I have been following the situation in Malta concerning the recent death of Dom Mintoff with some interest, and I have to say that even I was surprised by some of the things written by certain people. The level of hatred shown in these recent outbursts has even shocked some PN supporters. Coming from the North of Ireland, I’m well used to situations where people from certain sections of the community, who would have been looked upon as enemies die, but even in the cauldron of hatred that has existed here for generations, at the moment of death, both sides pulled in their horns and showed respect for the dead.

But then, as I began reading between the lines, I started to see a certain method in this madness. Suppose we had a situation where two political parties were running for election and one of the parties that is ahead is actually boosted by the surge of loyalty provoked by the politician’s death? This heightens the battle situation with each side vying to gain the upper hand. We had similar situations during the troubles in N. Ireland and what happened was that one side would incite the other to launch an attack so that they could then sit back licking their wounds and complain to the international community about what a violent lot the other party was when all they claimed to want was peace.

There were even occasions where one side would stir the other side up with all sorts of stories in the press and then, rather than wait to see if some hothead on the other side would be stupid enough to take the bait and attack, they would launch an attack themselves on their own people. This subterfuge would of course be blamed on the opposing party and have exactly the same effect of discrediting the opposition and could be better controlled. I can’t help but wonder if a similar situation could be happening in Malta. Let’s write all sorts of inflammatory articles, fan the flames of hatred, set up some form of attack, maybe a few gunshots or an arson attack, and then fill the press with stories about what a violent lot the other side are, and that they can’t be trusted as this proves that they have never discarded their old, violent ways. Could anyone in Malta have such a devious mind I wonder?

James A. Tyrrell

COUNTY ANTRIM

N. IRELAND