Libya, Nirenstein: our duty to firmly condemn Gheddafi's regime violence
Statement by Hon. Fiamma Nirenstein, Vice-president of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Italian Chamber of Deputies
"I firmly condemn the incredible use of violence of Gheddafi's regime against the crowds of his fellow citizens. None of the current revolutions in the Muslim world has yet had such bloody outcomes.
Although I wish things might peacefully settle, I cannot but stress Gheddafi's unwillingness for solutions that have to do with our culture of freedom. This was already clear to me when I abstained from voting the ratification of the Agreement between Italy and Libya, which was approved in 2009 by the almost entire Parliament.
The reasons of my abstention, which I declared in the parliamentary assembly, were not pertaining to the content of the treaty, which in my opinion showed good will and offered a solution to the dispute that had long involved different Italian governments and that indeed has in large part been settled; the agreement has also offered a solution to the question of illegal immigrants, the number of which has remarkably decreased. My reasons were based on the impossibility to believe in a deal with a partner as Gheddafi, whose radical words and whose constant threats to the UN and to the State of Israel made me very sceptical regarding his authentic willingness.
The outcome of the revolutions we are assisting these days is still difficult to foresee. Europe has to monitor every opportunity of evolving Islamic extremism, a risk that Libya also runs. But now our major duty is to speak out without reserves so that shootings on the protesters stop as soon as possible".
Rome, February 21, 2011