MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
25th Anniversary of Falklands Conflict: Call for dignity and respect on both sides.
Speaking recently on the British Forces Broadcasting Service in the Falklands, Britain's Senior Soldier, Chief of General Staff, General Sir Mike Jackson, said that he hoped the inevitable interest in the coming 25th Anniversary of the Falklands (Malvinas) Conflict would not lead to an increase in political tension.
The General, who was on a short fact-finding visit to the Falklands, which ended shortly before the arrival in the Falklands of the Armed Forces Minister, Adam Ingram, had this to say to BFBS interviewer, Hermina Graham "There will be, of course, increased interest at home in the 25th anniversary. We should not forget. We lost 255 if my memory serves me correctly: soldiers, sailors and airmen and we lost a larger number of wounded. The families of those who were killed and those who may still be in some way disabled by their injuries are bound to have an interest and there'll be a wider interest too because, historically for the United Kingdom it was a most notable event, politically, militarily, in every sense, I think. So, of course, there'll be a lot of interest. There will be (interest), I have no doubt, in Argentina as well. I hope that doesn't lead to any political tension and I don't see why it should. I hope both countries will, with dignity and respect, look back, remember those who fell and I hope both countries are quite clear that this is not the way to resolve the international dispute about these islands."
Asked about the purpose of his visit to South Atlantic, General Jackson replied, "I try to get around to wherever British soldiers are stationed, which, as we all know is in quite a few places across the world. The Falklands is, of course, an operational theatre. It's therefore on the Chief of Staff's radar as one of the commitments defence undertakes. It's good for me to see for myself and talk to people here about what the considerations for the defence of the Falklands are now today and how we go about this. You can read papers back in London, but there's no substitute for seeing it for yourself."
To a question regarding the capacity of the British Forces to maintain an adequate provision for the defence of the Falkland Islands, General Jackson's reply was equally forthright and unequivocal: "We have a very clear military job to do. The capability required to do it is arrived at through some pretty hard-nosed thinking, which goes through what is required. What I've seen so far tells me that from a relatively small in numbers force here we have a capability, which is doing the job it's required to do, and long may that be so."
During what was his second visit to the Falkland Islands ? the first being in the immediate aftermath of the '82 conflict ? the General took the opportunity to visit Stanley, where he met with members of the Islands' Legislative Council amongst others.
Commenting on the Chief of the General Staff's visit and its proximity to that of the British Armed Forces Minister, Falkland Islands Government spokesman, Councillor Mike Summers, said that the timing were coincidental, but the visits demonstrated the seriousness with which the British Government takes the continuing defence of the Islands.
Both the Chief of General Staff and the Armed Forces Minister, said Councillor Summers, had expressed the view that the right military assets were in place, in the right quantities to defend the Falklands adequately against any aggression and both had given the assurance that there would be no reduction in this capacity.
Photo provided by Penguin News: HMS Liverpool Commanding Officer, Commander Henry Duffy and General Sir Mike Jackson.
John Fowler (Mercopress) Stanley
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