Posted on 04/03/2010 11:43:48 AM PDT by JoeProBono
BUENOS AIRES, - Argentina marked the anniversary of the 1982 Falklands war with a parade, and the country's president says Britain should turn over the islands .
Argentina invaded the Falklands, claiming they were part of its sovereign territory, but a British counter-invasion defeated the Argentines, who lost 904 lives.
President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner delivered a national address on the anniversary Friday from Ushuaia, which was the hub of the Argentine military operations during the 1982 conflict, The Times of London reported. Under Argentine law it is the capital of the region that encompasses the islands, which Argentina calls the Malvinas, which lie some 340 miles out to sea.
Kirchner said Britain's claim of "sovereignty from a distance of 14,000 kilometers (about 8,700 miles) is not sustainable, neither historically, nor legally, nor geographically -- but, above all, it is not sustainable logically," The Times reported.
She added: "It's not an exercise of sovereignty but rather colonialism and probably the last such one. The question of the Malvinas is a stain that should be rubbed out."
After she spoke, war veterans held a march in Buenos Aires shouting, "Give us back our islands!" and "Out with the pirates!".
Hundreds of veterans and militant political groups gathered in the Buenos Aires banging drums and carrying sticks, finally converging on the British Embassy. Riot police were deployed to control them, The Times said.
Anytime the government needs a diversion from internal whoas they go to the Falklands diversion. What is the state of affairs in Argentina?
Writing of diversions over domestic situations, perhaps Obamas is hoping his amateur dealing with foreign affairs will result in a “crisis” that will rally his polls numbers before November.
What ?
Is that some kind of No Man’s Land barricade going down her chest?
The current president of Argentina is nicknamed “the botox Evita.”
She won election with suitcases of cash coming her way from Hugo Chavez.
She rightly sees a weakened Britain and no doubt the other left wingers like Chavez and Lula of Brazil cheer her on.
The North Koreans most likely sunk a South Korean war vessel with a torpedo from a sub. Now, if that isn’t a ‘crisis’, I would like to know what is?
North Korea doesn’t do anything without being, ahem, ‘encouraged’ by China; so what’s Obama going to do?
Right now, it looks as though sitting on his hands is about it!
340 miles is a long way offshore. Britain needs to keep em at all costs.
Since the islands are sparsley populated and have hundreds of miles of coastline, I don't maintain any illusions that defending them would be particularly easy, but without major naval support from Gret Britain, I think it would be only a matter of time.
Very impressive!
Aruba first.
Not sure if you ever read Dr. Jack Wheeler’s insights, but he had a good story on this situation of 1982:
“You may have heard that, in the time honored tradition of tyrants in trouble ramping up a jingoistic war, Argentina’s Cristina Kirchner (”Old Plastic Face”) has picked a fight with the Brits over the Falkland Islands. And that, in the liberal tradition of screwing America’s friends and appeasing her enemies, Zero has refused to support British sovereignty over the Falklands - which has rightfully enraged the British press.
In 1982, Ronald Reagan was president, Alexander Haig was Secretary of State, Jeane Kirkpatrick was US Ambassador to the UN, Margaret Thatcher was British Prime Minister, and the military dictatorship in Argentina invaded and occupied the Falkland Islands.
Thatcher thought she could depend on the resolute support of her friend whom she affectionately called “Ronnie,” and was shocked to her core when Reagan hesitated. This was because Kirkpatrick was friends with the Argentine generals and angrily argued that the US should not “take sides” in the war - exactly Zero’s position today.
Haig would have none of it. He denounced Kirkpatrick’s phony neutrality and demanded Reagan support the Brits with money, materiel, and no reservations. Then he went to see Bill Casey.
Haig asked Reagan’s CIA Director what could be done. “We have an asset aboard the San Luis,” the one really dangerous submarine the Argentines had, Casey revealed. “He could sabotage the Argies’ German SST-4 torpedoes. We could tell him just how to do it so everyone would think it was an unsuspicious malfunction. The boat is still in port at Puerto Belgrano, set to sail in a few days.”
Haig then went to see Reagan, who came to his senses, authorized Casey to proceed, and called up “Maggie” to apologize and offer full US support.
And so it was on May 1, 1982, when the San Luis fired a torpedo that hit the Royal Navy frigate HMS Brilliant, the torpedo - powerful enough to sink the ship - failed to explode. On May 10, the San Luis fired two torpedoes. The one launched at the HMS Arrow failed to leave its tube. The one launched at the HMS Alacrity hit its target - and failed to explode.
The San Luis returned to port, the British Navy, instead of its ships disastrously sunk, controlled the sea, thus allowing for a successful counter-invasion. The Argentines surrendered on June 14. Thatcher had won the war and Reagan was a hero to the Brits - thanks to Alexander Haig.
To my knowledge, this story has never been told before. The US Navy’s account of Submarine Operations During the Falklands War is oblivious to it, attributing what happened on the San Luis to unexplained circumstances. I know the story because Casey, over a drink or two many years ago, told it to me.”
http://www.tothepointnews.com/content/view/3986/150/
Are you sure she didn’t go to France to ask for more Exocet missiles?
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