Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/606717
8 maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 25 NOVEMBER 2015 News WIN a set of the four books of To win answer the right question tick the right answer/answers? ❏ Arturo Caruana writing is known as Gothic literature ❏ Arturo Caruana is the pseudonym of Alessandro Manzoni ❏ Arturo Caruana is the pseudonym of Vittorio Alfieri ❏ Arturo Caruana's writing is known as Frame narrative Send your answers by 2 December to: MediaToday, WIN A BOOK FROM BDL, Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann The winner of the book Drawwiet u Tifkiriet Josephine Grech from Hamrun, Sue Borg from St Julians, Carmen Camilleri from B'Bugia, Carmen Apap from Pieta, Joe & Lora Meilak from Qormi and J Sultana from Zurrieq published by BDL Arturo Caruana's Marta 8 Malta has always been 'staging point for terrorists' MAT THEW VELLA AN international travel warning issued by the United States has been conf lated in the Maltese media with claims that terror- ists could be "hiding" in Malta and seeking passage to Europe. The island has always been vulnerable to secretive incur- sions from terrorists carrying out their masters' bidding – the assassination of the PFLP's Fathi Shqaqi, a regular visitor, by Mossad agents in the 1990s is perhaps just one of the more clear cases. But Malta has long been touted as a "staging point for terrorists" by the United States Depart- ment of State, long before Is- lamic State fighters and radicals started making their way into Europe. In the eyes of Washington, Malta has always been "in- creasingly attractive to terror- ist organisations seeking entry into Europe" after 9/11, an un- changing script in the Country Reports on Terrorism for vari- ous border countries like Malta. Here's the first report issued in 2006, describing the island 's counter-terrorism as "nascent". But a rare travel warning is- sued on Monday for all US citi- zens appears to be unconnected to what the State Department's travel profile on Malta – last up- dated on 22 April, 2015 – states: "No indigenous terrorist or extremist groups are known to be active in Malta and no for- eign terrorist organization has carried out an attack against U.S. interests in Malta in recent years. Due to its geographic lo- cation and status as a Schengen Zone country, Malta could be used as a possible staging point for terrorists desiring to enter other EU countries or as a ref- uge for terrorists attempting to evade detection. U.S. citizens are reminded to remain alert and aware of their immedi- ate surroundings and exercise caution when out and about in Malta." In fact, it's the same type of warning for Italy, which has made arrests of terror groups, Greece, and Spain. The same script is applied for all Schen- gen border countries as the first points of entry to non-EU na- tionals. What the Department of State did on Monday, 23 November was to issue a worldwide travel warning for its citizens, specif y- ing that Islamic State is planning "attacks in multiple regions" af- ter targeting France, Nigeria, Denmark, Turkey, and Mali. This is a rare worldwide alert, by the State Department's own admission, warning American travellers about the widespread threats posed by members of the Islamic State or copycat bomb- ers, in the wake of the 13 Novem- ber attacks on Paris perpetrated by Islamic State militants. Earlier on 29 July, the State De- partment issued another alert, calling for "worldwide caution". It said that Islamic State "con- tinue to plan terrorist attacks against U.S. and Western in- terests in Europe… Authorities believe the likelihood of terror attacks in Europe will continue as European members of ISIL return from Syria and Iraq." But if there is a specific Malta connection to the worldwide alert, there is no mention in ei- ther the November worldwide alert, or the July warning. Busuttil 'ready to agree' with Schengen suspension if risk is real Opposition leader says 'threat to country is not within Schengen but through the issuance of visas' as he defends Schengen remarks MIRIAM DALLI OPPOSITION leader Simon Busuttil is "ready to agree" with a temporary suspension of Schengen if the government "explains why this is neces- sary". Due to the Valletta Summit held earlier this month and the Commonwealth heads of gov- ernment meeting being held this week in Malta, the govern- ment had ordered the tempo- rary suspension of the Schen- gen agreement. Prime Minister Joseph Mus- cat on Sunday announced the government was extending the suspension and would continue with border controls imposed on passengers departing from and arriving in Malta via both the airport and the Valletta passenger terminal. The decision was taken fol- lowing the terror attacks in Par- is and the subsequent warnings in other EU member states. The increased passport checks in both Italy and Malta had led to the arrest of at least seven Syri- ans and Somalis who attempted to reach Malta from Italy, using fake passports and posing as EU citizens. The government has given an assurance that these people – from the analysis made by the authorities – were unrelated to terrorism. "Their abuse is related to false documentation for the provi- sion of international protection and work permits," the govern- ment has said. A total of 30 people were said to have entered Malta since the start of the year, who are now being traced down by the authorities, together with col- laborators. On Saturday, the Opposition leader tweeted that he did not believe that those who entered the country using false docu- ments did so to seek work and asylum. Then, on Sunday, he voiced his disagreement with the indefi- nite suspension of Schengen. Muscat said the suspension of the Schengen agreement would remain in place until the EU decides on new measures. Dur- ing an emergency meeting in Brussels a week after the Paris attacks, EU interior ministers said all EU citizens entering or leaving the free-travel area should undergo "systematic" screening against pan-Europe- an databases. "I want our country to have serious security and that is why I agreed with the suspension of Schengen during the sum- mits. The government is now saying that there are no threats and yet it wants Schengen to be suspended indefinitely. Why? We want the government to be clear. We are ready to agree, but higher security comes at a price: our freedom. If there are no risks, why suspend it indefi- nitely?" Busuttil asked. He denied that the arrest of the individuals with false pass- ports was possible following the suspension of the Schengen agreement, claiming that the government "never confirmed it". "If you think we can control threats to our security by in- creasing controls, you're wrong. You need the sharing of intelli- gence." When asked about the grow- ing concerns following the at- tacks in Paris, Busuttil replied that it didn't appear that Malta had the same problems Paris has. The Opposition leader insist- ed that the "real threat" was the issuance of 7,000 visas to Alge- rian nationals. He said the gov- ernment was "misplacing" its attention on Schengen when it should be worrying about visas. During the Valletta Summit, Council President Donald Tusk warned that the EU was in "a race against time to save Schen- gen". "Saving Schengen is a race against time and we are deter- mined to win that race. We must act and implement all decisions taken, including those taken in previous summits," Tusk had said, recalling an effective ex- ternal border control system. Opposition leader Simon Busuttil says government giving 'conflicting messages'