The government this morning denied it has made any sort of commitment to the US-led anti-Islamic State coalition, as had been reported by The Malta Independent on Sunday.
But strangely the US Department of State document listing out members of the anti-Islamic State coalition clearly states Malta as one of the countries that has made "contributions and commitments to date".
On Sunday, TMIS reported that while Malta has signed on to the American-led coalition against the Islamic State, it was still unclear in what capacity.
Malta is, in fact, listed on the US State Department's list as a coalition supporter and while it is doubtful that it is lending military or humanitarian assistance to the cause, Malta's commitment is most likely of a political nature.
Questions sent to the Office of the Prime Minister on the matter were not answered between Friday and this morning.
Instead, the government, through the foreign affairs ministry, issued a press release this morning denying it had made any commitment to the coalition.
While the ministry said that is recognises the Islamic state as a threat not only to Iraq, Syria and the entire region, but also to the United States of America and Europe, "Malta has not made any agreement and or commitment with any coalition, nor with American government, any other countries or organisations involved in the coalition".
The government said it has condemned the violence being perpetrated by the Islamic State and that it has "offered moral and political support in the fight against the violence and barbarism of the Islamic State". Malta, the government said, has also recognised the "moral obligation" to address the humanitarian situation created by the Islamic State's actions.
The government did, however state that while "Malta's neutrality aims to bring peace, but on the other hand Malta cannot remain passive in such circumstances".
So on the one hand the government has said that is cannot remain passive when faced with the horrors being perpetrated by the Islamic State, and it has offered "political support", which, seemingly by Washington DC's measure, means it has signed on to the coalition. But according to Malta, that does not constitute being part of the coalition.
Malta appears to have given one message to the US government but is now wary of the implications it may have on its coveted neutrality. It must, however, be pointed out that the issue of neutrality should not even figure into the equation. Islamic State is a terrorist organisation, not an actual state, and there is no neutrality where terrorism is concerned.
Somehow, somewhere down the line between Valletta and Washington, it seems that diplomatic wires got crossed.
The full statement by the US State Department, published on 19 September, can be accessed at:
http://translations.state.gov/st/english/texttrans/2014/09/20140919308682.html#axzz3EmjW3ikq