MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
BBC documents reveal French double role during the Falklands conflict
In his memoirs, former UK Defence Secretary Sir John Nott describes France as Britain's “greatest ally” during the Falklands War. However, formerly secret papers and other evidence seen by the BBC show that was not the full story. Before the war, France sold Argentina's military junta five Exocet missiles. Read full article
Comments
Disclaimer & comment rulesneighbors who would have em!
Mar 08th, 2012 - 09:50 am - Link - Report abuse 0Chile 'helped UK over Falklands'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4622565.stm
Face facts, they helped us out on this one. A few french technicians and a morally-vacuous company clearly didn't but when push came to shove, they stepped up to the plate and put down the embargo.
Mar 08th, 2012 - 09:51 am - Link - Report abuse 0I hope we'd do the same thing in their position (without the curious technicians), and be slightly more forthright about it.
and they stlll got spanked ...
Mar 08th, 2012 - 10:54 am - Link - Report abuse 0@2 greek yoghurt. - President Sarkrazy (allegedly) told Cameron three weeks ago that he considers the dispute between Britain And Argentina outside of the EU (whatever that means) and that France would possibly veto any call by Britain for Eu support on the issue.
Mar 08th, 2012 - 11:05 am - Link - Report abuse 0Of course none of this has anything to do with any european corporations and their purchases of vast tracts of land in Argentina or their investments in the rest of South America.....or their connections to politicians within the fairy palace in Brussels...of course it doesn't!
And there are more revelations to come about the French ...which no doubt Greek Yoghurt and the rest of the spammers will rush to to defend.
Merde!
@4 I don't think there is a need to add any EU sanctions if no one in the EU is interested in adding any sanctions. There is no sovereignty issue in the UK regarding any BOT. If France doesn't want sanctions then that's fine, it's their opinion. The likelihood of businesses importing from Argentina with the level of risk they're expected to bear is still going to push down the value of Argentinian exports and some businesses will seek less risky suppliers elsewhere.
Mar 08th, 2012 - 12:03 pm - Link - Report abuse 0If the french and chinese choose to buy up fertile land in Argentina for farming or whatever purpose, then that's also fine.
Cameron should just ignore the Argentinians. Trade balances will inevitably punish the Argentines, we don't need to do anything.
”In another document entitled The Falklands: Lessons from a Fiasco, senior French official Bernard Dorin accused Britain of “superpower arrogance” and claimed the country had shown “profound contempt for Latinos”.
Mar 08th, 2012 - 12:05 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Undoubtely true.
It's nice to be refered to as a superpower don'tya think?
Mar 08th, 2012 - 12:25 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Why on earth would the UK want the EU to become involved in the sovereignty dispute? That'd be like asking your pet cat to look after your canary.
@4
Mar 08th, 2012 - 12:40 pm - Link - Report abuse 0”President Sarkrazy (allegedly) told Cameron three weeks ago that he considers the dispute between Britain And Argentina outside of the EU (whatever that means) and that France would possibly veto any call by Britain for Eu support on the issue“.
what a load of complete shit. In your dreams maybe but not in the real world. whats becoming increasingly tedious in the Argentine bloggers posts is this ability to conjure statements and ”facts” out of thin air with nothing to back it up. Youre just a bunch of fucking liars TBH.
The French?
Mar 08th, 2012 - 12:59 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Playing both sides against each other?
You must be paranoid.... they would never do that!! LOL
Are these the same French who didn't want to help out in the war against Iraq but who were first in line for the recontruction contracts afterwards?
We're not talking about those French are we?
Nor the reason why the UK had nuclear weapons in the first place?
Mar 08th, 2012 - 02:17 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“Yes Prime Minister” Humprey: no PM it was not because of the Russians - it was because of the French” We laughed at the time.
Many a true word spoken in jest.
@7 What if the cat loved the canary like a friend or brother? and they both laughed together and sang songs together?
