MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Ministry of Defence Re-Assures Falkland Islanders South Georgia “scare” report rejected as “Rubbish”

A suggestion that the withdrawal of British troops from South Georgia signals encouragement to hard-line Argentines seeking sovereignty over the Falkland Islands has been categorically rejected by the British Government.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman has re-assured Islanders, in a statement to Mercopress, insisting that "the United Kingdom's commitment to the Falkland Islands is as robust, strong and determined as ever". The spokesman declared: "There is no question of our scaling down our commitment to defend the rights of the Islanders, as the Prime Minister has reiterated time and time again".

He was reacting to a "scare" story in Britain's biggest circulation daily newspaper, headlined "Troops Quit Island that Sparked War - UK sends out wrong signal on Falklands".

The article, in the Sun newspaper, says "Britain is pulling its troops out of the remote island which triggered the Falklands War. The military base on South Georgia will close and the twenty Royal Marines and Royal Engineers will be redeployed elsewhere". The Sun says: "There are fears the moves could send the wrong signals to hardliners in Argentina who still want the Falklands for themselves". The newspaper quotes its military adviser, Major General Ken Perkins, as declaring: "The removal of the few British troops is a clear signal we no longer have the capability to defend it, and a clear invitation to those in Argentina who still hanker after British possessions in the South Atlantic...The retreat from South Georgia suggests that (the British armed forces) are now at breaking point ".

The Ministry of Defence dismisses this as "rubbish". What the Sun announces as an "exclusive" revelation, was in fact announced in the British Parliament more than two years ago, in September, 1998. The Ministry of Defence felt it was no longer justified in keeping such a small military detachment on South Georgia, and that a larger presence of British Antarctic Survey scientists was a more practical use of manpower.

The Sun also gets its facts wrong on what happened on South Georgia in 1982. It says: "The Argentines invaded South Georgia when it was ?protected' by only a handful of scientists, then swept into the Falkland Islands".

Mercopress Correspondent Harold Briley, who reported on the conflict at the time, writes: "This ignores completely the gallant defence mounted against an invading force of 100 Argentines by a platoon of only 22 Royal Marines led by