MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Mastermind of Falklands's invasion arrested

Former member of the Argentine military Junta and one of the masterminds behind the 1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands, Admiral Jorge Anaya has been detained for alleged crimes against humanity perpetrated at the notorious Mechanical School of the Navy.

His arrest this week, and that of twelve other members of repression groups, suspects of having been involved in human rights abuses in the clandestine operation center under the military regime that ruled the country from 1976 to 1983, was ordered by Federal magistrate Sergio Torres.

According to the Argentine press the former Navy chief will be questioned about the illegal and unwarranted arrest and torture of an estimated 270 victims.

This last batch of arrests adds to another group of 22 officers that includes two other notorious characters belonging to the Argentine Navy, Captain Jorge Acosta, better known as "Tiger Acosta" and "Angel face" Captain Alfredo Astiz who surrendered to the British Navy in South Georgia when the beginning of the recapture of the Falklands.

Admiral Anaya was a member of the third Junta together with the ill remembered General Fortunato Galtieri and Brigadier Arturo Lami Dozo.

In related news President Nestor Kirchner sacked the chief to the Air Force and replaced him with a former Malvinas fighter jet pilot Brigadier Normando Constantino.

Apparently outgoing Brigadier Eduardo Schiaffino was not in good terms with Defence minister Nilda Garré and had clashed over several issues including the purchase of transport aircrafts for the Air Force commercial airline LADE. He favored SAAB but the minister on a visit to Russia and Ukraine was more impressed with the Anatovs.

Furthermore during the Minister's two weeks absence, according to the Argentine press, he tried on several occasions to interview President Kirchner, but was not received.

Brigadier Schiaffino was promoted to head the Air Force in 2005, forcing the retirement of twelve top officers. The motive was a drugs traffic scandal to Spain involving a subsidized Argentine airline and Ezeiza security personnel under Air Force jurisdiction. This cost the job to Schiaffino's predecessor as Air Force chief.

Furthermore the recent film based on a book titled "Air Force Inc" exposing serious security failings in Argentina's main airports, including Ezeiza, and other "private" perks enjoyed by Air Force officers, definitively put an end to Schiaffino's career.

The Kirchner administration is currently drafting legislation to have airport traffic control and security returned to civilian authorities.

This is the sixth commander in chief of the Armed Forces that President Kirchner removes since taking office in 2003.

The incoming Commander of the Air Force Brigadier Constantino was the best student of his Air Force Academy promotion in 1974 and in 1982 flew several sorties over the Falklands in a fighter bomber Douglas A4C Skyhawk, according to his official biography.

In 2002 he was Air Attaché at the Argentine Embassy in London. In 2005 as Head of Operations for the Joint Chief of Staff he was involved in the drafting of a program of drastic reforms to be implemented in the Argentine Armed Forces.