Mar 08th, 2012 - 02:27 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@9 I love how we all agree that the Iraq war was just about reconstruction contracts.
@6 “claimed the country had shown “profound contempt for Latinos”.
Mar 08th, 2012 - 04:50 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Undoubtely true.”
And perfectly justified.
Let's see. Argies make an insupportable claim to British territory. Response? Contempt.
Argies engage in trade sanctions against British territory. Response? Contempt.
Argies engage in maritime harassment. Response? Contempt.
Argies bully surrounding countries into support. British response? Contempt.
Argies seek re-negotiation of agreement they tore up. Response? Contempt.
No need to say more!
However:
Mar 08th, 2012 - 05:50 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Let's not forget that the UK had sold to Argentina 2 Type 42 destroyers, plus English Electric 'Canberra' B.62, T.64 airplanes. Just like the Exocet, employed against Argentina's vile war of aggression against the Falkland Islands.
Honni soit qui mal y pense,
Philippe
It seems the Britts had enough of seeing their ships being sunked to the
Mar 08th, 2012 - 06:39 pm - Link - Report abuse 0bottom of the Atlantic ocean as an Argentine of french descent I say
if only Argentina had more exocet missiles!
It seems the Britts had enough of seeing their ships being sunked to the
Mar 08th, 2012 - 07:50 pm - Link - Report abuse 0bottom of the Atlantic ocean
Well you argies shit yourselves and fucked off when one of your ships got sunk,if only the argie navy would of come out to play
France sold us a number of Exocets in times of peace, but when they were to be deployed, none could be attached to our fighters nor in an operative condition. Argentine technicians soon found how to bypass the problems and the rockets were then able to be taken by the Super Etendards and Mirages and shot to their destinies. HMS Sheffield was the first victim and went down to meet another HMS Sheffield sunk many years before this one, not far, by other enemies.
Mar 08th, 2012 - 08:01 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I believe, contrary to what Tigre2000 imagines (#14, above), that if Argentina had more exocet missiles, say 1.000?, nothing would have changed the end of the war and the confrontation would have instead escalated to heights never dreamt of, with plenty more dead and inimaginable destruction: ours is a large but defenceless country, with no military hardware production of any kind, that would have faced and suffered the enormous power of the NATO, not just the British.
Hey, RGs, did you know that the lads on the RFA Sir Geraint shot down x5 RG aircraft using bofors guns and blow pipe missiles.
Mar 08th, 2012 - 08:02 pm - Link - Report abuse 0This is just very silly mercopress,
Mar 08th, 2012 - 08:23 pm - Link - Report abuse 0You might as well said napoleon wanted to be British
Or the Spanish armada failed, or Germany got beat,,
Now tell us something WE DIDN’T know, abt France,
When you sell things, you don’t expect them to return to haunt you,
But it does ,,,,does it not
Next blogg mmmm
.
@17
Mar 08th, 2012 - 08:25 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Hey Brits, do you know the GADA 601 & 602 with a Roland Missile System shot down 4 Harriers?
Sistema Roland
según registros ADA Mix 602
8 misiles disparados
4 aviones derribados (todos Harriers)
1 misil impactado en una bomba
2 misiles esquivados por maniobras evasivas
(ataques abortados)
1 misil defectuoso
The 30 year commemorative medal is available at:
Mar 08th, 2012 - 08:30 pm - Link - Report abuse 0www.servicecomm.couk/catalogue.php
@19
Mar 08th, 2012 - 09:10 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Pretty good at shooting your own down too
- A-4B Skyhawk of FAA Grupo 5 shot down over Goose Green by own AA fire (2.25 pm)
Puma SA.330L of CAB 601 lost in the morning in uncertain circumstances near Mount Kent, possibly to own forces fire
Mirage IIIEA of FAA Grupo 8 damaged in same incident north of West Falkland by Lt Thomas RN in No.801 Sea Harrier using Sidewinder. Then shot down over Stanley by own AA defences (4.15 pm)
9 toooldtodieyoung (#) Mar 08th, 2012 - 12:59 pm
Mar 08th, 2012 - 10:56 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The French?
