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Subscribe to RSSThe U.K.'s foreign minister accused Argentina of "harassment" and "threats" over the Falkland Islands, saying that its policy toward the south Atlantic islands was “deeply regrettable.”
William Hague made the comments in an article on Monday for the U.K.’s Daily Telegraph timed to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the Argentine invasion of the islands.
"In place of the dialogue and engagement we saw in the 1990s, Argentina has in recent years taken a range of measures to try to coerce the islands: from attempts to intimidate businesses involved in the hydrocarbons industry, to the harassment of Falkland fishing vessels by the Argentine coastguard; from threats to cut the one air link between the islands and South America, to actually closing its ports to cruise ships that have visited the Falklands," Hague wrote.
Services were being held in both Britain and Argentina to mark the 30th anniversary of the start of the Falklands War, in which 255 British and 650 Argentine troops died. The conflict ended after 74 days when the Argentinian forces surrendered.
Relations between the countries are at their chilliest in years as Buenos Aires launches a multi-pronged diplomatic offensive to assert its claim to sovereignty over the South Atlantic islands, which it calls the Malvinas.
"I am a Malvinist president," President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner said, according to The Guardian. "It is an injustice that a colonialist enclave still exists a few hundred kilometers from our shores in the 21st century. It is absurd to pretend dominion 8,000 miles overseas."
Fernandez addressed war veterans in the chilly Patagonian city of Ushuaia.
"We demand too that they stop plundering our environment, our natural resources - fish and oil," she said, reiterating her calls for London to agree to sovereignty negotiations.
"We're not demanding anything more than that - dialogue between both countries to discuss the sovereignty issue, respecting the interests of the islanders," said Fernandez, a combative center-leftist who easily won re-election last year.
Oil discovery raises stakes
London has controlled the islands since 1833. Argentina has long claimed the territory, saying it inherited it from Spain on independence and that Britain expelled an Argentine population from the islands.
While a repeat of the 1982 military conflict is seen as highly unlikely, the dispute could jeopardize Britain's drive for closer economic and trade ties with emerging Latin America powers such as Brazil.
The discovery of oil off the Falklands has raised the stakes, leading Argentina to threaten to sue companies involved in oil exploration.
Argentina has also protested to the United Nations over British "militarization" of the South Atlantic.
The Guardian newspaper reported that Argentina has grown increasingly unhappy about the prospect of missing out on a potential £115 billion oil boom around the islands.
It has now escalated the dispute with a two-page letter sent to 15 banks, thought to include Royal Bank of Scotland, Barclays Capital and Goldman Sachs, warning them of possible civil and criminal charges if they continue work with the five London-listed exploration companies.
Drive on other side of road
Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron said he remains committed to upholding British sovereignty over the islands, the BBC reported.
"We are rightly proud of the role Britain played in righting a profound wrong. And the people of the Falkland Islands can be justly proud of the prosperous and secure future they have built for their islands since 1982," he said.
Among those remembering the conflict on Monday was radio presenter Patrick Watts, whose studio was invaded at about 9 a.m. local time on April 2, 1982.
Six Argentine soldiers entered the room and pointed their guns at his back, he recalled in an interview with Britain’s Sky News.
The soldiers forced him to play pre-recorded tapes in Spanish and English ordering residents to drive on the other side of the road and speak Spanish in schools.
Although Argentina’s air force is now ageing, a report by the U.K. National Defence Association said Britain would be “hard put to protect, reinforce or re-take the islands” without an aircraft carrier.
Msnbc.com staff and Reuters contributed to this report.
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I thought all that crap was from two centuries ago? Based on a map, the Falklands are a long way from England, so what are the British doing claiming this territory? And I don't want to here about the historionics surrounding it either, we all already know it and the Brits still don't have a legit claim to it. Get your lilly-white asses back to Europe, the crown doesn't mean what it used to.
