“There is a point where Islanders will say to the Argentines, 'To hell with you.'”
The following piece was published by The Independent, an interview of the Falkland Islands Governor Nigel Haywood by Falklands-born writer, journalist and expert in Latin American and defense affairs, Graham Bound.
Fluent in Spanish, Graham was partly educated in Uruguay and has the advantage of interpreting the minds and culture of the sides involved actively or passively in the Falklands controversy: the Islanders, the British, Chileans, Argentines and Uruguay for ever sharing the mighty River Plate with its Buenos Aires neighbors, and for several centuries with the Falkland Islands.
It is remarkable to see a senior British diplomat wearing a 19th-century colonial governor's uniform. The tight breeches and tunic, decorated with yards of brocade and fore-and-aft hat covered in white rooster feathers, tend not to suit today's corpulent diplomats. But in the Falkland Islands, governors are expected to display themselves in this fashion from time to time. Nigel Haywood is the latest to face this challenge, and - fortunately for this senior diplomat who runs marathons in his spare time - he has the figure for the job.
Behind this quaint image is a man handling a job similar to that of a senior diplomat in a medium-sized country. Indeed, Mr Haywood has been just that in the recent past. He was ambassador to Estonia and Consul-General in Basra. With a population of fewer than 3,000, plus some 1,200 men and women of the Royal Navy, Army and RAF who form the Falklands' substantial deterrent, the Falklands are tiny in comparison. But the complexity of their affairs and their possible effect on British trade, diplomacy and defense are considerable.
If the Governor had been hoping for a quiet time in Port Stanley, he must have been disappointed. He and his staff of just four Foreign Office officials have become extremely preoccupied with Argentina's rapidly, and perhaps dangerously, increasing campaign to take back the Falklands. Buenos Aires has insisted it will not use force, but it has imposed a shipping blockade on the Islands, and has expressed outrage at the Duke of Cambridge's RAF posting to the garrison. Furthermore, Britain has been accused of militarizing the South Atlantic by planning to deploy a potent new destroyer to the area. As the 30th anniversary of the Falklands War approaches, the situation here is more tense than it has been at any time since 1982.
I was invited to meet Nigel Haywood at Government House, the rambling building of brick tin and timber surrounded by immaculate gardens to the west of Stanley. I had been here before and had met previous governors, most notably Sir Rex Hunt, who came under a ferocious Argentine attack in this very building in April 1982. As I opened the door against the typically strong westerly wind, I wondered whether there were still signs of the battle. The wooden west wing where I was now had then been riddled with bullets and Argentine soldiers lay dead and wounded in the vegetable garden. But it appeared the damage had been patched and painted over.
Mr Haywood's office is comfortable, warm and dignified, with burnished old wooden furniture clustered around a coffee table at one end, and antique maps of the islands on the walls. It is said that General Menendez, the Argentine governor who deposed Sir Rex in 1982, so liked this room that he did not rearrange the furniture or even take the Queen's portrait off the wall.
We chatted about his love of trout fishing and wildlife that made him suited to such a wild place. This pleasant line of conversation was, however, elbowed away by the specter of the Argentine President, Cristina Kirchner. Surprisingly, the Governor called Mrs. Kirchner by her first name. But that did not betray any warmth towards her. Indeed feelings towards “Cristina” had become more chilly recently mainly because her gaze had settled on the Falklands' only commercial air link, the weekly Lan Chile service. This is vulnerable because it transits Argentine airspace and Cristina had said she was considering closing it down.
I asked the Governor whether he thought she would do so. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “How can I imagine that a country that sees itself as a major power and a member of the G20 can actually be threatening to stop an air link between two other countries?”
Mr. Haywood agreed that such a move would represent a major escalation in what is being described as the South Atlantic Cold War. He pointed out that trade between southern Chile and the Falklands, thought to be worth about £8m to the Chileans, would be reduced to zero with one swipe. “Would Chile be happy about Argentina cutting off that service? I'm hoping countries in Latin America are beginning to ask whether Argentina's attitude is now getting to a stage where their pressure is just disproportionate.
