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 ...
Uh, oh. The economic situation in Argentina must be worsening if Mme. Kirchner is trying to fan nationalistic flames with some sabre-rattling towards Britain.
Well, UK deciced to abandon Navy. Weakness invites trouble. This time UK would have to give up without a fight.
Venezuela ... the citadel for Communist advancements in the America's.
Argentina's government is beginning to smell.
Call Lady Thatcher! She’ll tell you how to deal with these pirates!
Bingo..RN has NO carriers..can’t project force..
I think a cruise missile flying low over Buenos Aires might get the point across.
I wonder if Great Britain’s naval cutbacks encouraged this.
Will the Brits ask the US to deal with the situation this time?
You don't got no Navy, you don't got no Falklands.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but if we finished Keystone to increase the flow of heavy oil out of Canada, I think Venezuela would be the big loser since Gulf Coast refineries would have a new alternative.
Instead we support Chavez.
Let me see...
Are the people of Argentina considered people of (ahem) color?
Maybe Cameron will get his “el Belgrano” moment.
Venezeula exports 80% of their dirty/heavy oil to the US...we are one of the few who have the capability to refine that oil. That import is only 14% of US imports.
They have lots more to lose than us.
Where’s Maggie Thatcher when we need her?
F*CK CHRISTINA KIRSCHER!!
I doubt Britain has what it takes anymore, but these Argentinian patrol vessels need to be treated as pirates and a few of them sent to the depths.
“Bingo..RN has NO carriers..can’t project force..”
Nukes project force just fine. The Argies are banking on the Brits letting them have the Falklands. But if it comes down to the Argies committing atrocities I’m thinking it might behoove Cristina to put on her SPF 45,000,000,000 sunscreen.
“I wonder if Great Britain’s naval cutbacks encouraged this.”
One of the many nauseating bumper stickers on the Subaru in front of me read: “You can’t have peace if you plan for war.” I wanted to pull this woman over and explain history. Nobody has ever been attacked because they’re too strong. A couple of other factors playing into this are: NATO’s attack against Libya exhausted Britain and used up their supply of cruise missiles, a fact their idiot governmental officials felt compelled to announce. Another factor is President Urkel, who has let the world know in no uncertain terms how he feels about Britain.
This needs to be nipped in the bud. A stern warning followed by an unarmed torpedo into the side of an offending vessel. That should be followed up with a real one if they keep it up. After the General Belgrano sank the Argentine navy went on hiatus for the rest of the Falklands campaign.
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