MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Falklands War “a mistake”. Bombing raid reversed withdrawal decision
Former Argentine Foreign Minister, Doctor Costa Mendez Argentina was ready to announce withdrawal of its troops from the Falklands Islands on May 2nd exactly 25 years ago but President Galtieri reversed his decision when the British Vulcan bomber and Harrier aircraft launched their raid on Stanley Airport the previous day.
This was claimed in a remarkable and exclusive interview, never previously published, by the Argentine Foreign Minister, Doctor Costa Mendez, talking to former BBC Correspondent Harold Briley after the war. It reveals the thinking behind Argentina's actions. "We had no desire of fighting a war against Britain", he declared. "The war was a mistake. The invasion was meant only to force negotiations". Dr Costa Mendez claimed that General Galtieri never intended to fight a war and decided on April 30th to withdraw the invasion force to comply with the United Nations resolution, only to change his mind as a result of the British aerial bombardment. He also decided a second time to withdraw and again reversed his decision. Here, from the taped interview, are the former Foreign Minister's own words as a unique retrospective contribution to the debate on this 25th anniversary. Dr Costa Mendez said: "General Galtieri called me in New York and said 'I think we should withdraw from the Islands', the first time by the end of April and the second time was around May 15th. Harold Briley: Why did that not happen? Costa Mendez: In the first place, precisely because the bombardment of the Islands on the first of May prevented his decision being carried out. Harold Briley: If that had not happened, you might have withdrawn? Costa Mendez: He called me and told me to prepare everything in order to announce to the Security Council that Argentina would accept the Council's decision and withdraw from the Islands.. The United Nations' resolution was, in a way, what we wanted, a very compelling invitation to negotiate. But before withdrawing we wanted assurances that the discussions would be quick, that a resolution would be obtained by the end of the year. We wanted to negotiate sovereignty. Harold Briley: And the second time â€" why did it not happen? Costa Mendez: The second time there was more opposition within the military in Argentina. Invasion to force negotiations Dr Costa Mendez first heard of the Junta's military plans on February 13th, 1982, He recalled: "President Galtieri in one of our routine weekly meetings said not that they had made any decision on invading or occupying the Islands but that they were making military preparations just in case the Government may need to occupy the Islands, as a contingency preparation. It was on 26th March I was told the invasion would take place. I was given strict orders not to communicate this news to anyone on the civilian side, in order to keep it secret. We thought that occupying the Islands would press Britain to negotiate or press the international organisations to intervene and try to obtain a peaceful end of a quarrel and a conflictâ€Ã‚¦ We wanted to speed up negotiations. We thought Britain was procrastinating. "The plan did not work because of its success. When the Government occupied the Islands, the enthusiasm in Argentina was tremendous and the Government was a prisoner of its success and was not free enough to negotiate and follow its original plan which was to withdraw the troops and call for United Nations troops to occupy during the negotiations. That was the original plan.. "But Mrs Thatcher precipitated things when she took too early the decision to send the fleet. That decision, given the tensions and general spirit in Argentina, provoked a harder, tougher attitude in Argentina". Harold Briley, London
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