The french still have French Guiana as well as other territories in the south pacific. Greenland is still technically Danish territory, Canada was still british territory after the US declared independence etc...
In addition, the argentine claim is just as suspect, hell their claim is based on something that happened before Argentina became a country, and with Argentina not really even having an aboriginal culture (it is pretty much all immigrant), it makes their claim even more suspect.
Angelo...you might take notice that Hawaii and Alaska aren't phyiscally attached to the United States, nor is Guam or Puerto Rico, but hell don't let details cloud your mind (I particularly enjoy being stupid, I thrive on talking about things I have little or no knowledge of. Those of us in the Stupid Opinionated Idiots Club have voted you in as a Life Member, congrats!)
Obviously the land belongs to the people who live on it.... Why not allow THEM to decide???
Angelo writes: ""And I don't want to here about the historionics""
I am amazed, Angelo, that you know so very much about geopolitics and world history yet cannot spell worth a damn.
Tibet is physically attached to China. Why so many BS that it is not part of China Or Taiwan to the matter.
United Kingdom, your empire is over. Get out!
allgemein states: ""United Kingdom, your empire is over. Get out!""
Ja! Ja! 1918 und 1945, Nein, Nein!!!
Nice try Jerry.
I am all for lending the UK aircraft carrier(s) if need be to repel any future Argentine invasion of the Falklands.We are all better off with Britain owning the Falklands rhather than a neo right wing "democracy".,
Imperialism is the crack cocaine of powerful nations...as the child of the biggest junkie..the British Empire..we need to support our New World brother...Argentina... not the old whore (the UK)!!!
RicInCT writes: ""as the child of the biggest junkie""
Great metaphors Rick... Got any facts?
You'd think the Argentinians (that is correct, Argentinian, isn't it) would have learned a lesson from 1982. The United Kingdom will fight for the Falkland Islands, not for the oil, but purely out of principle. If the countries in South America think the world has changed enough that the British won't fight they are in for a hard lesson. If the countries of South America are deluded enough to think one of them or any combination of them will be able to take on the Royal Navy and win, then they deserve the drubbing that's sure to follow. Mess with the bull and you'll get the horns as the saying goes.
This is a very easily solved problem.
The Argentinian President has stated all she wants is open sovereignty discussions with Briton. So, discuss it for 6 months, then have the UN come in and hold non-partial elections and see what the residents of the Falklands want.
If they want to be Argentinian, then Argentina get's the islands. If they want to be British, then England get's the islands. And if they want to be independent, they become an independent nation under the protection of the UN. (keeps England and Argentina from putting troops on the ground)
Argentina claims the residents want to be Argentinian. So, let the residents decide, without interference from either side.
otterman,
The islanders have already stated that they don't want to change the current situation. They are all english, they aren't spanish. It's not like there are millions of people on the island. Out of a population of 3,140 (as of 2008), the following ethic makeup is present:
61% Falkland Islander
29% British
2.6% Spanish
0.6% Japanese
6.5% Chilean and under
The definition of Falkland Islander is someone of British Origin that have developed a distinct identity of their own.
Now with only 3000+ people, it isn't that difficult to determine what the feelings of the people would be. Kirchner is just using the 'open sovereignty discussions' as a diversion to negotiate concessions from the UK.
PETROLEUM and ARGENTINE POLITICS...
Two things which are both tenacious and slippery at the same time....
"the Falklands War, in which 255 British and 650 Argentine troops died. The conflict ended after 74 days"
with only a couple of weeks of fighting out of that:
Here are the actual casualty figures
Argentina
649 killed
1,068 wounded
11,313 taken prisoner
U.K.
258 killed[4]
775 wounded
115 taken prisoner
You forgot to mention that naval ship Sheffield was sunk by an Argentinian Exocet missile in the Falklands war 1982. Also sunk were the 15,000 ton merchant ship Atlantic Conveyor and Glamorgan
The islands are maybe an hour away from argentina in the south atlantic ocean where the F is britian located?? how many thousands of miles away. but guess what american we cant be the only ones taking oil that is ours on the plant.
