Hot air about the Falkland Islands reaches the UN
By John J. Metzler (*) At the time of the 1982 invasion, Argentina was run by a military junta who unwisely played the nationalism card and seized the islands 300 miles off the coast of South America.
The Argentine generals figured this would be an easy win and a political boost for a teetering government. They picked on the wrong guy, or in this case woman, and soon Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s government struck back with resolute fury; a Royal Navy task force was assembled from 8,000 miles away and recaptured the atoll.
Today the salvos are not lethal but rhetorical. President Christina Fernandez Kirchner and her entourage descended upon New York on “Tango 01” to bring a high profile political road show to a normally somnolent UN committee. An impassioned plea by President Kirchner, demanded diplomatic discussions with Britain on the future of the Malvinas.
Regarding the “Question of the Malvinas Islands,” a consensus resolution backed by Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Venezuela along with Chile states that “the only way to put an end this special and particular situation is a negotiated settlement of the dispute existing between the governments of the two countries and requests the parties to consolidate the process of dialogue and cooperation.”
Chile’s Vice Foreign Minister Fernando Schmidt advised the committee, “For the Latin American and Caribbean nations, it is important for the question of the Malvinas Islands to be settled once and for all.”
Later comments from the sublime to the ridiculous saw Venezuela, Cuba, Russia, Mainland China, Nicaragua and Syria speak in support of Argentina’s position.
But is there more than bruised nationalism? Sovereignty over the Falklands, and the farther away South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands and the surrounding maritime exclusive economic zones would allow Argentina access to huge fishing rights as well as potentially rich petroleum resources.
The Falkland Islands are home to 3.000 islanders who resolutely wish to remain British; the islands remain a self-governing British territory with their own constitution, flag and Anglo traditions, which have nothing to do with Argentina. The British stress there was no displaced indigenous population, nor did an assimilated population come to speak English after the British seized the largely uninhabited islands in 1833.
Relative proximity of the rocky island atoll to the Argentine mainland (about 300 miles) does not a case of sovereignty make. If one considers so many geographical anomalies; the Channel Islands, a stone’s throw off the coast of Normandy in France, remain British though here with a very strong French cultural/linguistic influence. Or the ethnically divided Mediterranean island of Cyprus, where two very distinct ethnic and linguistic communities live in separation. But belongs neither to Greece nor Turkey.
Modern Argentina is a democracy which sadly still suffers from the economic undertow of state socialism, endemic strikes, and the political afterglow of the Peron era. Still Cristina Fernandez Kirchner’s government knows how to grandstand and playing the Falkland/Malvinas card works well politically back in Buenos Aires.
As the Buenos Aires Herald columnist Martin Gambarotta added editorially, “The President’s taste for the spectacular, if anything, has forced Britain to hit back with some rhetorical fireworks of its own.”
Indeed Britain has announced that the Falkland Islanders (all 1,600 voters among them) will hold a referendum on their status next year. But as Mike Summers, a Member of the Legislative Assembly told the UN that “unwelcome and unsubstantiated claim on our country by Argentina remains and is pursued with increasing vigor.” He added, “Falkland Islanders are comfortable with our-post colonial relationship with the UK. We have the right to move away from that relationship if we so wish.”
Summers, a sixth generation islander, warned that “Argentina might like to air-brush us out of existence.” Not likely, but the Falklands/Malvinas present an emotional and nationalistic rallying point to escalate political tensions in South America.
(*) John J. Metzler is a U.N. correspondent covering diplomatic and defense issues. He writes weekly for WorldTribune.com.
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Nobody looks at links on comment sections, if you've got aomething to say then say it Argie.
A good example of a country in the Southern hemisphere ... Australia, also new Zealand and others...
Republiketas : Argentina, Bolivia and pretty much anything with main Spanish roots.... Why is that?
1) if the Rgs claim is so legit then why dont they take it to the International Court??
2) If one was to consider their claim on the falkands as legit, then what is their legit claim on the SOuth georgia and sandwich islands??? (because they cant use their fav word 'piracy' on either of them!!)
Where is the Lady Cretina today? Has she been carried off by those evil truck drivers?
You say….:
”A good example of a country in the Southern hemisphere ... Australia, also new Zealand and others...
Republiketas : Argentina, Bolivia and pretty much anything with main Spanish roots.... Why is that?
I say…:
“Why is that?” you ask so “cunningly” above....
