we have British military planes in Malta with SAS troops on it, under the guise that they are on a humanitarian mission . We are a neutral and non-aligned state. A status that was instrumental in preventing any terrorist attack in Malta.
Nato may get involved and attack Tripoli if the rebels decide to close in on Tripoli. SAS and other special forces are already in Libya. A bloodbath seems to be inevitable because thousands of hard core Ghadaafi loyalists are not going to give up easily. Malta must not get involved," Mr Calleja insisted.
When contacted, he stood by his comment and said that Malta, as a neutral and non-aligned country, must not appear to be taking sides. Rather he stressed, it should offer its services as a mediator.
After all, he pointed out, other former terrorists, such as Yasser Arafat, had ended up winning the Nobel peace prize.
Malta, he said, should keep a balance and focus on humanitarian aid.
Later, in a clarification to his comments to make sure he was not 'misunderstood' Mr Calleja told timesofmalta.com:
" Malta, as a neutral and non--aligned state with special relations with Libya, with so much to lose economically if Libya is in trouble, should seek to act as a mediator and not as a judge. We must support the aspirations of our Libyan brothers to be free and to pursue their own happiness. We should so the same for the people of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Yemen and so many other Arab states run by tyrants who would stop at nothing to remain in pwoer--not even gunning down innocent people.
"Witness what happened in Iraq a few days ago. Unarmed men, women and children were gunned down by the thugs of the Iraqi regime which is supported l00 per cent by the U.S. The crusades for liberty and freedom which are being lauded by large countries not to topple Gaddafi , are nothing but an excuse to get their hands on Libya's oil It is very probable that Nato will attack Libya on one pretext or another.
"Malta should be at the forefront to act as a humanitarian centre like it did in may wars. But we must never compromise our neutrality and non-alignment by allowing any military intervention to take place from Malta. Arafat was a terrorist in the early 7O's He ended up being given the Nobel Prize. Gerry Adams was a 'terrorist' hated by the British. Because of Blair's mediation he is now a Minister in the Irish Government. History teaches us that the super powers have only one thing in their mind. Their own selfish interest. Ghadafi is now being branded a tyrant. Who knows what he will be if he survives?"