The Libyan crisis has put to the test the anachronistic Section 1 (3) (b) (i) of Malta’s Constitution.
Although this clearly empowers the government to permit “military facilities to be used by any foreign forces... in pursuance of measures or actions decided by the Security Council of the United Nations”, people living in the time-warp of Cold War days, are deliberately perverting this truth by quoting our neutrality. This claim is a very inadequate fig-leaf.
Equally anachronistic are reports in the media, including a prominent British national newspaper, claiming that Malta has military bases to offer for operating a no-fly zone over Libya.
For several decades Malta has had no such bases. Malta only has one civil aviation airport inadequately equipped for offensive and related defensive military operations.
Indeed, all reports indicate that no request was made to the government for the use of such imaginary bases. Yet, in spite of our limitations, our airport is hosting two defecting Libyan military aircraft in defiance of Libya’s demands for their return.
Those who quote neutrality to justify our detachment from what is happening in Libya should be reminded that when Malta faced a similar situation and our forefathers rose against the French, they sought the intervention of Britain and its allies. Had it not been for the naval blockade by British and Portuguese warships, and the presence of British troops on land, it is unlikely that the siege would have lasted two years and ended successfully.
Let there be no twisting of facts. What is happening in Libya is not the first popular protest against Muammar Gaddafi, but it is widespread as never before, extending from the Egyptian to the Tunisian borders, with impressive defections by military, diplomatic and political officers, and socially comprehensive, including most tribes.
There is ample evidence that Gaddafi has been merciless with those who dare to disagree with him to justify this uprising. Those who claim otherwise, and blame oil interests or foreign interference, are Gaddafi apologists, and pawns in his propaganda machine which has been caught in one lie after another.
The man cannot be trusted. I am amazed there are still Maltese Gaddafi supporters, when he has shown utter disregard for our sovereignty on several occasions.
He has abused us in his support for terrorism – the downing of Pan Am flight 103, the arming of the Irish Republican Army , and the transit of terrorists like Fathi Shqaqi on false Libyan passports.
He used force to stop us from drilling for oil.
He supported the opposition to the democratically elected government of Malta by creating and financing POPEM.
Those who claim neutrality to suggest that we should mediate are not neutral at all. They are playing Gaddafi’s game, ensuring that the outcome would provide for his remaining in power under some guise or another.
Malta has nothing to gain through the prolongation of the Gaddafi regime in Libya.