Does Argentina have a legitimate claim to the Falkland Islands

[Trazor]

So trumped up the idea of using Vulcans to drop a single bomb on the runway.

It was an effective, we are coming message.

 

[IT Minion]

It was an effective, we are coming message.

Thankfully we now have email so no longer need Vulcan.

 

[EddieM]

Thankfully we now have email so no longer need Vulcan.

we had email in 1982, well some of us did.

 

[crystal ball]

It was the Royal Navy who fought the good fight which made it possible to land major Army units to fight the land battle. The RAF had earlier convinced the government in the early '80s that there was no further need for RN aircraft carriers during a Defence Review as the RAF could provide air cover to all navy units by land based RAF fighter/bombers.

If the Argies had waited just another few months, HMS Hermes would have been scrapped and HMS Invincible sold to Australia.

When Argies invaded April 1982, the RAF were then embarrassed by their inability to provide the promised cover, so trumped up the idea of using Vulcans to drop a single bomb on the runway.

Yes I remember, the Aussie chequebook was out and the pen poised, then Thatcher & co pulled out when they realised what was happening

 

[ellal]

Be careful what you wish for.
Under PR UKIP could of won 83 seats in the 2015 election.

You obviously haven't read my posts about PR and UKIP...

To reiterate quite right too that they would have had a valid representation in parliament, even if I personally hate their political stance...

But had they got proportional representation of their views, then we wouldn't have had the economical/social suicide that is brexit!

 

[ericmark]

It's not "ours" - it belongs to the islanders.
It's a British Overseas Territory.

In terms of occupation, the islands were discovered by an English ship.

No, French were there first to make a colony, on East Falkland in 1764. But the Portuguese were the first the map it before them, in the late 1600s.
Then the Brits came along in 1765, not realising the French were already on East Falkland, and colonised West Falkland.
The French left their island in in 1766 after the Spanish complained about them being in Spanish territory (Pacte de Famille) - the Spanish said it was there's as it was part of Argentina, but chose not to colonise it.
Then the Spanish arrived in force in 1770. But things settled.
Then we left it in 1776 as part of a political decision to withdraw from many small overseas settlements.
1780 the Spanish re-claimed all the islands.
Then the Spanish left in 1811, for similar reasons to Brits leaving, ie not wanting to stretch their military too much.
Following this, nobody lived there but American and British whalers and sealers used it as a place to rest up.
Then in 1813, a British ship called Isabella run aground, and the crew were forced to live on the islands.
Then it all gets more complicated with trade and all sorts .... the Americans claimed it for sealing rights, or something, then the Argentians / Spanish claimed took over and started using it as a penal colony. But the Spanish soldiers mutinied ... but the mutiny was stopped by the some French whalers.
Argentina still claimed it, so the British Navy took it back in 1833, and been there since...

So, Portuguese saw it first
French settled on it first
Then the Brits settled on a different bit.
Both Brits and French left
Then Spanish claimed it. Then left.
Then lots of messing about.

So, who owns it? Who knows?

I seem to remember reading this while on the Falklands, but it seems there are slightly different versions, one I read said the British found it and released cattle on it, so they could land and re-stock ships, but did not settle on it, then the French lost a battle in Canada, returned home to France and were told go an settle the Falklands, the British also settled around 4 months after the French on the East Falklands where French were on West Falklands Port Louis, when they found the British they kicked them off, and as a result the British send a task force to kick French off, and between French being kicked off and arriving home, the French gave the Falklands to the Spanish to appease them. When the Spanish gave the Argentine home rules it included the paperwork for Falklands, but neither the Spanish or Argentine had settled there.

The British set up a Naval base, and a guy I think called Lafone came to an agreement to provide the military with meat. And he farmed well ranched Lafonia, however the Argentine to try to get a claim on the Falklands made Lafone governor, when the British found out he was removed and told he could not return, so he started the Falkland Island Company so as not to loose his investment. This resulted in the Company controlling the Falklands, although one or two independent farms, only way to get produce to market was with the FIC, this ended not long after end of conflict.

But the FIC recruited mainly from Scotland, and nearly all the wool went to Bradford, before the conflict there was an increasing link with Argentine, but the conflict stopped that, so since not collages or universities on the Falklands on leaving school many children come to the UK to continue with schooling, so all but one I met either came from UK, or ancestors came from UK, or educated in UK or even if educated on the Falklands by UK teachers, in the summer they get shears from New Zealand, they do a tax run, 6 months Europe, 6 months Falkland and 6 months Europe returning to New Zealand without paying tax, so very strong connection with New Zealand.

But even a 90 year old woman I met who had never left the Falklands called the UK home. I was there for 4½ years, and was also in Hong Kong for 4 months, completely different, most the people in Hong Kong were Chinese, yes big British presence, but main language was Cantonese, in the Falklands it is English, may be one or two words from Spanish, countryside called the Camp for example, but English is really the only language spoken.

It is like saying Brittany use to be British we want it back, or Cornwell use to be Welsh it should be ruled from Cardiff. The Falklands is more English than Wales.

 

[Vinty]

The Argentinians have no more right to the Falklands than the Brits.
There was never any indigenous Argentinian presence on the Islands, the Islands are just large rocks in the Atlantic.
The British and the Argentinians fought a conventional war for possession of the Islands and in this case the Argies lost.

 

[ericmark]

The Argentinians have no more right to the Falklands than the Brits.
There was never any indigenous Argentinian presence on the Islands, the Islands are just large rocks in the Atlantic.
The British and the Argentinians fought a conventional war for possession of the Islands and in this case the Argies lost.

Have you lived there? I have.

 

[Notch7]

Have you lived there? I have.

What's it like?

Looks like God foresaken place to me

Just imagine if it had weather like the Caribbean

 

[JohnD]

I hear it's a good place to live if you like mutton and turnip stew.

 

[noseall]

I hear it's a good place to live if you like mutton and turnip stew.

If you can get Argentinian beef at the right money, I might consider a move...

 

[Dangee]

Where did you hear that from John?

 

[Bodd]

Have you lived there? I have.

Hello Eric... did you live Argentina or the Falklands

 

[transam]

Falklands

when that spat with Argentina kicked off Reagan had never heard of the place

The French supplied the Argentines with weapons yes exactly

Pinochet helped us out down there

 

[fillyboy]

Falklands

when that spat with Argentina kicked off Reagan had never heard of the place

The French supplied the Argentines with weapons yes exactly

Pinochet helped us out down there

And had a team help service them during the conflict. Nice.