US's Europe Command chief thanks Malta for 'support' to jets emergency landings

UPDATED 16:10 | US Supreme Headquarters Allied and European Command commander Admiral James Stavridis has thanked government and the Maltese people for the assistance given to US and NATO jets engaged in emergency landings during Libya operations.

14 June 2011, 12:00am
by Karl Stagno-Navarra

2 min read

Admiral James Stavridis has held talks with Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi at Castille, where he thanked government for the assistance rendered to US and NATO jets that needed emergency landings during Libya operations.

Admiral Stavridis - a keen follower of Maltese history - told the Prime Minister that he was more than happy to convey the gratitude of NATO Commanders to Malta for the assistance during such landings.

However, the US Commander, who was accompanied by a number of NATO collaborators, did not reply to questions by journalists.

In a short speech outside St. John's Co-Cathedral, Admiral James Stavridis praised Malta's "responsible" and "professional" response to the humanitarian crisis following the Libyan uprising and its handling of the refugee problem.

Admiral Stavridis visit was not announced, however the US Commander tweeted that he was “landing in Malta” and adding that the country “provides superb help to NATO w/ emergency landings & airspace & response to refugees as Libya ops continue” (See picture below).

MaltaToday is reliably formed that the talks held at Castille were intended to finalise Malta's role as a strategic hub for humanitarian aid which is due to start being shipped to rebel held towns in Libya, under the Eufor mandate.

Meanwhile, Commander Stavridis has already visited the Armed Forces maritime squadron base at Haywharf where he inspected a guard of honour. Throughout his visit, Admiral Stavridis was accompanied by AFM Commander Brigadier Martin Xuereb.

Admiral Stavridis assumed duties as commander of European Command and as Supreme Allied Commander, Europe in early summer 2009. A Surface Warfare officer, he commanded the Destroyer USS Barry (DDG 52) from 1993-1995, completing UN/NATO deployments to Haiti and Bosnia, and a combat cruise to the Arabian Gulf. From 2002-2004, he commanded Enterprise Carrier Strike Group, conducting combat operations in the Arabian Gulf in support of both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

More from Karl Stagno-Navarra

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@ Thorny: Yes, Malta does have a constitution. You should read it someday. You will find that the neutrality clause falls if the military action is UN-approved.

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@Robin Hood Mela hekk sewwa! Malta tipprostitwixxi lilha nfisha biex taparsi jaghmlulha pjacir!! Ara veru gejna pajjiz li jmexxuna bl-ispaga!! Ma baqalux farka pride dan il-pajjiz, kulhadd jaghmel li jrid bina. U l-gvern jidhqilhom u jghidilhom thank you. Lanqas il-kelba tieghi ma tilghaq daqshekk!! Basta jkun gharef barrani mhux CUC Malti. Jien il-Gvern tal-P.N. ta' qabel 1971 ma niftakrux u meta kien jghidu li l-PN laghqi tal-barrani mhux dejjem kont nemmen, imma z-zejt tela f'wicc l-ilma ghax dawn ma nbidlux. Viva Religio et Patria!! L-aqwa li nsemmu l-kuxjenza kontra d-divorzju, imma biex tipprostitwixxi u tbiegh lil pajjizek hemm m'hemmx kuxjenza. X'umiljazzjoni! Kif ma jisthux!

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Are we sure that there is no hidden agreement between Gonzi and the Nato forces?????

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Hahais right the Us want nothing more than Exploitation does Iraq ring a bell?And looking back to history Hiroshima?They just want to show their power curse them...

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Trebuchet we need no foreigners or military organizations umbrella. You only share in the problems and troubles of Alliances. Why doesnt the USA and NATO bomb Bahrain? You know why Trebuchet? Because it is the home of the US 5th fleet and whatever atrocities Bahrain commits on its own citizens is excused by the USA and NATO and the west. Same goes for Saudi Arabia. This shows the hypocrisy of the USA, NATO and the warrign western countries.

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not amused they can ditch wherever they like and to hell with them. They are running an illegal war to get at Libyas natural resources. Re eu finances they are not giving us anything. We lost more than we ever got apart from the daily membership of €186,000 that we are forced to pay the eu. This is apart from all the customs duties and levies that all go to the eu while we pay the customs officers to collect. This is apart from the loss of the Italian Protocol, the loss of interests on our foreign reserves that were transferred to Frankfurt to the ECB and it is the eu that is now gettign them, together with part of VAT, being inundated by illegal immigrats and foreign workers who are robbing the Maltese workers and families of their work and living. The eu has been cursed and it is going down the drain and nothing can stop it as NATO ans the warring countries are going down the same way. To hell with all of them. May they burn in hell for eternity, all of them.

