Libya issues threat to Italy

[SpikeTss]

Source: The Scotsman - Edinburgh

SILVIO Berlusconi, the Italian prime minister, faced his first crisis in office after a notorious leader of the xenophobic Northern League was named his "minister for simplification of legislation".
Libya threatened yesterday to end its help in the fight against illegal immigrants crossing the Mediterranean over the appointment of Roberto Calderoli. A controversial figure, he sparked riots in 2006 after wearing a T-shirt with a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad during a television debate.

...

Hours after his appointment, Tripoli announced it would no longer co-operate in patrolling waters between the two countries. Mr Berlusconi said he was "confident we can clarify and soothe over the situation". Immigration was a key issue in the election that returned him to power.

The Libyan interior ministry said the country was "exhausting its resources and spending a vast quantity of money to protect the Italian coast from the wave of illegal immigration". It was "no longer responsible … because the Italian side did not make good on its commitment to provide support for Libya".

A week ago Qaddafi International Foundation – a charity chaired by the son of the Libyan leader, Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi – warned of "catastrophic repercussions" to bilateral ties if Mr Berlusconi made Mr Calderoli a minister. There were also reports Libya would toughen visa requirements for Italian oil workers.

Read more: http://news.scotsman.com/world/Libya----issues.4070257.jp

[panzerfaust]

1. Libya must have forgotten what the Italian Army did to

... the Ethopians.

Hope y'all noticed who the New Mayor of Rome is: Gianni Alemanno - neo-fascist in his youth, and I am sure that the straight, stiff armed (but left handed) wave he gave as he got into his car has NOTHING to do with the unhappy past, when Bennie and Adolf strode across the world as though they were mighty Bushes.

God Bless Italia! Of course, that's where HE has His Blessed Holy Roman Church: Or did until Bennie gave Gods-Main-Man on earth his own tiny country, in return for the support of The Church for Fascist rule (Since Gods-Main-Man had been afraid to leave his temple, for over 50 years (I think) because of fear of being arrested by the Italian police). Ever notice that neither Hitler, nor Mussolini (both Roman Catholics) were ever excommunicated by The Church. In fact, as far as I know, only one Fascist was excommunicated, and that was for marrying a hell-bound protestant - not for starting a world war, or murdering millions of Jews and other subhumans.

Nice to see a man of Alemanno's stature back in charge in Roma. He says that he will be "Mayor of all Romans. Especially those who did not vote for me".

Sounds chilling to me.

The only comfort is that the last time the Italian army won a war it was the one with the Ethopians. War gas, machine guns, tanks, planes, artillery against bows, arrows, spears, shields, and a few single shot rifles.

Romans ain't what they used to be. Truly, thank God for that.

[Posteritatis]

2. "Minister for simplification of legislation?"

The Byzantine nature of Italian politics terrifies me, but that portfolio's name is intriguing. Anyone more in the know about it? It immediately sounds like the kind of position more countries probably need...