DOMINIC MINTOFF, THE PRICE OF MALTESE INDEPENDENCE

Events that shaped the countries of the Mediterranean

An episode from the series ECHOES OF HISTORY

Synopsis

On July 6, 1974, in Valletta city center, a double bombing shattered the Libyan Airlines travel agency and the Libyan Cultural Centre.

The attacks are claimed by the Maltese Nationalist Front, which "wanted to denounce the expansionist activities of Gaddafi in Malta". Indeed, relations have been tense for several years between Dom Mintoff, in power on the island, and the Libyan Colonel.

Throughout the 1970s, Mintoff sought to free himself from NATO's tutelage to consolidate the independence of his young nation. In Libya, he found his most fervent support in the person of Muammar Gaddafi. A honeymoon that will last from 1974 to 1980, with strategic military interests, oil deposits, and Islamic doctrine intertwining.