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Sandy, We live in a world where I scatch your back you scratch mine. Who knows they might resettle so more migrants in exchange.

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Xi hlew qalilna thank-you!!!!! U Ms. Frasier qaltilna (skond l-ahbarijiet) li l-Gvern Malti mhux dejjem ikun infurmat bl-ajruplani militari li qed jigu. Ara tigix id-dar ghandi u taqbad u tidhol ghidilha!! Mur ghamel hekk f'pajjizhom dawn!! @JGPEM Prosit tal- kumment!!! Sewwa ghidt li Mintoff kien jisplodih ghax dak kien l-uniku PM li veru gab il-Malta l'quddiem u l-istorja tixhdu dan. Inutli jippruvaw jichdu. Kien PM li qatt ma beza minn hadd. MALTA TAHT MINTOFF SINJURA MALTA TAHT P.N. PROSTITUTA

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Kien jaghtijulek it thank you il Perit Duminku Mintoff ghax kien JISPLODIK Admiral James Stavridis qedin tigu hawn u ghax hawn gvern PULCINELL qedin TIKSRU il Kostituzjoni ta Malta ALLA jbierek dik l-ISPLUZJONI li INSTEMAT Had Dingli HADD ma jaf XKIEN jekk ma kienitx xi MISSILA li spara lejna Gaddafi

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get it right for once, she's the Defence Director not attache and her last name is FRAZIER

Anthony Haidon •

With reference to some of the blogs below I feel our overzealous mind about neutrality is blocking our brain completely. It seems to have started some years ago when Prime Minister Dom.Mintoff said that we were involved with the last war because of the British presence on the island. Until then I had never heard such rubbish. He tried to make us believe that Hitler would have said to his air force 'Hey don't bomb those ships they r'e delivering food supplies to Malta and Malta is neutral. When will this country grow up. We are always talking in a most selfish manner, we we we, without ever thinking of others. So the authorities allowed warplanes short on fuel to land here. SO WHAT. Are we suppose to take heed of some character who appears from time to time on television singing the praise of the Libyan leader and his brutal running of the country. I am glad we are able to provide some minute help for the cause and I praise our government for it. Oil or no oil the revolution in Libya touched the hearts of the world, the rebels have shown much courage, more than we will ever know and therefore deserve the help of the free world. And I almost forgot to mention, I hardly call a few landings by planes short on fuel as 'coming and going as they please.'

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to Haha first of all I have spoken about giving humanitarian aid and yes it is our responsibility not to hide behind paragraphs in doing what's right. Secondly u calling this UN intervention an illegal war? You must be the only one who is looking at it like that...maybe wth the exception of KMB. to Martin Borg The alternative to let these planes ditch in the Mediterranean will not be looked kindly by follow EU States especially when we are always ready to open up our palms for EU finances. Please be realistic

Albert Mifsud Buckland •

@martin borg Incidentally Europe did NOT declare war on Libya. Get your facts right. The UN mandated and sanctioned these actions. Period. In case you missed it even some arab countries have or are supporting the action/s against Libya. Whether there are vestied interests or not is a moot point. The UN gave the go ahead. So when the UN failed to saction the Iraqi invasion everyone cried foul (yes we would rather have left a butcher the likes of Saddam Hussein murdering his won poeple than transgress with some our holier than though attitude the downfall of this despicable butcher). NOW whenthe UN has sanctioned this anti Gaddafi action you are ALSO crying foul. Make up your flippin mind will you

Albert Mifsud Buckland •

@martin borg The issue here is not whether Malta has had her fair share of wars - agreed we have and we could actually have done without. However having to be realistic we cannot hold back an aggressor. Even one with a couple of pidlly gunboats. For this we need some sort of umbrella. Not necessary to prostitute ourselves for this I assure you. Indeed if we could get some handsome money for allowing a base ala Sigonella what the heck. Do you really think it would make any difference to the Wrold order? But it would our pockets. If managed wisely and effectively not with this incompetent lot. I agree that two weights and two emasures APPEAR to be used. No such huha against (friendly) Oman but then again neither against (enemy) Syria or (parasitic) Iran. At the end of the day you can do so much with finite forces. Thsi is a realistic assesment no matter how often you may cry wolf becaue of the pre supposed two weights two measures. We should eb helping these people gain their freedom. However I have serious doubts whether the mentality of these actually allows them to enjoy freedom. tehy are too fragmented and too subservient to their way of (nomadic?) life. And that, sirs, no amount of bombing will likely change. Unfortunately.

