Body & Soul3 mins ago
Falkland Islands
Is it time we relinquished these, and save the massive cost of defending them?
If the Argies attack again, we won't have the capability to oust them again.
If the Argies attack again, we won't have the capability to oust them again.
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We should have returned Las Malvinas to Argentina fifty years ago but no government has ever had the guts to do it. Now that we've been to war over the issue it's going to be harder than ever.
However, now that Gibraltar no longer has the strategic significance that it once had, we could make a start start by handing it back to Spain.
Chris
However, now that Gibraltar no longer has the strategic significance that it once had, we could make a start start by handing it back to Spain.
Chris
I spent some time in the Falkland islands before the war with Argentina. The inhabitants, all bar one family, were of British descent. They did not wish then and do not wish now to be under the control of Argentina. I would rather my taxes were spent defending the islanders than send aid to counties in Africa etc. who are run by corrupt govts. and who despise us anyway.
It has gone to the UN in the past and they ruled in our favour.
The Falklanders were offered , by Argentinia , land and large sums of money to move to Argentinia but only one of them took up the offer and he was half Argentinian anyway.
It is neither historically nor geologically a part of Argentina.
The Falklanders were offered , by Argentinia , land and large sums of money to move to Argentinia but only one of them took up the offer and he was half Argentinian anyway.
It is neither historically nor geologically a part of Argentina.
The Argies are licking their lips as we plan to be without aircraft carriers for a while.
Don't forget they attacked last time when Maggie made defence cuts, and pulled out a defence ship from the area.
Better to give it away now than lose face when it is taken. The population might fair better with an orderly handover (or relocation to Blighty) than in an invasion.
Don't forget they attacked last time when Maggie made defence cuts, and pulled out a defence ship from the area.
Better to give it away now than lose face when it is taken. The population might fair better with an orderly handover (or relocation to Blighty) than in an invasion.
Tigerlily, you're correct in the stated casus belli, but not in it's strategic importance.
An island in the middle of nowhere which most people, apart from some WW1 officianados, had heard of didn't figure highly in the national conciousness.
I hate Thatcher with a passion, but, even I don't think she was so cynical as to want a khaki election in order to maintain her power.
If you look it up, our presence in the Falklands gives us certain rights in the region to drill for oil.
Modeller I think there was an Argentine garrison on the island before we arrived, which we promptly routed, a long long time ago though, the facts on the ground (makes us sound a bit like Israel) make a hand over quite untenable, and that's before you exclude the war.
An island in the middle of nowhere which most people, apart from some WW1 officianados, had heard of didn't figure highly in the national conciousness.
I hate Thatcher with a passion, but, even I don't think she was so cynical as to want a khaki election in order to maintain her power.
If you look it up, our presence in the Falklands gives us certain rights in the region to drill for oil.
Modeller I think there was an Argentine garrison on the island before we arrived, which we promptly routed, a long long time ago though, the facts on the ground (makes us sound a bit like Israel) make a hand over quite untenable, and that's before you exclude the war.
You’d be surprised to know how much hardware and defence capability the UK has in the vicinity of the Falklands.
The Argentineans are most unlikely to invade the islands again for various reasons, not least of which there is little public support in that country to repeat the conflict of 1982.
The history of the islands is quite complicated but one thing can be said with certainty is that, apart from two brief spells in the 1830s (and the few weeks in 1982 when they took the islands by force) the islands have never enjoyed Argentinean sovereignty.
If the wishes of the inhabitants are anything to go by, as has been said, the islanders are almost unanimous in their desire to remain British. (They were granted full British citizenship in 1983).
I visited the Falklands in 1977 and still have some contacts with people who visit the islands en route to and from the Antarctic. It is a strange place but the people there are proud to be British and to force them to adopt a different nationality would be an absolute travesty.
The Argentineans are most unlikely to invade the islands again for various reasons, not least of which there is little public support in that country to repeat the conflict of 1982.
The history of the islands is quite complicated but one thing can be said with certainty is that, apart from two brief spells in the 1830s (and the few weeks in 1982 when they took the islands by force) the islands have never enjoyed Argentinean sovereignty.
If the wishes of the inhabitants are anything to go by, as has been said, the islanders are almost unanimous in their desire to remain British. (They were granted full British citizenship in 1983).
I visited the Falklands in 1977 and still have some contacts with people who visit the islands en route to and from the Antarctic. It is a strange place but the people there are proud to be British and to force them to adopt a different nationality would be an absolute travesty.
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