MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Argentina paid homage to officers and crew that went down with the cruiser General Belgrano 35 years ago
Argentina paid homage on Tuesday to the 323 crew and officers who lost their lives when the Navy's cruiser General Belgrano was sunk on 2 May 1982, by a British submersible in the midst of the Falklands conflict 35 years ago. Read full article
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Disclaimer & comment rulesMinister Martinez in his speech said that Malvinas is a matter of state, it is “the inalienable calling of the Argentine sovereignty claim over out Malvinas Islands”, no matter what government.
May 03rd, 2017 - 09:19 am - Link - Report abuse +4Usurpation! UN Resolutions!!
Falklands – 1833 Usurpations & UN Resolutions:
https://www.academia.edu/21721198/Falklands_1833_Usurpation_and_UN_Resolutions
Regarding the Belgrano - On May 7th, 1982, Argentina complained to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva which ruled that the vessel, though outside the TEZ, was within the security zone of British ships in the area; was fully armed and engaged in operations and that therefore there was no breach of the Geneva Convention. The action was perfectly legal.
Captain, Héctor Bonzo, when he spoke to the newspaper Clarin in 2007 – “ It was an act of war. The acts of those who are at war, like the submarine’s attack, are not a crime … The crime is the war. We were on the front line and suffered the consequences. On April 30, we were authorised to open fire, and if the submarine had surfaced in front of me I would have opened fire with all our 15 guns until it sank.” (falklandsnews.wordpress.com/2013/05/03)
“Minister Martinez in his speech said that Malvinas is a matter of state, it is “the inalienable calling of the Argentine sovereignty claim over out Malvinas Islands”, no matter what government.”
May 03rd, 2017 - 09:57 am - Link - Report abuse +4I don't have a problem with Argentina honouring their soldiers - hell, even Germany memorialises their losses during WW2.
However, I haven't seen Germany using their memorials - or indeed *any* opportunity - to claim the territory of other nations they invaded in WW2. It seems Argentina would do well to learn from their example.
Argentina can repeat the Malvinas Lie - and it *is* a lie, that may not be disputed - but unless they're willing to consider good-faith negotiation or impartial ICJ abritration, they're not going to see any movement on the Falklands.
The term 'going down' is not very accurate. Nearly all the deaths were from exposure after they abandoned ship. Their two escort destroyers left the area immediately when she was torpedoed. Not running away, just procedure.
May 03rd, 2017 - 12:04 pm - Link - Report abuse 0EscoSesDoidao - your “facts” about the Belgrano are way off. It was estimated that 275 died instantly due to an explosion in the machine room that was below a relaxation area. Further the other two ships didn't immediately abandon her. The Bouchard was struck by the third torpedo that missed the Belgrano but didn't explode. They began dropping depth charges while totally unaware the Belgrano had been hit.
May 03rd, 2017 - 02:13 pm - Link - Report abuse 0My paternal grandfather lost his life in the first World Way as a serving Chief Petty Officer in the Royal Navy - his vessel HMS Begonia just disappeared off the northwest coast of Africa in 1918. It is believed that it was sunk by a German submarine.
May 03rd, 2017 - 04:15 pm - Link - Report abuse +6His eldest son, my father, also served in the Royal Navy for over 35 years and I, too, served in the Royal Navy for a while.
It was a sad day for all mariners when the Belgrano was sunk by a British submarine BUT Argentina had provoked this event by invading British territory and the two nations were at war. As stated above, Captain Héctor Bonzo, the commanding officer of the Belgrano, clearly accepted the event as an act of war and NOT a “war crime”, as has been alleged by other Argentine sources and, even, by a prominent British Labour MP(who should have known better!)
@gordo1
May 03rd, 2017 - 05:13 pm - Link - Report abuse -3Nobody, with some neuron in his/her brain, can say that the attack to the ARA Belgrano was a war crime. The questioning of the attack is the clear Margaret T's will to “sink” any mediation in the negotiation process. She wanted to have a war to win it. In the meanwhile plenty of young people, from both sides, were killed. We are currently facing the fact that the dispute was not settled in the war.