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He means the 'coming and going of the Jet Fighters as THEY PLEASE'. They are making our Constitution appear ridiculous. But GonziPN has too much on his plate to control his MPs to really care about these war planes. But then what can he do against the might of France and UK. ('you do as we command' and he happily nods and nods).

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Issa x'tana dan barra it-thank you??? U leee...veru fidili...jigu, jahraw fuqna u niehdu gost ghax jghidulna thank you!!! L-aqwa ghandna l-indipendenza u il-helsien...

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Why not use same military intervention in places like Yemen and Syria? . That is all the hogwash one must consider, why pick on Libya only? . Timbaktu Malta had her fair share of wars and never ever ceded defeat so get your history right. We have had enough of other countries' wars, it is time to say enough is enough. As regards humanitarian aid one cannot but agree as long as it is NOT part of the war effort. Sorry required correction.

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Why not use same military intervention in places like Yemen and Syria? . That is all the hogwash one must consider, why pick on Libya only? . Timbaktu Malta had her fair share of wars and never ever ceded defeat so get your history right. We have enough other countries wars it is time to sa enough is enough. As regards humanitarian aid one cannot but agree as long as it is part of the war effort.

Albert Mifsud Buckland •

What are we on about here? I was all for non alliance but in today's world this is 'passe'. No longer makes any sense. The reality is that there is now only 1 global (military) power and that is the United States. Economic power sees also the USA but this is being challenged by the likes of China on a global scale and India and Brazil more on a regional scale. Can we please forget once and for all all this rubbish about not allowing military planes in need of landing to do so here. And why all these silly conspiracy theories. As if one or two planes landing in full view of everyone will make one iota of a difference to the ongoing conflict off our shores. So what do you people want? A couple of gun boats and we have to beat a retreat with our tail between our legs (remember that anyone?). As the saying goes... 'si vis pacem - para bellum'. So cut this hogwash about non constituiotanl blah blah blah. We should do our part and help out to shorten the military war and yes undertake a hospital role if necessary. As some said earlier if anything happens I am sure we will be the first ones to run for help and protection. Nothing wrong in that but then stop critisizing the LEGITIMATE use of military power to get rid of a dastardly man hell bent on killing his own nationals.

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@not amused There is a difference between providing humanitarian aid and serving as a whore by letting war planes land to refuel on supposedly emergency needs. Under successive PN administration Malta has been used no better than a prostituet whilst her constitution has been shamelessly broken by the very persons who swore in parliament to uphold it. Libya did not declare hostilities on Europe therefore Malta has no obligation what so ever towards Europe with regards hostilities that Europe declared on Libya.

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not amused we have absolutely NO obligation to help in the illegal war being waged by the USA, NATO and the colonialist warring countries. They are waging this war only to get at Libya's natural resources and not really to help the Libyan population. Under the PN government Malta has again been brought to a colony and a military base against our Constitution. Who does not remember the USA sending its warship to be repaired at the Shipyard and promising never-ending work for the Shipyard workers? No such work was forthcoming and the USA only used that excuse to breach and denigrate our Constitution.

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I am sure he will give him a lesson or two on tactics: that is Gonzi to the Admiral :)

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Ara min gie jiekol il-kirxa maghna! Forsi l-Gonz jiehu l-opportunita jistaqsieh kemm il-sular nizlu taht l-art tal-Ambaxxata Amerikana l-gdida u sa fejn jasal il-'basement'. Tghid baqghu ihaffru sa taht Kastilja? Ghandhom bazi militari tajba - issa kif se tintuza ghal Gwerra kontra l-Libja, dak jarawh huma u tistennewx lill-Gonz se tigieh f'mohhu affari bhal din.

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@Thorny Neutrality and non-alliance is not an excuse to refuse a humanitarian role to our neighboring countries and our constitution should not be used as a exemption from fulfilling our basic responsibilities. Let's be practical if Malta is ever the target of an aggressor we will be first ones to cry out for help and our constitution is hardly a detriment from such eventuallities. As far as non alliance is concerned it's as far detached from reality as one can get.

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checking on the price of refueling....?

Luke Camilleri •

Just don't be a Gonzo, Dr Gonzi ! Malta has a Constitution and you'd better polish up on what the Constitution says about NEUTRALITY AND NON-ALLIANCE , if you want to be credible in the administration of the country! Be like the Americans and put the National Interest First for Malta and the Maltese! We don't want more excuses on fighter jets dropping over to re-fuel!

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Dan ukoll Minghajr petrol!!!LOL

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MALTA = Is-serpentina tal-lokki tad-dinja. Itfa ghawn, kollox jghadi. Imbadd jekk jinstad naraw.