The answer is on the tip of your tounge, boy....
And struggling to come out…..
C’mon Cracker… Say it!
I doubt either UK or Argentina would accept a decision against them. I don''t know enough about the members of the ICJ (just about nothing) to know how they might vote. I think the UK would prevail is a time-bar against the Argentine claim, if the UK's legal team didn't assert this defense it would be a very close case in my opinion.
The real issue which should be brought before the ICJ is the EEZ claimed by both UK/FIG and Argentina. Resources in international waters belong to all mankind including people of landlocked nations. Claims of EEZ's based on very low population territories are an unreasonable infringment on the global commons of international waters. The Falklands EEZ isn't the only such claim but it the one getting the most attention at this time. I don't think the nation asserting this claim would have to be landlocked but that would be the ideal. The defendant nations would be UK and Argentina.
I also think it would funny for the nation which had the largest empire in history (UK) to be sued by the nation which had the second largest empire in history (Mongolia) for being too expansionest.
Mr Think I think you need to have a good think on this one.
It think he saying that countries created by the UK like Australia, New Zealand and the Falklands, which are monarchies and in the Southern hemisphere, have the best GDP' per capita, the best life expectancies, best qualities of life and Extremely high HDI and freedom/democracy. etc, etc etc.
While the Spanish created Republics of the Southern Hemisphere have all these things but they are nowhere near as good as the qualities of Britain's southern hemisphere offspring do you understand now Mr Think? What he is saying is that Britain's offspring are better than Spain's.
Its not the parents fault directly but the way their offspring were brought up.
Britain has founded Nations we can be proud of, doing well and respected in the World community.
Sadly most Latin American countries must be a great disappointment to their parents, in the way they conduct themselves. The sort of kids everyone hopes dont come to the party, as much as we like the parents.
I don't know why it is so.... but I do know that in the Commonwealth democracies there really isn't much of a divide between the left and the right of politics. OK so you have your fringe dwellers on both sides but the major parties aren't that far apart.
The south american countries ( by and large) there is a huge divide between the left and right. Maybe in a country like Argentina if successive governments didn't keep shafting the middle class it could become a truly stable and successful democracy. Growing the middle class ... as is happening in Chile and Brasil... is -I think -the secret.
So there you go Thicko... you thought I would say it was all down to the 'diego gene' didn't you....
Yup HMS Dauntless is tooling around the South Atlantic, as is a nuclear sub (possibly, maybe - we'll never tell).
As the headline suggests, Argentina is just full of hot air and little else.
In answer to post 8. Rollo1066, the UK has tried on 3 seperate occasions to refer this to the ICJ, but Argentina missed the bus on that. The Sovereignty issue can no longer be raised at the ICJ without the implicit consent of the Falkland Islanders, and quite frankly why should they go there?
The UN Charter specifically states that all people have the right to self-determination, and next year after their referendum I fully expect the FIG to petition the UN to have them removed from the C24 decolonisation list, because they will have adhered to one of the options given to all the colonies on that list.
I also fully expect Gibraltar to do the same thing.
And one more point I have to make as well on the brown envelope incident. One has to be so careful these days when someone comes up to you in public and trys to shove a large brown envelope in your hands, if your not careful if you accept it especially from anyone from Argentina it could be miscued as a bribe and one cant be to careful these days.
Dave.
The last time they had the choice some Argentine soldiers, such as Major Dowling, wanted to use more drastic methods of getting the Falklanders out of existence.
Air-dropping rather than air-brushing.
:-)
www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2012/06/profile-falkland-beerworks/
Compared to their capabilities, one British ship probably IS militarily very significant, but the real provocation is that now CFK will need to protect her popularity and national ego by seeking more billions of pesos to buy new hardware. See what a fuss the British are fomenting within the Argentine government itself?
However, the really BIG weapon that Britain has - and unlikely Argentina will ever get - is Prince William doing SAR in old Sea Kings in the Falkland Islands.
Very clear that Prince William in his “uniform of the conqueror”, and leaving Kate at home, caused a fire-storm of indignation in the Casa Rosada, Quebracho, and all the left-leaning socialist supporters of CFK.
In the war of public opinion and diplomacy, what new Argentine anti-Falklands initiatives can counter having an international star like the Prince and his Kate Middleton? Really, makes Sean Penn and Roger Waters look washed-up in comparison.
”Regarding the “Question of the Malvinas Islands,” . WHAT question of the Malvinas? Where are these mythical islands?
