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Should we defend the Falklands?


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Just wondering who are friends really are, following from THe Times:

 

"Washington refused to endorse British claims to sovereignty over the Falkland Islands yesterday as the diplomatic row over oil drilling in the South Atlantic intensified in London, Buenos Aires and at the UN.

 

Despite Britain?s close alliance with the US, the Obama Administration is determined not to be drawn into the issue. It has also declined to back Britain?s claim that oil exploration near the islands is sanctioned by international law, saying that the dispute is strictly a bilateral issue. "

 

I seem to recall that last time, the US only reluctantly supported us.

 

I understand that the Falkland Island people wish to remain British, but alas the Argentinians are bad losers.

 

Just wondering if US oil companies are busy cutting a deal with the Argentinian government. :wink:

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Yes we should defend the place with every ship we've got (ahhh Gordon cut spending on them didn't he?)

 

with every soldier we have (ahhh... Gordon cut the spending on them too so what we have are locked into fighting a pointless was against a bunch of armed poppy farmers in Afghanistan)

 

and with every plane and helicopter we've got (don't even go there!)

 

In short, we are buggered because we haven't got enough military equipment to fight off the population of the Isle of Man at the moment! Drag the troops out of Afghanistan and lets go invade Argentina instead.... just think of all that free beef!

 

Mind you, we could always go and sink another of their ships!!

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Yes, we should defend them if necessary. The real issue surely is that the people who live there want to stay British.

 

My recollection of the Falklands War was the US gave us some tactical support, hi-tech surveillance from on high, etc. And I don't recall Maggie considering nuking anywhere.

If Labour had been in power then, we would no longer have any stake in the Falklands. Whether bad tempered Gordon would have the bottle to fight I don't know. Come to that, I don't know if Cameron would either. But there is little doubt the Lib Dems would just roll over like they do on so many issues.

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No idea why 'discovering' a place gives you the right to own it.

The Falklands/ Malvinas was already there when the British discovered it, but evidence was found that the Yaghan people of Tierra del Fuego lived there prior to European discovery.

 

France, Spain and Britain colonised the area at different times and both Spain and Britain left behind plaques proclaiming there sovereignty.

 

Argentina probably have as much right to claim the islands as there's as much as we have.

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Wolfie. The Argies have no claim to the Falklands whatsoever. It is British territory and should be defended as such.

 

All agree that what is now known as East Falkland was first settled by the French in 1764. The French ceded control of the island to Spain in 1767.

 

A year after the French landed, the British established a settlement at Port Egmont on West Falkland, but abandoned the territory in 1774. Spain maintained a presence on the Falklands until 1811. The newly independent United Provinces of the R?o de la Plata (which included Argentina) believed that Spanish possessions should revert to them and in 1820 sent a ship to the abandoned Falklands. In 1829, Argentina appointed a governor.

 

The Argies have as much right to claim the Falklands/Malvinas as there's as we do.

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Anyone who studies the tortuous ?history and law of the Falklands will know that Argentina's claim to the islands was certainly strong. The treaty of Utrecht recognised Spanish sovereignty and this led to 40 years of Spanish occupation of the islands, which was reasserted in 1823 by Buenos Aires after its independence from Spain. Ten years later the islands were seized by force by Britain, and settlers sent out in a crude act of imperial aggression.
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So what is your point Wolfie? They cannot just lay claim to somewhere that doesn't belong to them otherwise we'd all be at it....Imagine Belgium claiming Texas or Hawaii....

 

There are certain protocols these days that have to be followed and respected. The Argies don't and never did with regards to the Falklands......

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Interesting legal case that Wolfie is attempting to make: however, geo-politics doesn't quite work like that - we gave Hong Kong back to China, not just because the lease expired, but because they had the largest Army in the world, with which to take it back. Conversly, we havn't given Gibraltar back to the Spanish cos we can just about match them if it came to combat. The PM could of course, apologies for our Imperial aggressions of the past, and give back every single acre of dominion that we've ever aquired - which could cause a problem in Palastine, Ulster and even Scotland! OR given that ulrimately "might is right", as exemplified by our unilateral pre-emptive invasion of Iraq; and oil is a much valued commodity; we place the onus on the Argies to try and take the Falklands from us by force of arms. :shock: PS; Asp, the use of nukes was an option for consideration at the time, but was probably not considered further following a phone call from Ronnie and more favourable developments in the war. Indeed, other options such as the destruction of the Argie Air force on the ground by the RAF and SAS, were actually planned but in the event, not required.

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The residents of Hong Kong had no say in the matter when they were handed over to China, but the only claim we have over the Falklands is simply that the residents wish to stay British.

 

People can bury their head in the sand for as long as they want but at some point a negotiated settlement will happen because America and the ROW will insist upon it.

 

The settlement will probably be the same as what Maggie's government was trying to achieve at the time before the Falklands war, and that is accepting Argentina's claim of ownership but with a leaseback to Britain to control the islands and be responsible for the inhabitants.

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The residents of Hong Kong didn't qualify for "a say", HK was leased originally from China for 100 years, and the lease ran out - I'm frankly surprised they didn't all come to the UK claiming assylum! :shock: Why do you think this latest row has kicked off again now - cos the stakes are now a lot higher, it's no longer about sheep and patriotism, but oil and MONEY! :shock:

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It was a completely empty land...No sign of the Froggies or the Dagos either. Nobody was ejected or conquered..There wasn't an indigenous population unless you count the penguins. The only humans to have lived there on a permanent basis have been of British extraction. Buenos Aires is over a thousand miles from Port Stanley so how can you explain any legitimacy Argentina has in claiming sovereignty over The Falklands ?

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