”You can see that Argentine Foreign Minister [Hector] Timerman, Jorge Argüello, the ambassador to Washington and the rest are popping up everywhere and making statements. Argentina simply makes up things and presents them as fact, which is quite extraordinary. They will raise the Falklands issue at any international meeting.“
Ambassador Argüello has taken the campaign to Twitter and his followers were being told that, ”The British military are occupying the Islands against the Islanders' wishes.“ I asked the Governor whether he followed these tweets. No, he doesn't, but he is aware of the Argentine ”facts“ circulating on the internet.
The Governor's disdain for this strategy was clear, but so was his frustration. ”If your only foreign policy appears to be 'Let's bang on about the Falklands', then that's quite difficult to handle,“ he said.
The blockade – everyone in the Falklands used the term – was the most tangible evidence of Argentine hostility. The Falklands' 20 or so ships that often needed to travel through or near Argentine territorial waters were frequently being hailed by Argentine coastguard ships and ordered to stop. The captains typically refuse, and the Argentines had not – so far, at least – enforced their demands. The Governor suggested they had shot their bolt. ”What are they going to do now?“ he said: ”Fire across the bows? That would be a massive escalation.“
So what is being done to keep the Argentines at bay? As if on cue, there was a roar of jets overhead. The Governor looked out the window, but the Euro-fighter Typhoons from Mount Pleasant had gone long before their sound waves reached the ground. He cocked his head, as if to say, ”There you have it.“
The military deterrent is more important than ever. Each of the aircraft we had just heard could take on half a dozen Argentine Skyhawks and Mirages. They might not be able to stop a sudden full-scale air-and-sea attack, but even that would be at huge expense to Argentina, especially so when the powerful new Type 45 destroyer HMS Dauntless reaches the Islands.
UK diplomacy is more nebulous. The Governor conceded this with a little sigh. ”It's quite easy for the Argentines to go to, say, Thailand, and say, 'Those Brits are occupying our Islands.' But it's very difficult to counter that.
“What we do essentially is respond, even if we are responding first. Our ambassador may say to a foreign government, 'We know this Argentine person is coming to see you, so let's give you the background.' And that careful diplomacy produces quite invisible results. If Cristina has had a bilateral with a world leader, and the Falklands do not emerge as part of the communiqué, then nothing has happened. But that might have taken quite a lot of preparation by a lot of our people.
”We have a very robust policy in support of Falkland Islanders and their right of self-determination. There is an absolutely strong UK government and institutional view that says, if the Falkland Islanders want to remain British, we'll do everything possible to support that.
“We are trying to do several things. One very obvious one is correcting misconceptions which the Argentines are planting in peoples minds about the history and about their claim, most of which simply does not stand up to analysis. There is a great deal of work going on to brief countries about the facts.”
The Governor assumes a degree of fatalism. He said the Argentines had made a “miscalculation”, and the more aggressive they became, the more Islanders and Britain would stand firm. “There is a point – and I think this Argentine government might have reached it – when the Islanders will just say, 'To hell with you. There are enough ways of connecting up the dots without involving you. We want to have links with the rest of South America, but if you're going to make it difficult, we don't care, we'll go and do something else.'”
Under a 1999 agreement, Argentina, Britain and the Falklands were to have co-operated over the exploitation of fishing and oil in the South-west Atlantic, both of which may soon make Islanders hugely wealthy. But the Argentines, it is claimed, have ripped this up. “They have said, 'No, we don't want to become rich if it means you becoming rich.' But the oil companies have found oil and if they now move on to starting to extract it, it will involve ships coming straight to the Falklands and going away again. Short of piracy, no one can stop that.”
1982 revisited: Sir Rex Hunt
As the Crown's representative in the Falkland Islands, the governor acts as the de facto head of state.
The role was established in 1764 when French settlers landed on the Islands, two years before the British, and is now usually filled by a senior diplomat with experience of overseas postings.
The most famous was Sir Rex Hunt who was governor during the Argentine invasion of 1982 and was captured by General Galtieri's forces and removed to Uruguay. Sir Rex, who has since retired to Yorkshire, was well known for traveling around the Islands in his London cab.
For many years after leaving the post in 1985, Sir Rex served as chairman of the Falkland Islands Association and wrote a book, ‘My Falkland Days’, about his time in office.
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There is not need to add anything else...
So mr haywood, there is one point where all the argentines will say to hell with you, we wont never renounce to our claim, forget about it.
Perhaps a little recap of recent history Axel might help you to remember:
1988 - the last UN Resolution calling on the UK and Argentina negotiate a settlement their sovereignty dispute (note, not to negotiate a transfer of sovereignty).
