Another Navy Warship sailed toward Argentina yesterday bringing our total there to 4, this is a display of firepower to deter the Argentineans from trying anything, back in 1982 the the ruler a General Leopold Galtieri invaded the British Falkland islands plunging us into a 74 day war.
The invasion then was designed to make his regime popular with the masses, until the invasion there was a lot of opposition to it, once the war took place the Country united behind him.
The Falkland islands are British no question, the Union flag has flown over the Falklands for 231years since they were first spotted by a British Navigator.
259 British servicemen died and 649 Argentineans, in this Country the dispute is considered dealt with, but in Argentina it still evokes strong resentment in fact their history books still refer to them as Argentinean, at port crossings there are still signs up that say “welcome to Las Malvinas” which is how they are known in Argentina.
A weak Government there headed by President Kirchner appear to be using the same tactics to try and gain support by playing the nationalistic card, this is a dangerous game because we to have a weak Government at the moment and what better way to unite this Country behind them then a War, the British in time of conflict are fiercely patriotic.
Add to the mix a suspected sixty billion barrels of oil under the disputed waters and you have a dangerous situation, Back in 1982 we were not really ready for a war in terms of equipment but thanks to our then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s special relationship with US president the late Ronald Reagan, the Americans made up our shortfall.
I don’t for a second think that the Argentineans are any match for British firepower, and hope this is just posturing on President Kirchner’s part, but sixty billion barrels is a huge incentive, and we have seen what the lust for oil has done in other parts of the world.
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