MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Thatcher criticised over Falklands

A spate of letters to the Times newspaper in reaction to her Falklands articles criticise her for her attitude before 1982.

One letter says her Government previously showed little concern about the Islands. "This apparent lack of interest encouraged the Argentine junta to test British resolve...If the long-standing problems with Argentina over the Falklands had been higher in her Government's order of priorities at an earlier stage, the war may well have been limited to the diplomatic front. Many lives would have been saved on both sides".

Another letter says the "defining moment which allowed Argentina to plan the invasion and precipitate the conflict was the much-publicised decision to bring HMS Endurance home and not to replace her....If any signal to attack had ever been sent to aggressive forces that were it and many people paid with their lives for that injudicious decision. It is sad that Baroness Thatcher cannot, after all these years, admit that it was wrong to sanction the decommissioning of HMS Endurance".

Another writer says: "If she and others before her had not simultaneously pursued a diplomatic policy which refused to hand over the Falklands to Argentina, and a military policy which was not adequate to deter an attack, the Falklands War would not have happened. An earlier display of true leadership might thus have spared us a tragic waste of British and Argentine lives and a continuing drain on scarce defence resources".

A retired vice-admiral, Sir James Jungius, writes that Lady Thatcher's account underlines how much is owed to the First Sea Lord, Sir Henry Leach, who contrary to other political and civil service advice, assured her that it was possible to retake the islands. "Typical of the man, he then quietly got on with gathering the task force together and running the Navy".

In a front-page article about Lady Thatcher declining to undertake a Falklands visit for the 20th anniversary, the Times says her absence has caused "huge disappointment". It quotes tour guide and former broadcaster Patrick Watts as saying: "People here revere Margaret Thatcher because she stood by us when there was a real chance the Argentines might have got away with invading us".

Harold Briley, MercoPress - London