No question that the Falklands (there are STILL no Malvinas) is still a BOT.
END OFF.
@9 “Think” doesn't. If you check back, he's happy to talk about riding around his “ranch” on his favourite stallion. Clearly one of the “elite” Kirchnerist thieves.
If you look @21, you'll see Twinky is getting desperate.
@22 Sean Penn and Roger Waters have been washed up for years. And not by comparison with anything.
@24 Never mind about Flight Lieutenant William Wales, the important question is when Maximo will acquire an aneurism. Dangerous things, aneurisms. They can make the brain explode. Important question: has Maximo got a brain to be exploded? Is HE really in charge?
I did hear a story that Maximo once thought of entering Sandhurst, but changed his mind when he heard mummy could not buy him the “sword of honour.”
Compare that with www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQnatMs-l8o which is nothing but propaganda, brainwashing kids with things that just are not true!
Fact Two: Britain never deployed people to make a claim to the islands.
Fact three: Pioneering travellers were the first people to settle the Falkland Islands. It just happens that many were of English , Scottish and Welsh origin but many others came from other Countries.
Fact Four: The settlers of that period did not remove any indigenous people because none existed.
Fact Five: Argentines on the other hand killed or removed an entire population of indigenous people from land that today is known as Argentina.
Fact Six: Argentine Politicians are the only ones wanting to claim the Falkland Islands.
Fact Seven: The majority of Argentine ordinary citizens are not interested in the Falklands Islands but are forced to publically state they are by their governing dictators .
Fact Eight: There are several Argentine families living on the Islands and some have a history of living here for a very long time.
Fact Nine: That South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands were never claimed , Owned or challenged by France or Spain but was added by the Greedy Argentines.
Fact Ten: These Islands were discovered by an Englishman Captain John Davis in 1592 and was settled by the British at Port Egmont before the French settled at Port Louis.
Fact eleven: The people of the Falkland Islands will always have the right to determine their own future as laid down in the united nations charter.
Fact Twelve: We wish to remain British period.
Get used to it Argentina. One Day the rest of the world will see your Country for what it really is .
Argentina has stated that it was the British mr Cameron that accosted CFK .
Yet in front of the whole world, it was CFK who approached mr Cameron, and tried to give him the paper,
Lies upon lies,
Have she ever heard of the thing called THE TRUTH .
.
in that youtube clip what is that bit of real estate SW of RG TdF at 19.40?
Something else they plan to steal??? What is it about RGs and thieving????
Excellent summing up.
Completely agree.
RGs, please read & digest the article.
More truthful than the garbage that you're taught at school.
SA must respect the own legacy of each country and not imposse foreing points of view over their own decisions under their Constitution....
BTW, this another flying lights from Argentine Gvt. to distract the attention from the critical condition of its economy falling down so quickly that is expected a recesion next semester to the Argentine economy.....
So.....please, stop the abusive behaviour from SA countries over a little free and pacific country in the South Atlantic water.....s
The Argentines keep rattling on about Britain steeling land particularily the Falklands. Yet they never make notes of the very fact that every square inch of what is Argentina today was stolen from an indigenous people. I would like to know why this is.
For the sake of world peace drop these stupid claims to what at the end of the day actually belongs to the people who live on the Islands. The ones who at every level the Argentines have refused to recognise exist just as they did to the indigineous peopl of that country.
Honesty and truth always prevail and as history shows Falkland Islanders are truthful and peaceful to the whole world including their bullying neighbour.
The hard fact of life is that when this issue is finally put to bed. Argentina will still have to live with her past and our people will live on through the passage of time period
Todays “Sunday Times” front page leading article reports that Argentina is preparing a “stunt” for the Olympic Games. If this report is correct then shame on Argentina.
If this event does, indeed, happen Argentina should be expelled from the Olympic movement on a permanent basis.
And struggling to come out…..
C’mon Cracker… Say it!
Ok, I'll give it a shot. - The Falkland Islands are British, so fuck off you ridiculous Argentine arsehole.
How's that?
Just how far, is the government going to sit and do nothing?
Perhaps we are hoping she will drop dead,
,
Leave them alone, and they will go away,
Small noise :-)
Fact 1:The islands were discovered by spanish sailors before Davis. There are maps and documentation of that.
Fact 2: The first settlers were french, and france then recognized spanish souveranity.
