MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands Navy Chief faced dismissal.

More revelations of the conduct of the 1982 Falklands Conflict are contained in a book by the British Secretary of State for Defence at the time, Sir John Nott. He gives his version for the first time of the tensions in the War Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, of his feud with the head of the Royal Navy, of how British agents denied supplies of the feared Exocet missile to Argentina, and how France advised how to counter the missiles.

The book is entitled "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow" based on a controversial BBC television interview which he angrily quit when accused of being only a transient politician.

The book reveals that the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Sir Henry Leach, who persuaded Prime Minister Thatcher that the Falklands could be re-taken from the Argentines when Sir John Nott advised they could not, was on the verge of being sacked or resigning a few months earlier over his campaign against Nott's proposed cutbacks to naval strength, including the aircraft carrier HMS Invincible and the Antarctic patrol vessel, HMS Endurance.

The book says both Margaret Thatcher and Deputy Prime Minister Willie Whitelaw were outraged that he was undermining Nott's authority and said "he must go". But Nott successfully dissuaded them not to blight Leach's career after 40 years of distinguished service.

Nott reveals that France and President Mitterand "were in so many ways our (Britain's) greatest allies". The most formidable and feared weapon in Argentina's arsenal was the French built Super Etendard strike aircraft and Exocet missile which sank some British ships.

World-wide plot to block Argentine Exocet.

Nott writes: "As soon as the conflict began Hernou (the French Defence Minister) got in touch with me to make available a Super-Etendard and Mirage aircraft so that our Harrier pilots could train against them before setting off to the South Atlantic. The French supplied us with detailed technical information on the Exocet, showing us how to tamper with the missiles".

The United Kingdom engaged in a clandestine international plot to block supplies to Argentina. "A remarkable world-wide operation then ensued to prevent further Exocets being bought by Argentina. I authorised our agents to pose as bona fide purchasers of equipment on the international market, ensuring that we outbid the Argentineans, and other agents identified Exocet missiles in various markets and covertly rendered them inoperable, based on information provided by the French. It was a remarkably successful operation. In spite of strenuous efforts by several countries, particularly the Israelis and South Africans, to help Argentina, we succeed