ROME - Italy put its air bases on maximum alert on Feb. 21 after two Libyan air force colonels fled to the Mediterranean island of Malta in fighter jets saying they had refused orders to bomb protesters.
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who had been reticent to criticize veteran Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi, also condemned the "unacceptable" use of violence against civilians and said he was "alarmed" at the turmoil in Libya.
The violence in Libya also sent shockwaves through the Italian stock market, which dropped 3.59 percent as some of Italy's biggest companies have extensive Libyan capital or major investments in the north African state.
Meanwhile, authorities in Malta said they were holding two Libyan pilots who landed earlier on Feb. 21 for questioning after the men said they were forced to flee their base in eastern Benghazi when it was taken over by protesters.
"One of the pilots requested political asylum" after the two descended from their single-seater Mirage F1 jets, a government spokesman said.
Two helicopters also landed at the same time carrying seven passengers who said they were French nationals working on oil rigs near Benghazi, the base of the popular uprising.
The markings on the French-registered Super Puma helicopters were for Heli Union - a company specializing in air transport for oil and gas majors.
The helicopters were given permission to land but had not been given clearance to leave Libya, indicating they had escaped, military sources said.
Malta is the European Union member state closest to Libyan shores, located just 340 kilometres (210 miles) north of the Libyan coastline.
After the landings in Malta, Italy said it had put its air bases on high alert and was moving air force and navy helicopters to southern Italy.
Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa said Italy was also deploying the Elettra, a military vessel used for intelligence and reconnaissance.
Italian experts have warned of a massive influx of refugees from Libya if there is a power vacuum in the country.
Berlusconi is to meet with the defense, foreign and interior ministers Feb. 22 for talks on the crisis in north Africa.
Italy and Libya signed a friendship treaty in August 2008 that opened a new chapter in relations and led to massive investments, formally ending historic resentment against Italy - Libya's colonial ruler between 1911 and 1942.
Berlusconi said at the time that Italy would invest five billion dollars in Libya as compensation for colonization over the next 25 years.
Italy has since become the biggest exporter to Libya, with a 17.5 percent share of the market, and it is the main outlet for Libyan exports.
Libya and veteran ruler Moamer Kadhafi's family have also taken major stakes in leading Italian businesses including its biggest bank UniCredit, the defense and industry giant Finmeccanica and first-division football club Juventus.
Italian energy giant ENI, the biggest foreign oil producer in Libya, saw its share price plummet 5.12 percent after it said it was evacuating "non-essential" expatriate employees and the families of all foreign staff.
Finmeccanica, whose share price dropped by 2.69 percent and in which Libya has a 2.01 percent stake, also said it was also pulling out of the country.
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who had been reticent to criticize veteran Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi, also condemned the "unacceptable" use of violence against civilians and said he was "alarmed" at the turmoil in Libya.
The violence in Libya also sent shockwaves through the Italian stock market, which dropped 3.59 percent as some of Italy's biggest companies have extensive Libyan capital or major investments in the north African state.
Meanwhile, authorities in Malta said they were holding two Libyan pilots who landed earlier on Feb. 21 for questioning after the men said they were forced to flee their base in eastern Benghazi when it was taken over by protesters.
"One of the pilots requested political asylum" after the two descended from their single-seater Mirage F1 jets, a government spokesman said.
Two helicopters also landed at the same time carrying seven passengers who said they were French nationals working on oil rigs near Benghazi, the base of the popular uprising.
The markings on the French-registered Super Puma helicopters were for Heli Union - a company specializing in air transport for oil and gas majors.
The helicopters were given permission to land but had not been given clearance to leave Libya, indicating they had escaped, military sources said.
Malta is the European Union member state closest to Libyan shores, located just 340 kilometres (210 miles) north of the Libyan coastline.
After the landings in Malta, Italy said it had put its air bases on high alert and was moving air force and navy helicopters to southern Italy.
Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa said Italy was also deploying the Elettra, a military vessel used for intelligence and reconnaissance.
Italian experts have warned of a massive influx of refugees from Libya if there is a power vacuum in the country.
Berlusconi is to meet with the defense, foreign and interior ministers Feb. 22 for talks on the crisis in north Africa.
Italy and Libya signed a friendship treaty in August 2008 that opened a new chapter in relations and led to massive investments, formally ending historic resentment against Italy - Libya's colonial ruler between 1911 and 1942.
Berlusconi said at the time that Italy would invest five billion dollars in Libya as compensation for colonization over the next 25 years.
Italy has since become the biggest exporter to Libya, with a 17.5 percent share of the market, and it is the main outlet for Libyan exports.
Libya and veteran ruler Moamer Kadhafi's family have also taken major stakes in leading Italian businesses including its biggest bank UniCredit, the defense and industry giant Finmeccanica and first-division football club Juventus.
Italian energy giant ENI, the biggest foreign oil producer in Libya, saw its share price plummet 5.12 percent after it said it was evacuating "non-essential" expatriate employees and the families of all foreign staff.
Finmeccanica, whose share price dropped by 2.69 percent and in which Libya has a 2.01 percent stake, also said it was also pulling out of the country.
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