Playing both sides against each other?
You must be paranoid.... they would never do that!! LOL
Are these the same French who didn't want to help out in the war against Iraq but who were first in line for the recontruction contracts afterwards?
We're not talking about those French are we?
Yes thats them - the same French that built Saddam's nuclear reactor.
The same French that were happy to build Saddam's chemical/ bilogical laboratories.
The same French that violated the UN sanctions on Saddam through the oil-for-food scam that made French businessmen millions of $.
The French banks that defied the ecnomic blockade on Saddam by flushing the cash he was stealing from his people.
I could go on....but I don't want to bore you
@21
Mar 09th, 2012 - 01:03 am - Link - Report abuse 0The IFF wasn't working stick :)))
22 dreyfoss
Mar 09th, 2012 - 02:02 am - Link - Report abuse 0The French?
Playing both sides against each other?
You must be paranoid.... they would never do that!! LOL
Never!
I would never trust the French. In 1940 they surrendered and effectively switched sides, leaving the British Army stranded on the beaches of Dunkirk.
You have to hand it to the French though -
1. They protect their Industry.
2. They protect their Farmers.
3. They protect their Union rights.
4. They protect their overseas territories, most of which are made part of France.
5. They don't introduce new laws every 5 mins (unlike Blair's 600 new laws!) replicating existing laws and increasing bureaucracy.
6. They still have a credible military.
7. And a real independent nuclear deterrence.
8. They enjoy holidays in France
9. They don't flood into Ibiza to defaecate over everything.
10. They still respect themselves.
So while I don't trust the French, I do respect them. They still believe in being French. It's a shame we have a government that doesn't believe in being British.
@ Anti-Fascist
Mar 09th, 2012 - 02:54 am - Link - Report abuse 0Well done Anti that is a start. You are just realising that UK is country that everybody laughs at.
Now you can continue with you catharsis.
@ 25 Can you imagine what the Falklands woul be like if people like you were living there? It is just a terrifying thought.
Mar 09th, 2012 - 03:04 am - Link - Report abuse 0DanyBerger
Mar 09th, 2012 - 04:35 am - Link - Report abuse 0You're so booooooooooooooooooooooooooooooring! At least Malvinero keeps us entertained!
@brit abroad
Mar 09th, 2012 - 08:46 am - Link - Report abuse 0What can I do?
But don’t worry for entertainment and clowns I guess you have enough. Like your royal family, Gordo, Cameroon, etc. do you want even more? Just crazy mate.
Danys Burgers - But we all know Clowns are scary. I remember a story about a Conquistador Prince who was deployed to the Falklands in his scary unarmed search and rescue helicopter. RUN AWAY it be yellow!!! I agree camerooooooooooooon is a clown, but a non threatening one, more like a childrens entertainer, Cammo the Clown.
Mar 09th, 2012 - 06:55 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Erratum, #13
Mar 10th, 2012 - 10:40 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Of course, where I said “employed against Argentina,” I should have written “employed by Argentina” instead.
Philippe
@28 Dany Berger & @29 cLOHO.. whilst not having any particular views about the Royal family one way or the other, I do detect a certain irony, as will those with long memories that actually recall the events of 1982. I recall from an Argentine source after their invasion of the islands a certain amount of taunting towards the Brits which included the message to 'send your prince' to fight for them. This was of course Prince Andrew who also flew helicopters. The fact of the matter was that he was sent with the task force. No doubt another helicopter (rescue) flying prince in the region has a certain subliminal effect on the RG consciousness! p.s. yeah Cameron gets on my titz also!
Mar 15th, 2012 - 08:00 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Commenting for this story is now closed.
If you have a Facebook account, become a fan and comment on our Facebook Page!