MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Falklands MPA has the minimum force necessary to prevent a repeat of 1982 invasion
MPA on Saturday when the Lan Chile weekly flight from Punta Arenas The UK military base in the Falkland Islands has the “minimum necessary force to prevent a repeat of the illegal invasion such as that of 1982” committed by Argentina said Foreign Office Minister of State for Latinamerican affairs Hugo Swire during an interview with the Argentine news agency, Diarios y Noticias. (*)
Minister Swire was referring to Mount Pleasant, MPA, the base which is located 50 kilometres from the Falklands’ capital Stanley and is responsible for the defence of the Islands.
According to DyN MPA is a garrison with a force of 1.500, a number which is equivalent to just over half the Falklands’ civilian population.
DyN.- Argentina is no military threat for the inhabitants of the Islands. Why then keep a military base?
HS.- The UK military presence in the Islands is reviewed periodically and is based on the assessment of the threat. It has reduced considerably since the Argentine invasion of 1982, but we keep a minimum force that is considered necessary to impede a repeat of an illegal invasion as that of 1982”.
The military personnel in MPA is involved mainly in training and routine exercises taking advantage of the challenge from the geography of the place, as any military personnel in the rest of the world.
DyN.- The Argentine government has accused before different international forums the ‘militarization’ and the presence of ‘nuclear arms’ in the South Atlantic, and at the same time has condemned the military exercises and launching of missiles by the British troops there stationed.
HS.- “We reject as totally false accusations that the UK is ‘militarizing’ the region. It is simple not true”
“On the contrary helicopters stationed in the Islands are involved in search and rescue operations and have assisted vessels in danger in the South Atlantic, to the benefit of the whole region.
“Likewise the airport at Mount Pleasant has been used regularly during medical emergencies and for evacuation operations of seamen and scientists of all nationalities, whenever they were in difficulties in the southern and Antarctic seas”.
(*) The interview was done via e-mail courtesy of the UK embassy in Buenos Aires
Top Comments
Disclaimer & comment rules-
-
-
Read all commentsUK military numbers in the area - 1,500
May 21st, 2013 - 06:30 am 0Argentine military numbers in the area - 70,000
The British have been meticulous in ensuring that they have no more than equivalent amount of personnel to Argentina.
It's nice to see the truth being told to the Argentine people about all this.
May 21st, 2013 - 06:31 am 0If they truly fear 1,500 military personnel, then they are either:
a) stupid
b) cowards
c) deluded
d) all of the above
As for the nuclear weapons claim, that was nearly as funny as when Mr Timidman told the UN that Britain has sent the 'death star' aka HMS Dauntless, and that the radio antenna on the Islands was spying on Argentina, when it turned out to be part of an international scientific research group.
Maybe some of the Argentine people were fooled, but the rest of the world just sniggered at Argentina's clownish and amateurish antics.
Come on people of Argentina, get rid of these fools who are destroying your country, not only economically, but destroying what little reputation you had.
The world now looks at Argentina and all they see is a country that breaks treaties, lies, cheats, and refuses to honour its debts.
In other words they see a deadbeat country. And it's so sad, because Argentina has the resources and potential to become one of the most powerful economic powers in the world, but you are letting a bunch of gangsters piss it all away, while they are lining their own pockets.
Shame.
Argentina is no military threat to Chile... so why do the Chileans maintain first line fighters at Punta Arenas?
May 21st, 2013 - 06:33 am 0Because no one trusts an RG... especially an RG with a map......
Commenting for this story is now closed.
If you have a Facebook account, become a fan and comment on our Facebook Page!