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Fighter jets will remain property of Libyan state
UNHCR – asylum claims of Libyan fighter pilots is responsibility of Maltese state
The two Mirage fighter jets that landed in Malta on Monday will remain the property of the Libyan state, senior army sources have confirmed.
“The fighter jets remain property of Libya and will be transferred back only until stability returns to the country,” the source said, dispelling rumours that the jets’ unauthorised entry into Malta made them property of the Maltese state.
The two Libyan fighter jet pilots landed in Malta yesterday claiming to have escaped the country after being asked to bomb protester civilians in Benghazi. The men, who claimed to be high-ranking colonels from the Okba bin Nafe base close to Tripoli, requested political asylum, sources said.
A UNHCR spokesperson based in Malta confirmed that any asylum claims will be processed by the Office of the Commissioner for Refugees, in Malta.
“It will be the responsibility of the Commissioner to confirm whether the pilots’ claims are being made by two civilians, or two combatants,” the spokesperson said. Asylum as laid down in the Geneva Convention is not given to soldiers who involved in conflict and war.
The two pilots arrived on single-seater Mirage F1 planes at 4:30 p.m. and the government said they asked to land due to fuel shortage. The pilots only made contact with the control tower once they had landed on the commercial runway. The pilots are in police custody.
An army spokesperson said Libya had 12 Mirage F1 planes, which were armed with 2.75 inch air-to-surface rockets.
Two French-registered Super Puma civilian helicopters also landed in Malta at about the same time, carrying seven French passengers who had been contracted by an Italian firm to work in Libya.
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Hello maltesers friends,
I am Pavlov Borichevskiy, from Irkutsk, motherlands Russia. I have businesses in Irkutsk and other cities in motherlands Russia. I likes buy the 2 jets fighters. We can make deal for jets with rubber plastic body parts, legs, feets, liverses and stomachses. Or if not like, I trade with 75 % pure vodka from motherlands Russia. Or maybe some live bears for your circuses.
If deal ok, I send assistant Nicolai. You recognize Nicolai immideately. He very ugly. He has 17 cm nose. He likes to dress as bolshevick. If you not like Nicolai, I send long legged Tatyana. She likeses to dresses short, but I tell her to dresses properlys.
If want, I send advances payment of crates vodka at your locals nightclub. I will send them with 8 feet bodyguard, Grigor.
Hope we deal my maltesers friends,
Yourses,
Pavlov B
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“The fighter jets remain property of Libya and will be transferred back only until stability returns to the country,” the source said, dispelling rumours that the jets’ unauthorised entry into Malta made them property of the Maltese state".
A sensible decision, and an important statement which should have been made sooner.
This brings back memories when Iraq was invaded by UN troops, and Iraqi planes sought refuge in Iran, with Iran later expropriating scores of both military and civilian Iraqi planes. This remains a sore, amongst many other issues, in relations between the two countries; and will most likely be the pretext for further confrontations between the two countries in future.
Chris Attard •
The pilots made contact when with Malta FIR.not as stated in this article.They used 'MIRAGE 1' as a callsign and was offered all runways available giving that they were low in fuel!!
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“The fighter jets remain property of Libya and will be transferred back only until stability returns to the country".
This must be a very wrong statement. The wrong word is UNTIL.
If it is like the statement says, the jets will be returned to Malta after everything in Libya is stabilised.
I believe that the word UNTIL should have been WHEN: which changes all the sense of the sentence.
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The fighters broke into our airspace, which I believe is illegal . Also these fighter landed armed and uninvited on our island . So they should automatically become property of the maltese governement , who can dispose of them the way he wishes. Dont forget the super constellation , years back which landed at Luqa full of arms and was sequestrated and finally burnt down in Malta.
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@rcasha
....and get a couple of bus drivers to fly them ............... ha ha ha
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You mean it's useless bidding for them on MaltaPark? Dang!
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The AFM should have kept everything quiet, re-painted them in AFM colours and pretended they're souped-up B200's, adding some new hardware to the sea patrol unit :)
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Absolutley right!
Ofcourse they are the Goverment's responsabilty and those planes remains property of the Libyan Goverment!
the two planes wil be our goverment's property since they landed here?:) nah :)
We Have Dr.Lawrence Gonzi here - he knows everything- he have all under control- you see, these two planes ,were quickly intercepted by our Jet fighters -hahahaaaaaaha- better laugh than Cry .
DOWN TO ALL REGIMES IN THE WORLD! FREEDOM TO ALL PEOPLE,
RESIST OR SERVE!
