Malta, NATO, and SOFA – What had Norman Lowell to say on SOFA which was never contested?

It was in September of 2020 when the Labour government planned to sign a military agreement with the United States, a decision that was defended by Prime Minister Robert Abela. This is known as the SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement). This agreement was then not signed, as reported on Times of Malta on 5th October 2020.

Fast forward three years, and now Malta has been approved unanimously as Associate Member of the Parliamentary Assembly of NATO. This reminded me of the SOFA agreement, which was disputed and talked about by various media portals back then. So, let us see what Norman Lowell said on 29th September 2020 about this SOFA. What he said was never contested:

“Dan il-ftehim huwa ‘a sell-out.’ Dan il-ftehim itellef is-sovranita’ ta’ Malta. Dan il-ftehim huwa inaċċettabli. Il-gvern Malti għadu kemm kellu jċedi ftit sovranita’ li kien fadlilha Malta. Lanqas tgħid bigħha u ġab xi ħaġa tagħha. Le. Kellu jċediha taħt rikatt sfaċċat u skjaċċatni, mill-Amerikani. Dan il-gvern Soċjalista skwallidu, korrott u ħalliel, ċeda s-sovranita’ ta’ Malta biex isalva ġidu mill-possibilta’ ta’ snin twal f’ħabs Amerikan. Għaliex? Għaliex l-Amerikani jafu kollox. Kif jafu kollox? Għax kull komunikazzjoni li ssir, telefonati, emails, skype whats app, anki x’tara fuq it-televixin, kollha rrekordjati u l-informazzjoni merfugħa biex tintuza f’waqtha, kif ġara f’dan il-każ, biex jirrikattaw membri korrotti u kriminali tal-gvern li ġew daharhom mal-ħajt u mill-ewwel ċedew l-armi. Il-probabilita’ hija li Ali Sdar, ic-Chairman tal-Pilatus Bank, iffaċċjat b’mija u għoxrin sena ħabs fuq it-tbażwir tal-bank tiegħu, beda jgħanni daqs kanarin fuq il-qanneb biex ħelsuh mill-akkużi, u kixef kollox dwar min huma l-kontijet sigrieti u ċaqliq ta’ miljuni ‘l hawn u ‘l hemm. Xi jfisser dan il-ftehim – Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA)? Jekk suldat jew baħri Amerikan joqtol Malti jew Maltija jeħduh malajr fuq il-bastiment jew ajruplan Amerikan, u jisparixxi. U ma nafux x’ġara minnu. Niftakru dik il-povra prostituta, Marija s-Sewda, imbiċċra l-belt, il-fossa, delitt ritwali dak li fl-Afrika jsejħulu delitt muti, fejn qatagħlha ż-żejżiet u poġġihomlha fuq għajnejha, biex ħadd ma jagħrfu. Eh, l-iswed insomma. Rawh Strada Rjali mimli demm, iċaflas fi Strada Rjali, sejjer, u tela’ fuq bastiment u ma ġara xejn. Dak kien fi żmien Borg Olivier. U l-Labour qomsu. U bir-raġun. Artikoli fuq l-orizzont front page kontra dil-oxxenita’. Il-Pieta’ ma’ ħajt: ‘Blacks not welcome’ mgħotti b’liżar, guarded by two sailors. Ara kieku poġġiha Norman Lowell dik e, x’kien isir! Imma l-Amerikani jgħaffġuk biż-żarbun tal-cowboys kif kien jgħid Mintoff. Kien isejjaħ il-President Reagan ‘Mr. Big Foot.’ Hekk għamlu fl-Okinawa – bażi Amerikana fuq gżira Ġappuniża, meta negru ieħor biċċer mara Ġappuniża u qamu rvellijiet kbar biex jitkeċċew l-Amerikani minn hemm. Imma dal-gvern, wara ruxxmata skandli, għax dan il-gvern Laburist tal-isem biss, imbruljuni li serqu l-miljuni, u għadhom jitħanżru fil-maqjel tad-daħla tal-Belt, ma jista’ jagħmel xejn, ħlief jissottometti ruħu għall-pressjoni. U l-ħasra hi li mhemmx oppożizzjoni. Jew fl-indipendenza fil-21 ta’ Settembru, erbat ijiem ilu, lanqas biss issemmiet. L-importanti t-tellieqa bejn dawk iż-żewg medjokrijatijiet. Fula maqsuma. Malta mitlufa, mibjugħa, traduta minn kulħadd. Aħna biss fadal. Aħna. Imperium Europa. Viva Malta. Viva Ġensna.”

No SOFA, no party. Yes NATO, yes party, while we are a colony and a prostitute of America.

Tista’ tisma’ u tara hawn.

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