1989 - UK speaks to Argentina. In October the “sovereignty umbrella” is agreed.
1999 - Hydrocarbons and Fisheries agreements met under the above sovereignty umbrella. More agreements follow.
2007 - Argentina rips up all the abovementioned agreements.
Any more UN Resolutions since 1988? No. Why? Because the UK has negotiated with Argentina. It has reached an agreement. Argentina has pulled out. Argentina's problem. Simple. Please stop telling us we don't want a peaceful solution, because just above I have explained how we reached a peaceful solution with you, but you threw it out because you wanted more. You were greedy. Your problem.
“because nor resolution 1514 nor the charter of the u. n, let any colonial situation to break the territorial integrity of any country, and it's one of the fundaments of our claim”
Axel, for that to operate you need to prove that the Falklands were Argentina territory. You can't. The Argentine government can't. Even the UN does not accept that the Falklands are or should be Argentine territory.
Anyway, where is that much promised “survey” of yours? When are you going to publish it?
Of course the trapping of colonialsm can be see throughout Argentine. Like your state guard wearing the adopted uniform of early 19C British Marines -
simonhphotos.posterous.com/waiting-waiting-argentina-buenosaires-recolet
CONQUEROR poor old amigo still nothing doing
with the missus one can see your violent frustration in your post.
Or is it Think? Or is it Helber Galarga? Or Malvinero Or Marcos Alejandro
Who is it today O gara?
How is the Argentine Secret Police are they treating you well with that hand stuck upside your backside? It must hurt but you seem happy.
The fact remains, if Argentina did not illegally invade, in the first place, we would not be here now,
Argentina started this
Argentina is pursuing this
And only Argentina can stop this .
Your argument would be true if the Falklands were an integral part of your territory.
They aren't. anywhere apart from in your minds.
Seriously, where does it say we are part of your territory? It doesn't become true if you keep saying it.
Suzy when you speak about an organization you cant in English say how is. The grammar dear well what can one say but they do it well in the city to keep the underclass in this sad state.
Meow,more milk ga ga, the ring on the hand hurting,sorry the wrist watch
21 I would have thought you had enough respect for the islands to use a capital letter but as I Said!!
1. I'm not in England, lets get that straight.
2. You don't like my grammar? Have you tried reading your English?
3. I am a Kelper, you are obviously a prat!
I am a Kelper, 100% born and bred. I've been in the Sea Cadets and Marine Detachment since I was 8, when I finish 6th form I intend to sign up with the Defence Force. You want our islands? Come and get them. We'll be waiting and one more thing, you're right, I'm not a lady but I am a keen shot, come and get it! We're waiting for you!
Nice to see you posting the Usual unreadable Propaganda, I do hope you are well paid by Your Masters!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Long Live the Falklands.
Down with argentine Colonialism.
I didnt realize you were a mere child.Do yourself a favour and go tell your family that they really should supervise you better and try and control your violent tendencies.
O gara stop picking fights with Girls, You PERVERT!!!!!!!!!!!
28 no its you who love the evil monster
You just have to tell O gara “No Surrender”
He understands that.
Burned into his genetic memory
and welcome back brother !
You go girl
You put him in his place .lol.
.
I'm sure she doesn't shoot like my Texans boys .....
Thats not being nice.
Other than that, there is some truth in what you say.
Great to hear ! keep up the good work.
LOL, when was Argentina trying to deal with them??
The land has been seized by the UK, and the UK has changed many times its fundaments about its rights over the islands. One by one, they have become obsolete...
There is no good/humanitarian/fair/peaceful reason to go on with this COLONIALISM.
How LONG till we have to stand the british royal navy warships in this side of the world?
And the land today does not even belong to the kelpers, who live in a sort of Government that can hardly be called democracy.
We need PEACE in this world, and XIX century empires are the ones who caused World Wars, genocides, hunger, pollution. The ones where fascism and exacerbated nationalism sent millions to WAR and DEATH on the defense of a fake cause. THIS NEEDS TO CHANGE.
Another countries are supporting Argentina because they know that this old-fashioned way of dominating lands and natural resources is a THREATEN to many others, not only Argentina.
