Gillespie,
"It must be annoying for Argentinians who remember the Malvinas/Falklands conflict to arrive in Spain only to find Britain has another Island off the coast of Spain! Bet it makes them feel like occupying the Isle of White - mmmm that´s ok with me! "
Not at all my friend.... Argentina and Great Britain have enjoyed allways very good relationships..... actually, England invaded the city of Buenos Aires TWICE, in 1806 and 1807 being expelled by the local militia, TWICE ( generals Whitelocke and William Carr Beresford) let us be fair and say that this events took place in the frame of the war with the republican France ( who had invaded Spain then) but the thing was there.... and you know, perhaps this invasions were the events who sparked the Argentina revolution and the independence from Spain as a result, just a few years later... if we were cappable of defeating the mighty British Army, then we could very well be independent.
In 1833, the SIXTH consecutive Argentine governor, Mr Louis Vernet was forcibly removed by the HMS Clío from the Malvinas/Falklands, on "advise" fron captain Silas Duncan from the USS Lexington, who just happened to "intervene" bombarding from his ship the Argentine village in "defense" of unlicenced American seal hunters who were doing disasters in the area and thus placed in prisson...... the very same type of thing that horrifies all of us when watched on TV... since then, Argentina claimed actively everywhere, remember there was UN´s since only since 1945....for the claim of sovereingty over the Islands.... in 1968 an agreement for a "Lease back agreement" was dealt, but it was killed in the parliament by the FIC lobby..all under the "Decolonization plan of the UN"....... so perhaps the Argentine claim has validity in the eyes of part of the international community... and the "wishes" of the 1,800 inhabitants. (Not enough people to fill a movie theathre in Buenos Aires), are the clue of the conflict...... they have the key for the resolution of this conflict.... as the British government has heard at least twice the call to negotiate in the late 60´s.... I think that the key lays not in the wishes, but in the interests of the islanders..... and that was respected as the holy bread even during wartime..., remember...not a single victim, neither casualty... none, ZIP....
A pitty that such a noble cause was bastardized in the international eyes by a mentally retarded junta, which members were perhaps briliant individually ( as I met one of them) but as a whole they made all the bad decissions staining the name of the cause perhaps forever, once again in the international view.....
In 1982 that stupid and horrible "Junta" used the most sacred of the Argentine people´s cause, the recovery of the sovereignty over the Malvinas/Falklands to survive a bit more... at the end.... it was the last spade of dirt over their own grave...... And they were so, but so stupid of doing it just when Mr. ( not Mrs Thatcher) was in command of the FIC ( Falklands Islands Company)...
So, no sense of vindiction, no desire for other thing than friendly relationships with the UK, Argentina was there when it was needed, perhaps there were no troops, but thousand of Argentine/English fought with bravery agaisnt the NAZIs and in defense of Britain, but the corned beef arrived allways in time when most needed, the enourmous ammount owed then was "cancelled" receving surpluss military equipment and British owned railways.... and many debts were simply ·"forgotten"... among them 100 Gloster Meteor.... and100 Lincolns that nobody really needed and they ended up rusty and some in museums.... and almost a full fleet...
Anyway, I think that both countries will sooner or later will have to sit down and talk again, Britain has always been benefited of a good relationship with Argentina as well as Argentina has, and let us recognize that the futbol games are always to remember !! Altough, and it is the 2nd time I mention this on this forum, Rugby seems to be a trend now, specially since the last test match between the Lions and the Pumas at Twickenham, a couple of months ago? Did anybody see the game? Or were you all watching old chapters of "Red Dwarf"?
Cheers guys, I am convinced ( let me tell you I´ve read a lot about it during the last 25 years ) that "Las Malvinas son Argentinas", from the Jurudical, geographical and historical point of view, but civilizelly convinced and I would never start a war for them, but a nice discussion very well founded, yes ...... It is a question of time... Argentina must grow, develop even more and become atractive to Islanders eyes and in the meantime, gestures of goodwill, like the answer to ONE single diplomatic note on the matter would make everything easier for everyone..... The "cultural shock" would not be certainly harder than the one Hong Kong suffered...... I´ve recently been to H-K an so I know....
Last April the 2nd was the 25th anniversary of the recovery of the Malvinas/Falklands islands by Argentine forces..... there are many interesting articles in the papers these days regarding that, one specially controversial was published by "The Guardian", I only have tthe Spanish version but I am sure it is still online. It is worth mentioning it as perhaps it is a bit diluted in British minds but still there in the Argentime dreams.
Cheers and I do not understand how this "statement" appeared here !!!!
Juan.