MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Malvinas war veterans demand DNA tests to identify soldiers buried at Darwin
Malvinas war veterans are demanding DNA tests to identify the unknown soldiers buried at the Argentine cemetery in Darwin as part of the remembrance events of the 30th anniversary of the Falkland Islands conflict in 2012. Read full article
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Disclaimer & comment rules“ The defeat forced the collapse of the military Junta led by General Leopoldo Galtieri and the following year free elections opened the way for the return of democracy to Argentina, ending seven years of a ferocious dictatorship and thousands of killings and disappearances. ”
Dec 01st, 2011 - 04:37 am - Link - Report abuse 0And never a word of gratitude :-)
As for the story ... isn't this old news, or just another attempt ?
One thing, how do these anthropologists intend to get there? After all Argentina bans charter flights. Also how do they plan to exhume bodies without talking to the FIG coroner?
Dec 01st, 2011 - 08:57 am - Link - Report abuse 0Probably think that they waltz right in & start digging without reference to anyone.
Dec 01st, 2011 - 11:08 am - Link - Report abuse 0They should leave them to RIP not use them as a political focus,if a team is allowed to take DNA samples they should be a nuetraul team
Dec 01st, 2011 - 11:28 am - Link - Report abuse 0“planning a series of public ceremonies scheduled to culminate April 2, when the three decades of the Argentine invasion to the Falklands, with a massive parade of Malvinas veterans in downtown Buenos Aires.”
Dec 01st, 2011 - 11:47 am - Link - Report abuse 0Argentines, I thought you guys condemned the actions of the Junta. It appears your current Government actually celebrates their actions...oh the hypocrisy!
I don't see a problem with this under certain conditions. Let's see the Argies dig 'em up and take 'em back to Argentina. Then, to avoid future problems, they can bury 'em again in Argentina. It might not be so bad if the Argies were to admit they were wrong, both in their justifications and their actions, in 1982. But they don't. They are still spouting the same crap. Even the Germans had the grace to apologise for World War 2. And if they won't take the bodies peacefully, quietly and unobtrusively, ship 'em back anyway. We, the British and Falkland Islanders, have been reasonable and respectful. And the response? Argies try to take the p*** at every available opportunity. Have they asked the Falkland Islands Government whether they can traipse over to do this? Might this not be the first thing to do rather than demanding action through their courts? Or have they forgotten that the Falkland Islands DO NOT belong to them? They've had 30 years to do this. Enough is Enough. They should not expect to conduct economic warfare on one hand and expect co-operation for their propaganda on the other!
Dec 01st, 2011 - 01:07 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I think this is a right and fitting thing to do and will bring closure to many families whose young men were betrayed by their own country.
Dec 01st, 2011 - 01:12 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Why, however do the current gvt wish to celebrate the commencement of hostilities. Celebrating the end of hostilities and therefore the humiliating resignation of Galtieri would be more appropriate. By celebrating the start of the war the Argentine gvt is celebrating the start of the killing. I would have thought celebrating the end of the killing is the worthy cause and this is what we will do in the UK. Why can't our Argentine brothers join us in this?
No! Argentina must not be allowed to play politics with the dead of War.
Dec 01st, 2011 - 03:47 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Argentina must be told to fuck off and to let the dead rest in peace.
@ 8 try it if you feel you can do it!!!
Dec 01st, 2011 - 04:06 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Xbox - I think you will find that the UK has been telling Argentina to bugger off for quite some time and as Argentina has not been able to change the SQ one jot then the UK has had a lot of success in telling in telling you where to go.
Dec 01st, 2011 - 04:16 pm - Link - Report abuse 0As you have gained no practical support from any other nation then it looks like continuing to tell you where to go is fairly easy to do and quite effective.
We can do anything we want. Whether we do the correct thing is up to the democratically elected Governments of the FI and UK.
Dec 01st, 2011 - 04:18 pm - Link - Report abuse 0A military parade in Buenos Aires?
Dec 01st, 2011 - 06:47 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I like vintage military hardware. Can I come?
Argentina must be the only country in the world that celebrates a military defeat.
Dig them up, take samples, and give them 48 hours to accept delivery of the remains to Argentina, and if refused, bury them at sea at an undisclosed location, and send the samples in the post to the UN...2nd Class.