Argentina never had real rights over the islands, always have talked about negotiating but also refuse to go to International Courts, the only way to resolve a dispute when you are right. The support is only empty words, let's see in a few months which country reject trading with the islands. Finally, no one country “dominate” lands and natural resources (as you said) without the full support from the government of the “dominated” country.
AHAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!
Good for you young lady,
My thoughts exactly.
l'd like to see these stupid malvinistas outrun some hot lead.
As they “peacefully” invade again.
No quarter asked for or given.
They, of course, won't be in the first wave. They're armchair warriors.
Please, Typhoons, leave some for us.
Malvinero1,
Just for you,
“You are finished” ”ARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
Whatever the above means, seems to make sense to you! Enjoy!
The sound Malvinarse makes when his dad Sodomises him.
The last resolution of the general assembly of 1988 affirms that all the aspects of the dispute must be discussed, anyway none of them never said anything about to discuss the sovereignty, but we can't be so miopic and ignore that the main problem is the sovereignty, so, it must be discussed, i already explained in my comment 6 and in many others, the interpretation that i do about all the resolutions of the decolonization committee.
I dont deny that per haps my country commited mistakes when it recalled all the agreements tha were signed in the past with the u. k., for being honest, i done know why it did it, but at the same time, you must recognize that you never accepted to discuss about the sovereignty, which is the main issue of this conflict.
On the other hand, this is evident that you are still very missinformed respecting the situation of the islands before 1833, i made an exhaustive survey about it, taking into account the british arguments also, and i explained why i decided not to publish it on line, beside, my investigation is a compilation of texts of diferent authors and professors of international right, who investigated about the historic and the legal aspects of this conflict, some of them are argentine, and others are british, beside i will present my work for one of the subjects as student of geography, that's why i decided to investigate more than ever, anyway i can send it to all those who wish to read it, in fact, some people in this forum already has it.
I have always argued that the only way to finish with this dispute is to take the question to the i. c. j, in fact argentina proposed to take the question to the arbitration in 1884, but the u. k. rejected it, and in 1947 the u. k. proposed to take the question of the dependencies to the court, but it didn't include the malvinas, which was rejected by argentina, however none of both proposed to give that step after 1947.
and to bring forth a force that will eventually gather around and plan the theft of new treasures in someone elses land as is the case in India the Middle East and Africa. South america might have forgotten 1807 but the UK is still living up to their colonial obsessions in Antartica, someone has to put a stop to them before a company like BP destroys the only part of the world untouched by men.
@ 52 don't we have the licence?
Puricelli has confirmed, that Argentina can and will defend its territory if the English army ivade our country. Yes we can!////
[are you at it again]
I thought you wanted peace .
Now you want to fight,
That’s very peaceful of you,
Try stop listening to papers and your silly polities,
[There is no English army, the British government has no intention of invading anyone, and has not said it is going to invade anyone,
Where do you get these stories from?
Try listening to the truth,
1, the Falklands are British
2 the islanders have voted to freely remain British
3 the British will defend the islanders if need be.
4, Argentina has had NOTHING to do with the Falklands for over 150 years
5, they are not your, never have been, never will be
6, that is the truth told by the islanders themselves,
7, that’s all .
thats why you want to join the UK defence force next when you finish primary school????
hmmmmmmmmmmmm
I propose an economic and shipping blockade by Latin America, Royal Navy harassment of Argentine shipping, the suspension of air links and constant ratcheting up of the rhetoric and tension, followed by a claim that Argentina is militarising itself in defence. And a call on the UN Security Council to take action against them.
There we go. I am sure you can see our claim is as relevant as theirs
I will be as brief as I can ....................
IF THE ISLANDERS DON T NEED ANYTHYNG FROM ANY COUNTRY ,
1- WHY YOU BRITISH GO BACK HOME , (COZ THIS TIME YOU WILL BE FORCED TO COUNT EVERY SINGLE MEN WHO DIES IN A NEW WAR, NOT ONLY THOSE WHICH HAS “FAMILIES”)
2- YOU ISLANDERS , DECLARE THE WAR TO ARGENTINA IF YOU WANT TO BE AN INDEPENDENT COUNTRY-
HAVENT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TOLD YOU OR SHOWN THOSE SECRET DOCUMENTS THEY HAD STOLEN AND HIDDEN TO THEIR OUR CITIZENS YET????
