Gaddafi is the sinner

Our Prime Minister has condemned the "violence" without mentioning the author of the violence. This is like condemning the sin without condemning the sinner. Our leader of the Opposition has remained silent thus losing a golden opportunity to make a definitive break with old Labour's ties with the murderous regime. 

There is no excuse for remaining silent when a government uses lethal brutal force against its own people. Our national pride as a democratic nation demands otherwise. 

Other countries like the UK who have vast commercial interests in Libya have at least come out clean by at least taking a firm stand. William Hague has shamed his  'progressive' predecessors who armed the beast with weapons now being used against his own people. Even Gaddafi's best buddy in Europe, Silvio Berlusconi, has not just condemned the "unacceptable" violence but specified that this is being used "against civilians" even if like Gonzi he did not mention the sinner.

Even our long term strategic interests demand otherwise. One cannot but note how misguided it was on our government's part to visit Libya when the storm was already brewing with a day of rage already announced on Twitter and Facebook.

For from now onwards even if he survives the storm, Gaddafi will be relegated again to his rightful place as a pariah, probably facing proceedings at the Hague. For who would afford being seen in the company of a dictator who bombards his people with fighter jets?  No western leader will risk again being seen in his company.

As long as Gaddafi remains in power in Libya, Malta will suffer from the absence of a credible interlocutor. If he is not removed we will have to live next to an angry and vengeful dog still licking its wounds, who will be prone to destabilise the region. The sooner he goes away the better for our economy and long-term stability.

Surely this has exposed the hypocrisy of the west which ignored human rights in its enthusiasm to strike commercial deals (and arms deals) with Libya following the country's rehabilitation after it scrapped its weapons of mass destruction programme - thus giving George Bush the only success in his  misguided war on terror.

Yet it was not just the west which appeased Libya. Even part of the "left"  flirted with Gaddafi's brand of anti imperialism. The self-proclaimed inventor of 21st century socialism and scourge of US imperialism, Hugo Chavez, is one of his admirers. Every year our own Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici chairs the Gaddafi human rights award charade. I wonder who will accept such an award from a government which has killed scores of demonstrators with live rounds of ammunition.

Surely old Labour's ties with Gaddafi must be seen in a context where Malta was asserting itself as a newly sovereign state and strengthening its bargaining chip with the west by flirting with Gaddafi. But those times are clearly over and Labour would do well to cut the last strings with the regime.

Finally on another note, one must ask the question; how can we with a clean conscience by a party to the Italy-Libya agreement through which migrants are forced back to Libya on the high seas?  Both  government and opposition support this agreement. If Gaddafi is so brutal with his own people, how can we trust him with the lives of Sub Saharan people (who are apparently only useful as mercenaries).

Even when it comes to controlling human trafficking our best interest is best served by a quick regime change in Libya. As long as he remains in power he will keep using immigrants as pawns in his financial  and political blackmail. 

One final question: is condemnation enough? If the situation continues to degenerate Europeans will have to match their words with action. One such action could be enforcing a no-fly zone preventing Libyan jets from bombarding Libyan people.