MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Simon Jenkins claims Falklands for Argentina

The Falklands should return to Argentina”. Under this title, and in coincidence with the 21st anniversary of the Argentine troops landing in the Falkland Islands, (April 2), the Sunday edition of La Nación from Buenos Aires published an extensive interview with Simon Jenkins, described as one of Britain's most respected and influential political analysts with a long career as journalist, columnist and editor in the Evening Standard, The Times and The Economist.

"I've always believed that the administration of the Falklands by Argentina is the best solution for all sides, but with the current situation I fear this won't happen in my lifetime", Mr. Jenkins tells his interviewer Adrian Sack.

La Nación recalls that already in 1998, from his prestigious column in The Times and addressing the forceful new Labour government of Prime Minister Tony Blair, Mr. Jenkins proposed that British possession of the Islands be reconsidered, among other reasons because Britain couldn't keep on spending the "ridiculous sum" of 114 million US dollars annually to maintain a 2,000 strong garrison in the Falklands.

Mr. Jenkins insists his position hasn't changed in spite of the economic, political and social turmoil of Argentina, although he does believe this situation has postponed the issue in the official agenda of the current Argentine government and in several others to follow.

La Nación points out that together with Max Hastings, Mr. Jenkins wrote "The Battle for the Falklands" in 1983, one of the world's leading consulting books on the subject.

"How do you perceive Britain's position on the issue, 21 years after the war?" "I think that the government of Mr. Blair couldn't care less about the Islands and almost certainly have the least interest in reinstating the issue. It's something that has been done over with".

"Is it a difficult matter for British leaders to address even after having won the war? "Yes?it's something traumatic for many British, particularly for the politicians who lived through the conflict and still are active in politics; they don't even want to think about the Islands again. And this is another reason why it's hard to imagine that the Falklands could be handed to Argentina in the short or medium term."

"Why do you think the United Kingdom should give up sovereignty over the Falklands?" "Simply because the Islands can't be ruled from the United Kingdom for ever; there's no question that the Islands economy should be integrated to that of South America, if they are interested in continuing to grow".

"Do you believe the inhabitants of the Islands would support this idea?" "I believe that young people in the Islands should establish links with the continent. It's an obsolete approach to keep on with things as they are now, since this kind of colonialism is totally anachronistic".

"The 1982 war was a step back for Argentina?" "Yes, and more than a step back, a real disaster. If the invasion hadn't occurred, today Argentina almost certainly would at least have shared sovereignty over the Falklands. But war not only reinforced British military presence, it also turned unthinkable all hope of a total or partial handing over by the British government, as well as any closeness from the side of the Islanders".

"Do you agree with Margaret Thatcher that Argentina recovered its democracy thanks to the defeat in the conflict?" "Yes, I definitively believe so, and this is obvious, as well as the fact that the war contributed to the re-election of Mrs. Thatcher al leader of this country".

"Do you agree with those who claim is a "war criminal" for having ordered the sinking of the cruiser General Belgrano?" "No, absolutely. She was very worried, and rightly so, that a big man-o-war could be close to the approaching British fleet that was heading for the conflict zone. I think the sinking was totally military sense, since had the General Belgrano had the opportunity they would have sunk British vessels."

"How would you judge the performance of Argentine diplomacy following the war?" "I think that the so called "seduction policy" was redeemable since it gave so much to talk about in the nineties. It's a good idea, but I believe the problem won't be solved now, but rather by the coming generation of Argentines, British and Falklanders".

"Do you believe the idea of a shared sovereignty is viable?" "Yes, I've always favoured the idea, since it looks to me as an interesting alternative, in spite of the fact that unfortunately, it's now out of the agenda. The Falklands case is like Gibraltar's: when the issue becomes tiring, only time and the renewal of those who make the sides in the dispute can help find a solution. And that belongs to another generation".

Further on Mr. Jenkins rejects any possible parallelism between the current war in Iraq and the Falklands conflict, as suggested by some British reporters, and argues that "the South Atlantic war was more like the Kuwait conflict in 1991".

Finally Mr. Jenkins coincides with Pope John Paul II in that the current war in Iraq will do nothing to diminish terrorism, rather the contrary, plus increase discord in the Middle East, which is "one of the most negative side effects, given the magnitude and unpredictability of its consequences".