Posted on 12/05/2011 2:56:23 PM PST by DeaconBenjamin
Argentina has launched a naval campaign to isolate the Falkland Islands that has seen it detain Spanish fishing vessels on suspicion of breaking the country’s “blockade” of the seas around the British territories.
Argentine patrol vessels have boarded 12 Spanish boats, operating under fishing licences issued by the Falkland Islands, for operating “illegally” in disputed waters in recent weeks.
Argentine patrol commanders carrying out interceptions near the South American coast told Spanish captains they were in violation of Argentina’s “legal” blockade of sea channels to the Falklands.
The warning has been backed up in a letter to Aetinape, the Spanish fishing vessels association from the Argentine embassy in Madrid warning boats in the area that “Falklands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands and adjoining maritime spaces are an integral part of the Argentine territory.”
President Cristina Kirchner has adopted a steadily more belligerent stance towards Britain’s South Atlantic possessions.
A newly formed gathering of South American nations meeting in Venezeula backed Argentina’s sovereignty demands at the weekend.
Argentina’s claim over the Falklands was backed by a newly formed block of South American and Caribbean countries, CELAC, on Saturday with unanimous approval. Mrs Kirchner used the last UN General Assembly meeting to put Argentina’s claims of sovereignty over the Falklands on a par with Palestinian claims to statehood.
But it is the Falklands economic lifeline that has been most affected by Argentinian manoeuvring.
It announced permits were required by all ships using Argentine waters en route to the Falklands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, all of which are UK controlled.
Argentina declared vessels were “operating illegally” in the South Atlantic if they did not request permission to enter Argentine waters. The authorities declared their willingness “to put an end to all those illegal fishing activities”.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
If I was GB I would buy a mothballed U.S. battleship. It would cost a lot to maintain but with a few support ships it would be dangerous.
I have read that those exocet missiles would not sink one, the armor is thick enough to absorb hits.
“el Belgrano”
US ship survived Pearl Harbor, sold to Argentina and renamed. Sunk by the British.
Wondered how long it would take the Argentinians to start beating the war drums after Britain scuttled it’s navy programs.
Wonder how long it will take to contact the idiots who, on the Phil Donahue show back in the 1980s, blamed the Falklands war on the US.
And unfortunately, Pinochet isn’t around to help this time.
There are people right here on Free Republic who don’t understand the necessity of Naval Power and want us to gut our navy. Just keep a few surface ships and submarines for good measure.
We had those people after Vietnam. After Korea. After WWII. After WWI.
But hey...things are “different” now. The only think not “different” now is that there are idiots who think this way.
Get “Maggie Thatcher’ On the horn.
Get “Maggie Thatcher’ On the horn.
That would be a good trick. Put a couple of attack subs between Argentina and the Falklands. Send a little message to Argentina with three words on it: “Unrestricted Submarine Warfare.”
Spanish Navy has 2 carriers, 10 missile frigates, 4 subs
Couldn’t you have made the pic a little bigger?
Argentina enforcing the Monroe Doctrine for us. That’s a shame. No empire, no centralized government, down with globalism.
I doubt uk has stomach to sink anything either. Afraid of un and icc.
Cue the “Not this s**t again” guy.
Yep, I bet Spain and Britain take on this one.
Some quotes from the words of George Washington:
“Why, by interweaving our destiny with that of any part of Europe, entangle our peace and prosperity in the toils of European ambition, rivalship, interest, humor or caprice?”
“Nothing is more essential, than that permanent, inveterate antipathies against particular Nations, and passionate attachments for others, should be excluded...The Nation, which indulges towards another an habitual hatred, or an habitual fondness, is in some degree a slave. It is a slave to its animosity or to its affection, either of which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duty and its interest.”
When you take away people’s democracy, all they have left is nationalism and violence.
This helps the gov’t keep control by distraction of an outside enemy. Kirchner has already
ordered all Argentine companies to repatriate their profits from abroad, decimated the middle
class, etc.
Systematic destruction Obama aspires to...
I disagree. Nukes don’t project force, because realistically, you can’t use them. Even tactically, where it might make sense, nobody will use them.
I always liked this comment from the commander of HMS Conqueror after the sinking of the Belgano:
Commander Wreford-Brown responded, “The Royal Navy spent thirteen years preparing me for such an occasion. It would have been regarded as extremely dreary if I had fouled it up”
If called upon again, I have no doubt that Her Majesty’s Armed Forces will do whatever it takes to repel any Argentine aggression on the Falklands.
Paging Sandy Woodward.
Mark
Sold to Argentina by the U.S. She was originally the light cruiser (6 in guns) USS Phoenix (CL-46).
I have no doubt that some bat-s**t crazy muslim would. The mullahs have said it would be worth more than 100 million muslims to exterminate the Jews.
Mark
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