MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands' defense review full statement from Secretary Fallon expected soon

UK MoD spokesperson was quoted saying that: “there is a defense review and an announcement will be made about it. There will be a full statement by Michael Fallon”.

A statement from UK Defense secretary Michael Fallon relative to the Falkland Islands' garrison is expected sometime this week, according to reports in the British media. The Falklands' military response capacity has been a matter of much ongoing debate among analysts and former officers, as Argentina allegedly is involved in increased military expenditure.

 A spokesman for the Ministry of Defense was quoted saying that: “there is a defense review and an announcement will be made about it. There will be a full  statement by Michael Fallon”.

Military analysts have previously argued that without an aircraft carrier, Harrier jump jets or the ability to deploy a task force, the Falklands could be seen as an easy target for Argentina.

Buenos Aires has intensified its claim since oil exploration began. In 2011 president Cristina Fernandez called David Cameron “arrogant” for insisting the Islands will remain British as long as their inhabitants wish to.

British oil company Rockhopper Exploration revealed significant discoveries of oil, which it says are enough oil to make the Falklands a significant production centre. In association with Premier Oil it has begun another round of drilling offshore the Islands.

The British government last year rejected calls to sit down with Argentina to negotiate sovereignty over the Islands.

In what has become an annual ritual, last June the United Nations Decolonization Committee or C24 passed a resolution calling on Britain and Argentina to negotiate a solution to the dispute over the Falklands/Malvinas Islands essentially favoring Argentina’s stance in the two-century old dispute, given the composition of the committee.

“The UK’s position on the UN’s decolonization process is well-known. We regret that the UN Decolonization Committee continues with its outdated approach,” said a Foreign Office spokesman at the time underlining that the UK stands by the Falklands' right to self determination and to develop its resources.

London has also invited Argentina to talks as long as the Falkland Islands are present. This was decided following the 2013 referendum in which the Islanders massively turned out to vote overwhelmingly to remain as a British Overseas Territory.

Argentina's Foreign minister Hector Timerman has rejected point blank that suggestion arguing the Islanders are a ”non-people“ while President Cristina Fernandez refers to the Falkland Islanders as 'squatters'. Argentina argues historic and territorial integrity reasons.

Britain's tabloid The Sun which first broke the news mention's in its front page ”increased invasion threat from Argentina“, arguing that Buenos Aires was being supported by Russia in its efforts to boost its military potential.

”Unstable Argentina is said to be rearming 33 years after the Falklands war, helped by Russia's Vladimir Putin,” the tabloid claims.

However it must be mentioned that the news comes just one day after the head of the Russian parliament’s foreign affairs committee, Alexei Pushkov, referred to the Falklands/Malvinas conflict in response to UK criticism over the Crimea affair.

“Attention London: Crimea has far more reason to be in Russia than the Falklands have to be part of Great Britain,” the outspoken politician wrote yesterday on his Twitter account.