DO THE THE ISLANDERS THAT THEY ARE A SORT OF PRISIONERS OF WAR --- FROM THE BRITISH POINT OF VIEW?????
DO THE ISLANDERS KNOW “EXCACTLY” WHERE THEY ARE , HOW THEY GOT T mALVINAS `ISLANDS??????? :)) YOU D BETTER GO TO THE PARLAMENT AND “ASK POLITELY ” ALL THOSE DOCUMENTS THAT THE IRON LADY AND STUFF HAD PLAYED WITH????
DO THE ISLANDERS STUDY HISTORY???
DO YOU BRITISH STUDY REAAAAAAAAAAAAAL HISTORY AT YOUR POMPOUS UNIVERSITIES AND COLLAGES?????????? WELL- THINK A BIT FRIENDS -
HAVE A NICE DAY EVERYBODY!!!
Why don't british people ask Cameron to spend the money in social care in stead of so much weapons of war??
Argentina is not gonna attack anything anyway... They just like playing soldiers all the time. Do these conservatives know what Diplomacy is??
I can smell a nasty populism in the UK.
Weapons are nessecary to protect what is our territory and resources, look what happened to Atahualpa and the Inca empire with only bows and arrows to defend themselves.
This UK gov is only doing what any UK gov would do.
The only thing stopping Argentina attacking is the British military deployment.
No point being diplomatic or even talking to people who think like you do.
I can smell nusty EVERYTHING in Uk. all thanks to her Magesty ....
*69 - briton- ... i don t want to talk about fingers and keyboards with u Btriton... I m so sure that u ve got short fingers so there s nothing u can write better than that. And.... do you know that very well know saying... the comparison between fingers and a dick ... and masculinity??? ?????? :)) be respectfull with this sweety Lady brit.... the world couse the WORLD IS ABOUT US BIG AS A GNAT SHUFF. someday ... we will meet each other.. i want to see your face , look at your eyes, just to know and confirmed the brave you are hidden behind the net.
Have a nice Weekend everybody!!!
missy i very much doubt you know what a dick is,
but if you are trying to be insulting,
them i suggest you try the candle,
and grow up.
silly child .
l think she likes you briton.
However l'd be careful if l were you.
She seems a bit loose in the head & she's got a sticky keyboard or sticky fingers.
Wonder where she's had them.
If Argentina even contemplated developing and using nuclear weapons on the Malvinas, you'd probably find that your country would not exist for a very long time after. Argentina would be a big steaming crater of uninhabitable land after a few Trident missiles have done their dirty work.
why don t you try to look up on a dictionary the word “humor” you Isolde.
Humour is very healthy and hlling for people like -
You know, seriously peaking, you are a banch og crap selfish people. You don t think in anything else than in a cup of petrol. You d better start to think the hundreds od men , from both sides) families, brothers, fathers, and innocent children in the island suffering the horror of a war. Of course not !! you cant think about that cos you ve never been in a war before. you are the super hero behind a computer ....
This is the second time ( and this to Mr Briton and some others) that I remain you all, that my Yorkshire husband and I had had such a --------- unforgettable WAR experience. what for??? for listening this kind of comments from the ppl you ... defended once???!!!!! puaj
So, please, stop playing Soldiers Empire and became at least a sort of human being.
I really hope nobody of the relaitives of the ppl in this forum will never have to be in such a situation.
Pray man, Pray
king arthur
and merlin, you have no chance
as the holy grail belongs to us,
and you puppies will have to pick up the crumbs of the alter,
for only if you have a sense of humor, can you have a laugh,
the falklands are british, sadly your stuck with marv,
no more bed time stories, mmmmmmm
Your name says it all.
How do you know that l have not experienced war?
Just like señor Think, you presume too much.
A lot of what you posted doesn't make sense to me, but l forgive you as English doesn't seem to be your first language.
As for humour, well l was making a joke to my compatriat, briton about the way you hold down the key to give multiple letters.
Something that l notice a lot of Argentines do. porque?
Look, exocet-82(from your name, we can guess your feelings), l can do it tooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
lf we appear warlike, its because you Argentines want to conquer us & we won't allow that.
What do you expect? That we roll over like a puppy & let you tickle our tummy. Get real.
Your country is a bully & we will not ever give in to you.
Tough bananas if you don't like it.
l pray every day, do you?
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