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As the link shows, they have considerably more assets on hand now than they did back when. Argentina achieved pretty much complete surprise in 1982, and that won't happen again.
Not that Argentina is going to have another try in the real world. A beleaguered government is pointing to an external enemy, it's a very old trick. As for talks and compromises? Sorry, but that sort of niceties are out the window when you invade and then lose.
Any "Joint Venture" with BP is always a one way deal in favor of BP. Let the oil belong to Argentina and they may just sell to us without consulting the Cartel. Now there is a win-win.
I believe that 39% of BP is owned by American shareholders.
I don't get it. Really.
1) Argentina: Lost these tiny islands 30 years ago. What the **** they want now? An amnesiac who walk up after 30 year coma? Are they ready for a second round? All their problems solved already?
2) UK: Are they willing to start a confrontation at the other side of the globe? For what? At a time when they cut spending on all fronts and suffer deep recession?
3) These island mean next to nothing, yet 2 big countries are seriously considering war! Israel, on the other hand, just a minuscule strip of land, is pushed hard on why aren't they willing to part from 1/3 of their country, that is essential to their security and survival...
The Brits shouldn't be there in the first place, just like they shouldn't be in Gibraltar anymore. Other countries have given back their former colonies such as Macao or Hong Kong.
Then again, why does Argentina even care, it is such a huge country, why waste a single cent on those depressing little islands?! Just isolate them and sink any ship entering Argentinian waters from those islands
Given back? As if Portugal could stop China taking back Macao. They got pimp slapped by India when they tried to hold onto Goa.
Here's how I see it: the Falkland Islands are a British Overseas Territory, there are 14 of them around the world: Bermuda, Gibraltar, the Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands, St. Helena, Anguilla, the Turks & Caicos, etc. These places are British and they will remain British for as long as they want to be. Argentina, Obama, Clinton and whoever else supports the absurd Argentine claim can go f--k themselves.
In an independence referendum held in 1995 the people of Bermuda voted by 75% to remain British. In 2002 Gibraltar voted by 98% to remain British in a referendum over "shared sovereignty" between Spain and the UK.
The majority of the 60 or so "dependent territories" under British, US, French, Dutch, or Danish sovereignty are largely content with their present status and should be left alone by the United Nations.
In regards to defense:
1982
Royal Navy ~10 personnel
Royal Marines ~80 personnel
Falkland Islands Defense Force ~100 personnel - similar to our National Guard, a militia basically.
2012
British Army - about 500 personnel consisting of a rifle company, an engineer platoon, and various associated support units (medical, logistics, etc)
Royal Navy - 1-2 offshore patrol vessel(s), 1 frigate or destroyer, 1 Royal Fleet Auxiliary support ship, 1 nuclear submarine
Royal Air Force - 4 Typhoon fighters, 2 helicopters, a C130 transport plant, and a C130 configured as a reconnaissance/surveillance aircraft. There is also an airfield defense detachment from the RAF Regiment which also has AA missiles.
Falkland Islands Defense Force - modernized and updated along with the Bermuda Regiment and the Gibraltar Regiment in the 1990s to bring them up to par with the British Territorial Army.
Total: appx. 1,300 personnel
As the link shows, they have considerably more assets on hand now than they did back when. Argentina achieved pretty much complete surprise in 1982, and that won't happen again.
Not that Argentina is going to have another try in the real world. A beleaguered government is pointing to an external enemy, it's a very old trick. As for talks and compromises? Sorry, but that sort of niceties are out the window when you invade and then lose.
I think you're right. Is it an election year in Argentina? This is mostly just political rhetoric than actual saber rattling to shore up the government
I think you're right. Is it an election year in Argentina? This is mostly just political rhetoric than actual saber rattling to shore up the government
Exactly, the only time Spain babbles about Gib and the only time Argentina babbles about the Falklands is during election year ... especially if the incumbent is in trouble popularity wise.
Exactly, the only time Spain babbles about Gib and the only time Argentina babbles about the Falklands is during election year ... especially if the incumbent is in trouble popularity wise.
That's what I thought. As one of those "oppressed colonials" myself, if Spain or the UN started going on about my status as a Puerto Rican born American as being oppressed and colonialized, I'd tell them to shove it. This whole free-the-colonies thing is so stupid, and the vast majority of people in my situation choose to stay with the current holding country just like most Falkanders, Gibraltans, Puerto Ricans, etc., choose to stay with the country that has jurisdiction over us
That's what I thought. As one of those "oppressed colonials" myself, if Spain or the UN started going on about my status as a Puerto Rican born American as being oppressed and colonialized, I'd tell them to shove it. This whole free-the-colonies thing is so stupid, and the vast majority of people in my situation choose to stay with the current holding country just like most Falkanders, Gibraltans, Puerto Ricans, etc., choose to stay with the country that has jurisdiction over us
What makes it even more absurd is that this "UN Decolonization Committee" is made up of the countries like Syria, Venezuela, and Cuba. What right to THEY have to dictate things to Bermuda, Puerto Rico or Aruba? NONE. Let the people of these places choose what they want ... and if they choose to remain a "dependent territory" then accept it and move on. The fact that Cuba thinks it should advise Puerto Rico on it's own affairs is downright insulting to me.
90% of Puerto Ricans wish to remain under US sovereignty either with some variation of the current territorial Commonwealth status or as a full state of the United States. It's time that the United Nations accepts this. A recent poll by the University of Guam found that 95% of the 5,000 Guamanians they polled said that they would never support Guam becoming independent from the United States. Again most Guamanians are split between Guam becoming a state and Guam becoming a territorial commonwealth similar to Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands.
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