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The Falkland Islands put on a show of strength against Argentine aggression and outspoken left-wing Hollywood actor Sean Penn - with a mile-long convoy of 4x4s. Dozens of Union Flag-waving Falklanders snaked their way out of the capital Stanley yesterday afternoon in a patriotic blur of red, white and blue. The procession, which looked at times like a summer carnival parade, is unlikely to scare Argentina into not launching an attack on the dispute archipelago. It is also doubtful it will force Penn, who has consistently backed Argentina in recent days, to keep his mouth shut. But it does act...

Hollywood actor Sean Penn has criticised Prince William's deployment to the Falklands in a second attack on Britain in two days. Madonna's ex-husband was condemned as 'moronic' by Tory MP and former Army officer Patrick Mercer yesterday for claiming Britain's continuing hold on the Falklands was 'colonialist, ludicrous and archaic'. But the left-leaning actor showed he cannot keep his mouth shut over the islands by accusing the UK of 'insensitivity' for posting William to the disputed South Atlantic territory and labelling Britain a colonial dinosaur for the second day running.

Remember when Barack Obama promised to restore our standing with America’s allies and exercise “smart power� in diplomacy? Good times, good times. In the latest dispute over the Falkland Islands, Obama has failed to support our closest ally on the world stage even after their military and diplomatic support for our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, in what the Telegraph’s Nile Gardiner called another knife in the back: First, military weakness is provocative. Argentina ramped up its aggressive rhetoric and diplomatic efforts to reclaim the Falklands only after P.M. Cameron announced massive cuts to the Royal Navy and British ground...

Sean Penn has branded Britain 'colonialist' for its refusal to hand over the Falkland Islands to Argentina. The notoriously left-wing actor said that the UK was being 'ludicrous and archaic’ by believing it could hold on to what he called ‘the Malvinas Islands of Argentina’. Penn, who has no personal connection with the islands at all, added that diplomacy was needed to resolve the issue but that he was firmly on the side of the Argentinians. His comments will incense Britons, Falkland Islanders and the families of those who died in the war in the South Atlantic almost 30 years...

The Falkland Islands newspaper the Penguin News has triggered uproar on Argentinian social networks by calling President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner a *itch. The newspaper's website uploaded a photo of Fernández briefly using the insult as a file name on Wednesday, a day after she accused Britain of militarising the south Atlantic islands. (edit mine)

Back in April '82, a failing right-wing junta in Buenos Aires  -desperate for some populist appeal/diversion to quell domestic (economic) unrest- attempted to buoy public support through an ill-advised nationalistic military conquest. And it worked, for a while: not only was the planned invasion and occupation of the Falklands launched prematurely (for political reasons) with lightly-trained troops, the military government -under the command of General Leopoldo Galtieri- severely underestimated the steely resolve of PM Margret Thatcher in attacking what they refer to as the 'Malivinas', a small group of British-held islands 300 miles off the Argentine coast (then subsequently the inhospitable South Georgia Islands +840 miles further out to...

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina said it doesn't seek another war over the Falkland Islands, and accused Britain of militarizing their sovereignty dispute by announcing Tuesday that it is sending an advanced warship to the islands along with Prince William "in the uniform of a conquistador." The assignment of Prince William, a Royal Air Force helicopter pilot, for a six-week military mission in the Falklands in February and March has been a sore point for Argentina. It has sought to reclaim the South Atlantic archipelago that it calls the Malvinas Islands ever since Britain seized the islands some 180...

The UK Is Sending Its Most Advanced Warship To The Falklands Adam Taylor January 31, 2012The UK announced today that they would be sending their most advanced warship to the South Pacific, near the Falklands Islands. The announcement seems likely to inflame tensions with Argentina over the disputed Falklands, and may worsen the increasingly aggressive rhetoric from both sides, who went to war over the islands almost 30 years ago. The Telegraph reports that the HMS Dauntless is a Type 45 destroyer, worth over £1 billion ($1.57 billion), and is "the most advanced anti-aircraft and anti-ballistic ship in the world"....

Falklands’ conflict gunner meets Skyhawk pilot he shot down, at his home in Argentina A Royal Navy veteran from the Falklands War has completed an extraordinary journey to meet the Argentine pilot he thought he had shot down and killed during the 1982 conflict. Neil Wilkinson met his former enemy Mariano Velasco at his home in Argentina - and was welcomed inside with open arms. The emotional meeting - just weeks before the 30th anniversary of the moment they clashed in battle - was filmed for a BBC Inside Out Yorkshire and Lincolnshire documentary to be screened this week. Mr...

<p>Top secret papers are set to prove that the warship Belgrano was heading into the Falkland's exclusion zone when it was sunk, and not heading back to port as the Argentinians claimed.</p> <p>For decades debate and recrimination has raged over where the ship was heading when it was torpedoed by a Royal Navy submarine.</p>

War scares are running high in Great Britain, while the British Foreign Ministry is trying to cool down tensions with Argentina. At the same time Britain is attempting to demonstrate that it has no intention of abandoning the Falkland Islands claimed by Argentina. Prime Minister David Cameron, in his broadcast on Saturday, pledged to the Falklanders “We will always maintain our commitment to you on any question of sovereignty …Your right to self-determination is the cornerstone of our policy. We will never negotiate on the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands unless you, the Falkland Islanders, so wish. No democracy could...

Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, Argentina's president, is using her refusal to appoint an ambassador to Britain as demonstration of her hardline on the Falkland Islands, a key plank of her platform for election in October. Tensions over the sovereignty of the Falklands have increased since British companies began drilling for oil in the region just over a year ago. Argentina responded last August by abandoning plans to install a new ambassador in London and reports in Buenos Aires now indicate that none will be appointed this year. Political analysts said the decision suggested that President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner could...

Flashpoint Falklands: Britain dusts off war plans amid calls to send a nuclear submarine after Argentina joins forces with Brazil and Uruguay to blockade islands By Tim Shipman and Ian Drury Military chiefs are dusting off their plans for the defence of the Falklands after South American countries banned ships from the islands docking in their ports. Sources fear Prince William's six-month deployment to the South Atlantic as an air-sea rescue pilot next year could provoke more sabre-rattling. Yesterday Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner claimed Britain was ready to use its military to steal natural resources 'anywhere, anyhow'. She...

Nuclear submarine should be sent to Falklands to show British anger at boat ban decision A nuclear submarine should be sent to the Falkland Islands to illustrate Britain’s anger at a decision by South American countries to ban boats bearing the island's flag, the former head of the Royal Navy said. Lord West, the former the former First Sea Lord, said Britain should also undertake military exercises in response to the “aggressive” decision by the Mercosur bloc to close ports to ships flying the “illegal” flag. The Foreign Office also condemned the decision by the bloc, which includes Argentina, Brazil...

As senior Naval officers back First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope's criticisms of the ability of the Navy to fight in Libya, Commander John Muxworthy, who sailed to the Falklands with the Royal Navy Task Force, looks at the ignominious end of a symbol of the once-mighty British fleet. The image is a poignant symbol of Britain’s rapid decline as a maritime power. With her metallic carcass exposed, the once mighty aircraft carrier HMS Invincible languishes in a Turkish port, being broken up for scrap. The ship was once the pride of the Royal Navy, a hero of the...

And not for the first time, either. In part of Barack Obama’s “smart power� diplomacy that he promised would restore our standing with American allies, the Obama administration sided with Argentina in demanding that the UK open negotiations over the status of the Falkland Islands, joining such stalwart American allies as Nicaragua and Venezuela. The OAS declaration even uses the Argentinian name for the islands, a particular insult, as Nile Gardiner notes: President Obama was effusive in his praise for the Special Relationship when he visited London recently, but his administration continues to slap Britain in the face over the...

'A deep-rooted hatred of the British': How Israelis 'armed junta' in Falklands conflict Israel secretly provided arms and supplies to Argentina during the Falklands conflict, according to revelations in a new book. Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin had such a deep-rooted hatred of the British that the Jewish state covertly became the biggest supplier of military equipment to the Argentine military junta. Gas masks, radar alert systems, air-to-air missiles and fuel tanks for fighter bombers were sent from Tel Aviv to arm General Galtieri’s forces. The most audacious deal involved supplying 23 French-built fighter aircraft – Mirage IIICs – which...

According to a new law passed on March 16th in Argentina, oil and gas explorations are prohibited along the Argentine shelf in the Malvinas or Falkland islands without prior authorization from the national government. The law boosts fines and sanctions for all companies that are involved in the oil industry on those islands and has led to a diplomatic row with London over a prospective "black gold" bonanza. Last year the British company Desire Petroleum began drilling for oil in British controlled-waters at the South Atlantic, despite strong criticism from Argentine political leaders. The Foreign Office in this country has...

Royal Navy's Falklands ship turned away by Brazil The Royal Navy's Falkland Islands protection ship has been turned away from docking in Rio de Janeiro in an indication that Brazil's new government could back Argentine claims to the islands. By Robin Yapp, Sao Paulo Despite continuing tensions with Argentina over the Falkland Islands, the Navy had until now enjoyed cordial relations with its Brazilian equivalent. But last week, within days of the former left-wing guerilla Dilma Rousseff succeeding Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as Brazil's president, HMS Clyde was refused permission to stop in Rio. Miss Rousseff is due to...

BBC journalist Brian Hanrahan, is counted out at the age of 61 by Mark Jefferies, Daily Mirror 21/12/2010 HE counted them all out… and he counted them all back. And yesterday friends and colleagues were counting the loss of war reporter Brian Hanrahan – as a great bloke. The BBC stalwart, who made his name in the heat of battle in the Falklands, has died aged 61 after a short illness. He delivered his famous line about Harrier jump jets during the 1982 conflict to get round restrictions on revealing how many planes had taken part in any particular operation....

Let’s review the evidence. President Obama received from Gordon Brown a pen-holder made from the timbers of a Royal Navy anti-slavery vessel, and reciprocated with DVDs. He silkily downgraded the UK from “our closest ally” to “one of our allies”. He gave the Queen an iPod full of his own speeches. He used the Louisiana oil spill to attack an imaginary company called “British Petroleum” (it has been BP for the past decade, ever since the merger with Amoco gave it as many American as British shareholders). He sent a bust of Winston Churchill back to the British Embassy. He...