Good old Pirates.Arggg
Guam is far closer to japan and where the F is the US located.
Distance doesn't imply ownership.
Obviously the land belongs to the people who live on it.... Why not allow THEM to decide???
because Argentina KNOWS how that will go. It would be almost unanimous to remain with the UK.
Well, if that's true, then what's all the fuss about?
because of what argentina is doing. Argentina has made official complaints to the UN that the UK sending a ship to patrol the waters around the falklands is a violation of argentinian sovereignty.
The UK is just responding with tit for tat with the political shots.
Well didn't some politicians complain that Britain had no right to sink an Argentine war-ship, even after British war-ships had been sunk by the Argentines??? Most political arguments are just 'lawyer talk' and Argentinian political arguments are no different.
I've always felt that the poor young men who died on that Argentine cruiser might have been better served if the Argentine politicians had invested a small portion of their military/naval budget in Air Sea Rescue services instead of buying so many Exothets with which to sink British ships and to kill British young men.
Argentina is a beautiful country.
But they have no claim to the falklands in the least,,,and no one who lives there wants the Argentina goverment to take control either!(a BIG LOL)
Not going to happen...
Kinda like an Aruba 250 miles away,,,get use to it????
Argentina is a great country and good people,,but why saber on this????
Become better friends and talk will bare more fruit....
The people their are vey happy and do NOT want change,,,hint??????
This is what happens when you still want to practice imperialism 8,000 maritime miles from London.
Professor Calbear,
Oh, so you believe that Argentina should be allowed to practice imperialism simply because they're only a few hundred miles from the Falklands? A matter of DISTANCE then?
How about the people who LIVE there? Aren't THEY the closest?
They've already voted to remain as British subjects.
I find it somewhat surprising that someone with such a professorial bearing -- I refer to your beard -- can speak in such an illogical and emotional fashion.
Malvinas Islands belong to Argentina. Britain seized them illegally through gun-boat policy. Britain is the worst colonialist.
take a look at the dates. Britain had those islands before Argentina was even a country.
Heinrich von Dork says: ""Britain is the worst colonialist""
Well that wouldn't hold much water if 'der fuhrer' had managed to colonize the Soviet Union...
Let us know, Heinrich, when you guys are planning to make the next attempt.
How's the weather in Buenos Aires these days???
Free Scotland!
scotland is going to have a referendum, but scotland doesn't want complete separation, they want to be able to pick and choose what they get from the united kingdom. Basically they want their cake and to eat it too. They want to be free where it benefits them, and they want to be part of the UK where it benefits them. So they will end up with a choice, be a part of the UK or complete separation. That part is being negotiated now.
Jonathan;
Don't argue with nazis; 'neo' or otherwise.
@ercillor
Geh zum Teufel
"Britian Would be 'hard put to protect, reinforce or re-take the islands,' without an aircraft carrier."
That's until they see a US Aircraft Carrier, steaming towards them, with British Aircraft on it. There's an agreement, to cover the gap till the "Queen Elizabeth" is put into service. It may even extend to when "Prince Edward" is put into service.
They would be hard pressed to retake the islands at all. Argentina hasn't rebuilt its navy and the difference between then and now is that now the UK has a continual navy and air force presence on the island. This is what argentina is complaining about, this continued military presence by the UK.
When the British retook the Faulklands in 1982 they weren't defending oil as there wasn't any discovered yet. The islands main product was and is sheep. Britain was defending it's territory which if any type of vote were held would be nearly 100% to remain British. Argentina knows they'd never win a vote for self determination so they never mention it.
To Ricinct: Your a real flake. Suggesting the Faulklands should be handed to Argentina and Kuwait to Iraq despite the fact that the entire population of both would most certainly vote to remain as they are. You scream about colonialism then suggest countries such as Argentina and Iraq take these by force against the will of the inhabitants. What sense does that make?
