The Falklands or the Malvinas Islands

The Falklands War, or the Guerra de las Malvinas, depending on which side you choose, began on April 2, 1982.  As the thirtieth anniversary of the war approaches, a war of worlds between the ex-combatants, the UK and Argentina, has escalated.  Argentina’s foreign minister, Hector Timerman, has accused the UK of sending a nuclear-armed submarine to the South Atlantic and has made an official complaint to the UN over the Falklands dispute.  As reported by the BBC, “Mr Timerman told a news conference at the UN in New York that the UK was “militarising the region”, repeating accusations made by Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner earlier this week.

“Argentina has information that, within the framework of the recent British deployment in the Falklands, they sent a nuclear submarine with the capacity to transport nuclear weapons to the South Atlantic,” Mr Timerman said.”

Britain’s ambassador to the UN, Sir Mark Lyall Grant said the government did “not comment on the disposition of nuclear weapons, submarines etc”. He branded the idea that the UK was “militarising” the region “manifestly absurd”.

“Before 1982 there was a minimal defence presence in the Falkland Islands,” he said. “It is only because Argentina illegally invaded the Falkland Islands in 1982 that since then we had to increase our defence posture. Nothing has changed in that defence posture.”

Earlier this month, Prince William arrived in the Falkland Islands. Argentina has described the arrival of the Duke of Cambridge as a “provocation” and called him a “conqueror.” The British have described the Prince’s six-week RAF tour of duty as merely “routine”.

Thansk to Alaric Bond for contributing articles to this post.