Terrur

It-terrur bħala għodda tal-gwerra ilu jeżisti sa minn meta l-bniedem induna li kien annimal soċjali. Ma’ kull ġenerazzjoni li għaddiet minn dak iż-żmien, l-għodda ssaħħet u nbidlet skont l-iżvilupp tat-teknoloġiji u skont kemm l-“imaġinazzjoni” tal-bniedem irnexxielha tiskopri mezzi ġodda biex toħloq diżgwid brutali fi ħdan l-“għadu”.

Fi Brussell il-ġimgħa li għaddiet, twettaq ieħor fis-sensiela ta’ inċidenti li bihom tinkiteb l-istorja mdemmija tat-terroriżmu. Mhijiex se tkun l-aħħar waħda. Xorta ġġaRrbet minn ħafna qisha kienet l-ewwel attakk terroristiku li qatt seħħ. Hekk se jerġa’ jiġri meta jitwettaq l-attakk li jmiss.

It-terrur ġieli rnexxa bħala għodda ta’ ħidma offensiva, kif fost oħrajn turi l-istorja tal-imperu Ruman. Għandna kull interess biex il-mewġa ta’ terrur li ninsabu għaddejja biha llum ma titħalliex tasal għall-iskopijiet tagħha. Il-mezzi biex l-Ewropa tilqa’ għaliha m’għandhomx ikunu biss dawk militari jew li jinbnew fuq it-tisħiħ tas-sigurtà, għalkemm dawn jibqgħu indispensabbli. Trid tinbena xibka usa’ ta’ miżuri soċjali u ta’ informazzjoni.

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Ġużeppi Mercieca

Intqal ħafna dwar l-umiltà ta’ Monsinjur Mercieca fil-jiem wara li tħabbret mewtu, u ħaġa sorprendenti – kulma ntqal kien minnu. Hi kwalità li ma tantx tissemma, waħda li ftit hi pprattikata. Il-fehma ġenerali: ma tantx hi effettiva.

Jien wieħed minn dawk li fil-kuntatti li kelli mal-Arċisqof Mercieca matul is-snin, bqajt impressjonat bil-mod kif kien iġib ruħu. Ġentili u allużiv, kien iħallik tifhem anki wara li jkun kellmek, it-tifsira ta’ ħsibijietu, mingħajr ma jinsisti fuqha, donnu jemmen li dit-tifsira fl-aħħar se tiftiehem.

Naħseb kellu raġun f’hekk. Mhux l-anqas għax il-ġentilezza ta’ mġibtu ma kinitx tfisser li ma kellux rieda soda.

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Studju dwar il-lobbies Ewropej

Rapport ippreżentat minn għaqda volontarja l-ALTER-EU jiffoka fuq kif ir-Rappreżentanzi Permanenti (“ambaxxati”) tal-pajjiżi membri tal-Unjoni Ewropea fi Brussell iżommu laqgħat ma’ aġenti ta’ interessi privati. Dawn il-“lobbies” ikunu jixtiequ jiddiskutu ma’ uffiċjali tal-ambaxxati proposti resqin quddiem il-Kunsill tal-Unjoni Ewropea. B’hekk jipprovaw jinfluwenzawhom dwar x’pożizzjoni jieħdu.

Fl-isforzi biex tiżdied it-trasparenza dwar id-deċiżjonijiet tal-Unjoni Ewropea, l-aqwa attenzjoni nżammet issa fuq il-Kummissjoni Ewropea u s-servizzi tal-Kunsill Ewropew.

Bir-raġun, l-ALTER-EU targumenta li l-ambaxxati għandhom rwol ċentrali fil-mod kif jitħejjew il-pożizzjonijiet finali tal-Unjoni. Ma tantx sabet rispons meta talbet lill-ambaxxati biex jgħidu kif, meta u għal xiex uffiċjali tagħhom iltaqgħu ma’ “lobbyists” privati.

Erbgħa biss (tal-Irlanda, ir-Romanija, l-Olanda u l-Polonja) taw xi informazzjoni. Sitt ambaxxati qalu li ma jżommux l-informazzjoni mitluba. Ħamsa lanqas biss wieġbu.

Tnejn irrifjutaw li jagħtu l-informazzjoni: ir-Renju Unit u Malta.

English Version – Terror

Terror has been deployed as a tool of war since human beings realised they functioned as social animals. With every generation that has passed since that discovery, terror has been adjusted and sharpened according to technological developments, as well as the extent to which the human “imagination” succeeded in developing new methods by which to create a brutal discontinuity in the affairs of the “enemy”.

Last week in Brussels, another incident occurred in the series which describes the bloody history of terrorism. It will not be the final one. Even so, many people experienced it as if it was the first terrorist attack that had ever happened. This will recur when the next attack is carried out.

Terror is sometimes effective as a tool for offensive operations, as the history of the Roman Empire, among others, demonstrates. We have every interest to ensure that the terror wave now rolling is prevented from reaching its aims. The methods that Europe should use to overcome it must not be restricted to military measures, or to reinforcing security, although these remain indispensable. A wider net of social measures and intelligence gathering operations also needs to be established.

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Ġużeppi Mercieca

In the days following the announcement of his death, a lot was said about Mgr. Mercieca’s humility. Surprisingly perhaps, every word of it was true. As a quality, humility is rarely in evidence. According to the general view, it is less than effective.

I happen to be one of those who in their contacts with Archbishop Mercieca over the years was impressed by his behaviour. Gentle and allusive in style, he would let you understand what he really meant after you left him, for he would not insist on his point of view, as if in the belief that the point he wished to make would eventually become evident.

I guess he was right to believe so. Not least because his soft, gentle approach did not mean he was weak-willed.

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European lobbies

A study drawn up by the NGO ALTER-EU focuses on how the Permanent Representations of EU member states in Brussels (or embassies to the EU institutions) hold meetings with agents representing private interests. These lobbies seek to discuss with embassy officials proposals that are coming up in the European Council, hoping to influence the kind of position they plan to take.

In efforts to make EU decisions more transparent, attention has been concentrated up to now mostly on the European Commission and the European Council.

Quite rightly, ALTER-EU argues that the permanent representations play a central role in the ways by which final positions are staked out in the Union. Yet it got a limited response from embassies to its requests regarding information about how, when and for what reason their officials had met with private lobbyists.

Only four member states (Ireland, Rumania, Holland and Poland) provided information. Six embassies said they did not keep records of the information requested. Five did not even reply.

Two refused to supply the information: the UK and Malta.