Dec 01st, 2011 - 07:45 pm - Link - Report abuse 0is this not old news, there does not seem to be any mention in the local argie news.
Dec 01st, 2011 - 07:54 pm - Link - Report abuse 0There was a time when “soldier: only known to God” meant just that.
Dec 01st, 2011 - 09:14 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The killed in war could rest in peace, and the world respected the war graves of many nations, even recent enemies.
But now, forensic advances mean that any fragment of a dead warrior, be it a whole fully-decomposed corpse, a mix of bomb-disintegrated pieces, or a strand of hair, could likely result in identifications with high levels of statistical probability.
Of course, the exhumation, identification and relocation process can be used politically, and has great potential for xeophobic propaganda,
so there is a need for process of negotiation with eg. the Red Cross/Crescent, The War Graves Commissions, the governments of the nations involved.
It CAN be done, but I question strongly whether it SHOULD be done.
Theirs always two ways to look at it,
Dec 01st, 2011 - 10:16 pm - Link - Report abuse 01, leaves them there, [and let the families come to you]
2, re-patriate the bodies,[ and stop any future temptation]
We, seem to respect the dead,
But sadly some just use them as proper gander fodder,
So if you let them, they may or may not use it as proper gander,
On the other hand, if you refuse them,
They will claim the British are refusing to ??
Again proper gander,
[basically, your dammed if you do]
[and dammed if you don’t ]
@ 16 how are you doing now, briton?
Dec 02nd, 2011 - 01:44 am - Link - Report abuse 0So publicly give them the option to take the remains, and if they refuse, tip the remains over the side, with full military honours of course, a proper funeral, but with no ongoing nonsense regarding visits, veterans, 'National Monuments', and all the other tosh and bollox they perpetually bring on as a stupid and pathetic political game.
Dec 02nd, 2011 - 05:55 am - Link - Report abuse 0If identification of soldiers' remains through DNA testing could ease the pain of loss of loved ones, then in principle, there should be no political objections only sympathy, empathy and assistance
Dec 02nd, 2011 - 08:02 am - Link - Report abuse 0I wonder if all relatives who lost loved ones actually wish for this. For some it may provide comfort of the knowledge (as best it can be) that they confirm their loved one 's grave, for others it risk introducing the pain that their loved one is not identified and then adds doubt as to whether the place they mourn their last memories as their loved one's resting place, may not be where they lie. It is very sad
Were politicians to politicise for propaganda purposes, it would be unfortunate, but a risk that could happen
Thirty years of peace have passed and I think heartfelt reconciliation is the best way to honor the fallen and recognize the ultimate sacrifice demanded of them by their politicians
Fine thank you .
Dec 03rd, 2011 - 01:05 am - Link - Report abuse 0Domingo, Argentine Officers refused to name the dead, so where was the sympathy, empathy, and assistance in easing the pain of loss of loved ones in 1982?
Dec 03rd, 2011 - 01:36 am - Link - Report abuse 0Had your pathetic Officers named the dead, we wouldn't need to show such courtesy 30 years later, and at the time the Argentine Officers were not to know that DNA testing would be forensically developed, as far as they were concerned they knew that the relatives would never know where their loved ones rest in peace. Why aren't you stringing those Officers in the Argentine Military up by their collective bollocks for what they've done? We hear of no efforts to punish those responsible for causing the situation do we?
Its all one way with you lot isn't it?
The problem with you introducing the sob stories is we've heard all this nonsense before, you appeal to our sensibilities, our sympathies, empathy, and assistance, and alongside it you ram the political falsehood into the same event, its all for the cause, apparently. Well we've heard it all too many times now, so the answer is no, you get nothing, no cooperation, and if you don't like it, tough.
Not going to happen, go away, you're not important.
It is very interesting to see!!
Dec 03rd, 2011 - 01:59 am - Link - Report abuse 0http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlWWyq_50r4
Yes, Kiwi,
Dec 03rd, 2011 - 09:44 am - Link - Report abuse 0'interesting' to see.
Sad also, and it happened like this for warriors on both sides.
I lost uncles in WWII in ship losses, and not just to the enemy, Japan. Two were lost through ship 'mis-identification' by the Americans on a POW ship.
I visited their names on a Changi War Cemetery wall - “Known to be lost at sea”.
Yes, war isn't a game that people play on blog-sites and computer games.
Loved ones die, horribly.
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