Fact 3: I am not a politician and I think The islands are argentine. I am very interested in them. Britain seized them as it seized a lot of other territories all over the world.
Everybody in Argentina think the Malvinas are ours and that Britain is a colonial power.
Fact 4: The islands were colonized after 1833 with people coming from britain. Most people who had been living at this time was persuaded to leave the islands. Show me some descendants of the argentine people who lived there by this time.
Fact 5: Self determination does not apply for you. It is said several times in UN resolutions.
Argentine had the islands until 1833, when Britain invaded them and force local authorities to leave the islands.
So, DO NOT LIE, poor kelper.
Get used to it: You live in an usurped piece of argentine territory! Everybody in the world thinks that. There are more soldiers than kelpers.
Things can change, so tell the owner of that house who has a british flag painted at the roof of his house to buy white and blue paint...
see you soon.... jajaja
Only peronists and typical plan tabajar or plan vagar believe all that. I will be down your land in three weeks... I ll poll some of the people I know in person and let you know.
Give it a try, you'll be given a very warm welcome... much warmer than you can handle ;)
How fast can you run?
Come through my garden gate in an Argentine uniform uninvited & we'll all find out.
What are they afraid of from the British garrison in the Falklands.
The Typhoons based there are purely air defence variants and are not configured for ground attack.
One destroyer takes over from another going home. One sub. possibly in the area. I would bet that Russian and American ones are down there also.
The UK has no facility down there to land forces on the mainland,so, apart from the usual “ It's our scared land etc.” what is your fear?
Jun 25th, 2012 - 02:14 am
I've said this several times before on these threads, but it is worth repearing:
Between 1833 and 1982 there were virtually no restrictions on immigration to the Falkland Islands.
That means that for almost 150 years we could have put several thousand Argentines on the Islands, who would now outnumber the Islanders of British descent and would be able to express their desire to be Argentine.
During those 150 years no more than 29 Argentines have settled in the Islands. So we f**ked up. We didn't go there. WE LOST OUT through our own fault, not the fault of the Brits, OUR OWN FAULT.
Now we've got to live with it. So STFU Kretina, and if you have even one “dedo de frente” start solving OUR problems, like 30% inflation, insecurity, dangerous public transport, etc. Stop moaning about the Falklands.
Utter rubbish,
But you are on the wrong site,
Try the following, there are lots of other indocrinoughts there just waiting for you ,
And you can present your case, and have all the lies shot down by the honest brits .
en.mercopress.com/2012/06/20/argentina-s-diplomatic-circus
kind regards
.
Our government not interested in facts. It is true our country was not given independence, we took it, therefore Spain is not part of our history. My family are from Italy they come here after the war to escape persecution for being supporters of Mussolini, my grandfather was intelligence chief!
Why do we talk about Spain? It's is true that the British discover the Malvinas in 1592, it is true that Britain was first to name islands in 1690, it is true that British sovereignty was established in writing in 1765. It is true British colony was established in 1766 and continued for decade! It is true that current pirate population have lived on islands for almost 200 years but we call them plantated population because they are not indigenous like we are to South America!
It is also a fact that United provinces took Malvinas illegally in 1823 and Vernet was an illegal in charge of personal militia on British sovereign islands! But only mistake was he surrendered without a fight to US Navy and rest of garrison also surrendered with fight to British. For that reason Vernet is a special and very typical hero of Argentina. He surrendered to save life!
It is also a fact that Argentina has no legitimate claim to South Georgia, South Sandwitch Islands, South Orkney Islands, South Shetland Islands, or British Antarctica!
But the fact remains, we is not interested in facts!
Do you feel alright?
l think that you had better go & lie down for a bit.
We want our land because in 1833 you people invade the island-
And that is all about; the wealth around, for this same news posted here, en.mercopress.com/2012/06/26/argentina-s-next-actions-may-impact-fisheries-beyond-falklands we can´t do nothing- The BIOMASA is to higher even for Argentina consumers of fish-
And probably all the oil around Malvinas will extract by American and english companies ... serious companies-
Regards-
Re-establishing ownership of something that has been yours since at least 1765, if not 1690, is not invasion.
Of course we are going to extract the oil from around the Falklands(malvinas doesn't exist).
That's because its OUR OIL, Rosie-baby.
Have you got a problem with that?
Regards to you also.
All your other points as regards Britain being there first only prove that you have no claim to the islands, isn't that right Mr implanted colonial?
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