Why is it that a country such as England has let their once powerful Navy crumble to the point they do not have even one Aircraft Carrier? Is it the massive debt of being a socialist nation and providing a welfare state for it's people. The tax burden of the government provided medical programs etc has left them with very few funds for self preservation.
Unfortunately I believe that we -- the United States of America -- may soon be in the same boat... No pun intended.
Free Scotland! Free Malvinas!
Free Aruba, free American Samoa free the Azores!
The era os colonialsm is long over. I think that ALL European countries should claim territoies within Europe and no where else. England claiming Falklands are part of UK is simply a case of "Might is right". This is NOT based on any rationality or geopgraphy. I hope that Brazil will come to Argentina's rescue and then we will see how England reacts.
Dear MountElgon,
Why not climb down from your 'mount' for a moment and examine the simple fact that the inhabitants of the Falklands are -- and wish to remain -- British subjects. The land is theirs!!!
Brazil and Argentina have enough trouble with one another. Expecting one to come to the other's aid when warfare looms is a pipe-dream.
Argentinas President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner is HOT STUFF, a bit wrinkly though. She must be Aregentina's Jean d'Arc... And you know what we did to her? We shagged her and then burnt her at the steak. Or did we burn her first and then shag her? I don't know. Any ways, let thatbe a lesson for her!
Alot of these posts have issues with the US influence in this hemisphere. The true, balanced perspective is one not very popular, but without the US there would be no stability. When the US has sided with evil regimes, it is not a simple black and white issue. soemtimes the devil you know is better than the one you dont, and soemtimes the devil you are freinds with is better than the devil who is your enemy.
That would be like Mexico trying to take back Texas. HA!
I would recommend sending the carrier they mentioned.
the brits need to get out of the americas period ! including Belize this aren't colonial times anymore , they need to go home and perhaps create a huge oil spill in the english channel and NOT the gulf of mexico where they have no business !
belize is an independent country. So you are saying that the people of belize that speak english should get out of the country that they were born in?
How about all the spaniards leaving mexico, because that is the same thing.
All non indigenous people must leave the Western Hemisphere!
Cuba is only 90 miles from the U.S. by the rationale of many on this thread, it should therefore be part of the U.S.
I remember the war in the 80's as i had just moved to Canada from the US and the coverage here was very clear from a British perspective. As a Commonweath nation the view was and still is, The Argentinianos had no claim and were invaders.
I totally agree with those who has discussed the fact that most of the democracies who cry foul were invaders themselves one time or another...a long time ago when the new world was inhabited by aboriginal groups without gunpower, cannon etc. and had immune systems that were easily defeated by European diseases, Spain, France, England, Portugal, Holland were the invaders. Now retired people from these place just buy up the property at bargain prices and "own" the land. No guns no cannon just "dollars, yen, marcs and pounds.
I also think that Alsophia's observation that S.A. is changing and many S.A. countries want to assert their national pride is going to affect the out moded and probably illegal "Monroe Doctrine" or "Manifest Destiny" used by the US to instigate their particular forms of invasion. S.A. is changing very rapidily with the US and Britain trying to gain and maintain their foothood on resources there with pro- leftist governments fighting them tooth and nail. e.g. Venzuelan efforts to break the US Dollar purchase of oil. Some of these countries like Argentina still have terrible economic conditions but need national centric causes to rally their people rather than being the "poor" against the "rich" which has been true in SA and over the entire world forever. The Falkland Is. are an Argentinian effort to unify and divert the power struggle to us vs the old Colonial power. They would be wise to cooperate and send workers their and get support for educating petroleum engineers.
This is only one of many power moves by S.A. nations who will be growing in influence in the years ahead. I travel and live many Winters in S.A. and many of us actually perfer life here to the older democracies who claim "the rights of ownership" and most of the world's natural resources.