In addition, the ARA Belgrano was sunk out of the “security” zone unilaterally imposed by the british government.
It is true that the “Junta” made the decition to take, by force and illegally, the islands but the occupation was not bloody at all. No a single british soldier was killed in action this April 2nd.
@Konrad Kurse
Comparing german invations in Europe to the argentine occupation of the Islands is clearly a mistake. The dispute over the Islands ia older than the militar government, both countries even held official meetings to discuss the Islands future, and the dispoute is still unsolved. Comparing any dispute to Hitler's invasions is unfair.
@pgerman
May 03rd, 2017 - 05:57 pm - Link - Report abuse -5It took a whole month for the task force to get down there, wasn't that enough time for mediation? Was there some new development before the sinking?
It's true about the occupation though, the Junta treated the Falklanders a lot better than their own citizens. And I agree it wasn't really comparable to the German invasions in Europe.
Pgerman- No Br soldiers were killed on 2nd April 1982-Agrre, Purely by good luck though- your special forces just happened to firebomb the Br Marine Accomodation block in the night with phosphorous grenades- nasty things they are- the burning phosphor sticks to your body and burns right into your innards.
May 03rd, 2017 - 08:16 pm - Link - Report abuse +6Unknown to the Arg forces the Marines were all out down on the beaches and around Govt House.
Then there was the civilian family who took an Arg mortar bomb in through into their house- luckily they were at the other end inside!
Then later the Arg grenades left under the desk lids and in empty cups in our JUNIOR School?!
So Arg did try to kill lots of us.
One of the reasons we will never forgive nor forget.
pgerman
May 04th, 2017 - 06:18 am - Link - Report abuse +4As far as the Islanders and the British nation are concerned there is no dispute! The Argentine claim to sovereignty of the Falklands archipelago is made up of lies, fairy stories, myths, misinterpretations of historical events and, worse, crass arrogance.
Pagerman
May 04th, 2017 - 06:48 pm - Link - Report abuse +2This comes up time and time again. The Belgrano was threat to the British fleet,so she was sunk. She was not on a booze cruise but on a warlike mission.
Read what the Captain of the Belgrano said. Do you believe him or must you have a scapegoat to make you feel the aggrieved party.
Sadly, people get killed in wars.
Of course Argentinians try to convince themselves that it was all a Thatcher plot and that the matter could have been solved diplomatically. It was pure luck that no UK personnel were killed in the attack on the Governer's residence.
For Argentina, the diplomatic solution was for the UK to hand over the Falklands...we refused and you lost. As an adjunct to the story , The Chief of Naval Staff said :-
“prepared to show that we are ready to follow their example whenever the motherland
demands it”
The example of the Argentine Navy was to return to port speedily and remain there !
@pgerman
May 08th, 2017 - 09:51 pm - Link - Report abuse +1“In addition, the ARA Belgrano was sunk out of the “security” zone unilaterally imposed by the british government.”
On 23rd April the UK issued a warning to Argentina, that Argentine forces anywhere that were seen as a threat to the task force would be liable to be attacked.
It has to be pointed out that requests to shoot down Argentina Boeing 707 aircraft and a request to sink the Argentine aircraft carrier during April were refused by Thatcher as peace talks were in progress.
The sinking of the Belgrano is entirely the fault of 'plastic face' Anaya, with Galteiri and his whisky bottle also culpable. Anaya was in charge of the Argentine Navy, and was aware of the British warning of 23rd April.
History repeating itself.
In the 1828 and 1832 the British Government made diplomatic complaints to the United Provinces over the Falklands, which like the above warning were ignored, followed by decisive action.
It'll happen again.
Argentina will threaten the UK.
The UK will protest.
Argentina will ignore the UK.
The UK will mallet Argentina.
Argentina will plead ignorance,( why senor)?
The fault was that of the United Provinces, re 1833. In 1982, if the Junta were not busy getting pissed when talking to Haig, and boasting of their 'native cunning', those sailors on the Belgrano might have lived.
“ but the occupation was not bloody at all.”
Only because the Royal Marines were not at Moody Brook barracks.
Fortunately, the British forces did not think like Argentines.
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