I commented on Facebook to a Maltese friend of mine who lives on the island:
“… this whole thing worries me and deep down it must certainly concern the Maltese as a whole. Colonel Gaddafi and his followers are clearly up against it, and as such as we all know desperate men take desperate measures to retain what they feel belongs to them. History has shown that these people will go to any length to retain their “powers”. Although this article is alarming and its source unverified I think it does certainly touch a nerve especially the references to the potential problems Gaddafi’s regime in its current state could inflict on its immediate neighbours. Indeed such fears were voiced by the UN* a few weeks ago when this crisis started.
I know the Malta government (with all the best intentions in the world) are trying desperately hard to retain their neutrality, I feel it’s generally extremely difficult for them and indeed for Malta as a whole to retain this situation if threats or opinions are out there in the open.
This article says: “there is the possibility that Malta becomes the ground for Gaddafi’s revenge against NATO and the pro-US Arab regimes”. Exactly what these implications and suggestions mean is open to broad speculation. It does however highlight Maltese extreme vulnerability as well and is its position militarily from a geographic point of view. What it (and other suggestions and opinions on this level) does not take into account is the overall desire of the Maltese to remain neutral.
If the suggestions in this article came to fruition or indeed if the slightest attempt was made in this direction then the consequences for the perpetrator would be extreme to say the very least. Indeed it would I am sure be the catalyst for all out war.
I was awake in the night thinking about this whole thing and the situation in Malta. It concerns me greatly and I genuinely hope that the powers that be in the coming days make decisions that would be for the good of human life within Libya itself and surrounding territories.* I think it is only too easy for governments to start screaming about “no-fly zones” without thinking about the reverberations and repercussions within the immediate vicinity and indeed locally as a whole.
I feel deeply sorry for the people of Libya and those in similar countries who are downtrodden under these bombastic and dictatorial regimes. I really hope all of this will resolve itself as peacefully and safely as possible. Above all I genuinely hope that the affairs of Libya remain within the borders of that nation so that the people of Libya can resolve their issues amongst themselves. From what I can gather I believe that the Libyans fighting for their freedom do not desire the help of other nations and I hope that the decision-makers at the United Nations take this into account.”*
(* there were a few typos in the post to my friend that have been updated and corrected here)
Source: http://wfol.tv/index.php/analysis/middle-east/6369-nato-malta-may-face-libyan-brunt.html
While Nato-US and the Arab League are working closely to impose an ‘Arab’ no fly zone on Libyia to prevent Colonel Muamar Gaddafi from having air superiority on rebel fighters, there is the possibility that Malta becomes the ground for Gaddafi’s revenge against NATO and the pro-US Arab regimes.
Amid fierce fighting between government and insurgent forces in Libya, in Brussels and Washington an ideological battle is under way over the extent of involvement of NATO in the Libyan civil war. While France and Great Britain, together with parts of the US legislative bodies, are pushing for the imposition of a no-fly zone to cripple the government’s main defence capabilities against the insurgency, the US administration, Germany and other NATO partners are reluctant and suggest the extension of financial and commercial sanctions.
In an interview to Al Jazeera, Mohammad Ali, spokesman of the Libyan insurgents in Misurata, called on what he considers his Western allies to impose a no-fly zone and to carry out “surgical air strikes” against the government’s forces. However, the Interim Transitional Council, set up in Benghazi to represent the entire alliance of insurgent tribes, declares it would not accept foreign interference in the armed stand-off with the government.
Malta has so far enjoyed a form of ‘neutrality’ in the conflict in Libya. The European Island owes much to the Gaddafi regime which has used its territory to move its funds across at least 33 nations since the lifting of ’embargoes’ on Libya.
With Gaddafi cornered if there is a no-fly zone against his aircrafts, there is the possibility that his regime would ignite Malta with attacks. A no-fly zone does not mean the pro-Gaddafi aircrafts cannot carry missions though the ‘zone’ will be under surveillance by Nato. There is the definite belief that such a no-fly zone may not be respected totally by Gaddafi while it will become a very costly affair for the Nato and the US to maintain while the ‘civil war’ on the terrain decides Libya’s future.
