Argentina asks UN to bring UK into talks

[-:Undertaker:-]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8533860.stm

Argentina has formally asked United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to bring the UK into talks over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands.

Argentine Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana said he had asked Mr Ban to help stop "further unilateral acts" by the UK. Mr Taiana was referring to the UK's decision to begin oil drilling under a seabed off the islands. The UK government says the islands have a "legitimate right" to develop an oil industry within their waters. In a statement, the UK Permanent Representative to the UN, Sir Mark Lyall Grant, said that the UK had "no doubt" over its sovereignty over the Falkland Islands. He said this position was "underpinned by the principle of self-determination as set out in the UN charter".

After the meeting with Mr Ban, Mr Taiana reiterated his government's belief that the islands, which it calls Las Malvinas, are part of Argentina's territory. He said he had asked the UN chief to press Britain to at least talk to his country about the dispute. The BBC's Matthew Price at the UN says that the dispute has as much to do with oil as it does with Argentine politics. With elections due next year, the government cannot be seen to be dropping the country's claim, especially if oil is found in large quantities, our correspondent says.

At the summit, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva urged the UN to debate Argentina's claim to sovereignty. "What is the geographic, the political or economic explanation for England [sic] to be in Las Malvinas?" he asked. "Could it be because England is a permanent member of the UN's Security Council [where] they can do everything and the others nothing?"

UK forces wrested back control of the Falkland Islands in the 1980s, held by Britain since 1833, after a seven-week war that killed 649 Argentine and 255 British service personnel.

Wheres Maggie when you need her?

Quite simple really, Brazil may be shouting around now but its desire to become a UN Security Council Member (Permanent) can easily be blocked by the United Kingdom so just threaten to do this. I'm sure if Brazil or Venuzeula had an island in the North Atlantic with their people on that they won control of hundreds of years ago they wouldn't be so eager to part with them. Talk if they want, but make it 100% clear that no deal or pact will be made under any grounds at all.

Thoughts?

[xxMATTGxx]

The Falklands should still be British until the world ends. The people are British and want to be British and the islands are ours! We should take military action if Argentina try and take them back off us for sure.


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Navy intercepts Argentinian warship near British waters

The Royal Navy has intercepted an Argentinian warship near British waters in an apparent escalation of the row over the Falkland Islands.

Destroyer HMS York spotted the vessel around ten miles inside the disputed “oil zone” around the South Atlantic islands. The British crew had to radio the Argentinian ship, a smaller corvette named ARA Drummond, to demand that it change its course. Sources told The Sun that the ship made an “innocent navigational blunder” and were embarrassed about the mistake.

It is believed that the Drummond was spotted sailing alongside a French fleet before it broke away and headed for the disputed zone.

Under international law, the 15 miles of sea surrounding the Falklands are officially British waters.

The ship was spotted around 65 miles from the islands, in an area of sea called the “conservation zone”.

It is in this zone that the oil exploration is taking place. It is not illegal for Argentinian ships to enter it but the incident has heightened tensions.

A spokesman for the MoD played down the incident, insisting that the radio communication had been “friendly”.

He said: “We can confirm that on 28 January this year during rough weather and at night, HMS YORK and an Argentine ship were operating in the same locality in international waters around 50 miles from Falkland Island Territorial Waters. After a friendly dialogue by radio they each continued with their own exercises.”

On Wednesday the MoD said that HMS York would remain the area around the islands. A British submarine has also been dispatched to the Falklands to patrol the area.

Argentina has since protested to the UN about the British oil exploration. Its foreign minister is due to meet Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/7313...sh-waters.html

Just noticed the date being 28th Jan but only hitting the media now? Why does it take so long. Anyway surely the last bit regarding a submarine is wrong. Not saying there isn't a submarine there but I thought they did not tell people where they were?

[Titch]

The Falklands should still be British until the world ends. The people are British and want to be British and the islands are ours! We should take military action if Argentina try and take them back off us for sure.


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Navy intercepts Argentinian warship near British waters



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/7313...sh-waters.html

Just noticed the date being 28th Jan but only hitting the media now? Why does it take so long. Anyway surely the last bit regarding a submarine is wrong. Not saying there isn't a submarine there but I thought they did not tell people where they were?

They will say one has been sent to the area, but thats all

Will be intresting to see how this plays out.

[alexxxxx]

it was never part of argentina in the first place. how come the south americans, afaik, aren't trying to 'take back' french guyana?

[Catzsy]

The Poll is extremely narrow and doesn't mention negoiation at all either directly or via the UN. It's not a black and white issue as the poll seems to suggest.

[Jordy]

By taking military action I mean we should up our presence on the islands and prevent it from being invaded rather than the alternative option of being invaded and then retaking. However I wouldn't be opposed to sending fighters near their airspace in order to show the UK's seriousness on the issue.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...Falklands.html (I would usually link to a more respectable news source but I'm struggling to find it elsewhere)

Looks like their Navy can't even navigate properly, quite an embarrassing blunder.

This is also quite an interesting read for all Brits who like Obama: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/ni...is-a-disgrace/

[alexxxxx]

By taking military action I mean we should up our presence on the islands and prevent it from being invaded rather than the alternative option of being invaded and then retaking. However I wouldn't be opposed to sending fighters near their airspace in order to show the UK's seriousness on the issue.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...Falklands.html (I would usually link to a more respectable news source but I'm struggling to find it elsewhere)

Looks like their Navy can't even navigate properly, quite an embarrassing blunder.

This is also quite an interesting read for all Brits who like Obama: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/ni...is-a-disgrace/

there's quite a lot of military already present. the americans are a joke.

[Jordy]

there's quite a lot of military already present. the americans are a joke.

I agree, we have 9,000 troops in Afghanistan. If we go to war over the Falklands we'll pull most of them out leaving them with lots more to do in Afghanistan. They also seem to appreciate our colonies quite a lot seeing as they have enormous Air Force bases on Ascension Island & Diego Garcia (Both similar to the Falklands in terms of size and belonging to us). They also have numerous USAF bases in the UK.

At the very least they should be putting diplomatic pressure on Argentina, otherwise I'd give the US the finger.

[-:Undertaker:-]

The Poll is extremely narrow and doesn't mention negoiation at all either directly or via the UN. It's not a black and white issue as the poll seems to suggest.

The poll is perfectly fine, the UN has not power or force to remove any Argentinian forces from the islands provided if they occupied the Falklands. You can talk and talk for months, but theres no way if they occupied it they would withdraw without some sort of a compromise from the United Kingdom - no compromises.

They know if they attack and occupy them islands, they are treading on the sovereignty of the United Kingdom and under international law we are perfectly entitled to capture our own territorial islands back. What is the point in having a military if we just talk, talk, talk to the Argentine tinpots?

[Suspective]

We have a large number of troops still based in the Falklands mainly taking part in training. If it comes to military action, we are prepared.