A group of former Royal Navy chiefs have urged the Government to reverse its decision to scrap the aircraft carrier Ark Royal and the fleet of Harrier jets. The commanders said the recently-announced defence cuts would leave the oil-rich Falkland Islands open to a fresh Argentinian attack 'from which British prestige...might never recover'. In a strongly worded letter to the Times signatories including former Navy boss Lord West, insisted the David Cameron was badly advised before agreeing to the measures.

The company said a test at its Sea Lion 1 well had produced consistent rates of more than 2,000 barrels of oil a day, as it had hoped. "Rockhopper is the first company to successfully flow oil to surface in Falkland Islands waters," Pierre Jungels, executive chairman, said. "We believe that Sea Lion is the largest fan sandstone body in the North Falkland Basin and, given this successful flow test, that the Sea Lion discovery will be commercially viable."

Prince William is battling to go to the Falkland Islands next year as an RAF search-and-rescue helicopter pilot. William, 28, finishes his training in the autumn and is due to travel to the Falklands for eight weeks next summer. But there is a huge question mark over whether Buckingham Palace will let him take up the post because Argentina is pressing its claim to the islands. A source told The Mail on Sunday: ‘He will try everything in his power to make sure he goes out there with the rest of RAF Valley in Anglesey. ‘He has Royal engagements and...

David Cameron is set to restate "robustly" Britain's sovereignty over the Falkland Islands in unscheduled talks with the Argentine president at the G20 gathering of world leaders. British sources said the Prime Minister would starkly turn down a fresh request from Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner for talks on the issue as tensions rose once again between the two nations. Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner Mr Cameron was expected to make his point to Ms Kirchner either during an official leaders' dinner at the Toronto summit last night or at some point in the "margins" of official discussions on Sunday....

The special relationship is over. We gave America years of unwavering support after September 11. And now we see how Barack Obama’s administration repays us. First, Obama declared that America was “neutral” over the sovereignty of the Falklands, ignoring the clear wishes of the islands’ population. And, second, his Assistant Secretary of State, Philip Crowley, snubbed Britain by failing to use their proper name and instead calling them the “Malvinas”. I don’t know where Obama learned about diplomacy, but his stinks. I’m normally pro-American, but Mr Obama’s seeming support for Argentinian aggressors, who have no legitimate claim over the Falklands,...

Suppose a foreign power sent a telegram to Mexico to encourage Mexico to invade the Southwest United States in a "reconquista" of its "lost territories." Would the United States regard that as a hostile act and perhaps even an act of war by said foreign power? This is not an academic question because the Zimmerman Telegram played a role in the United States' declaration of war on Germany in 1917. Unlike Barack Obama, however, Zimmerman did not go so far as to incite one country to attack another outright; he offered to finance a war by Mexico only if the...

BUENOS AIRES, - Argentina marked the anniversary of the 1982 Falklands war with a parade, and the country's president says Britain should turn over the islands . Argentina invaded the Falklands, claiming they were part of its sovereign territory, but a British counter-invasion defeated the Argentines, who lost 904 lives. President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner delivered a national address on the anniversary Friday from Ushuaia, which was the hub of the Argentine military operations during the 1982 conflict, The Times of London reported. Under Argentine law it is the capital of the region that encompasses the islands, which Argentina calls...

Almost 30 years after losing a war over the Falkland Islands, Argentina is once again warning Britain that it still wants back what it calls the Malvinas. Argentina is now angry over a British company's oil exploration off the windswept islands in what it considers its own South Atlantic backyard. Although nominally democratic, the unpopular Kirchner government in Buenos Aires has claimed that the sparsely settled islands are a symbolic matter of Spanish-speaking pride throughout Latin America — and is theirs because the islands once belonged to Spain in the 19th century. In response to all this, the Obama administration...

Last week’s appalling declaration by Washington that the US would remain neutral in the conflict between Britain and Argentina over the Falklands, has prompted this list of the ten biggest insults so far by the Obama administration against America’s closest friend and ally. For a government that pledged to “restore” America’s standing in the world, it is doing a spectacularly bad job, kowtowing to America’s enemies while consistently kicking her allies. Without a shadow of a doubt, Barack Obama has been the most anti-British president in modern American history. The Special Relationship has been significantly downgraded, and at times humiliated...

It is embarassing to be represented by an Administration that abandons its allies and embraces its enemies. Sadly, that is precisely what the Obama Administration does on a regular basis. Today, they demonstrated just how little they care about our strongest ally, Great Britain: Argentina was celebrating a diplomatic coup yesterday in its attempt to force Britain to accept talks on the future of the Falkland Islands, after a two-hour meeting in Buenos Aires between Hillary Clinton and President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. Responding to a request from Mrs Kirchner for “friendly mediation” between Britain and Argentina, Mrs Clinton, the...

In what is quickly becoming a recurring theme for the Obama Administration's foreign policy team, America is once again injuring our allies in an effort to comfort our enemies . . . or at least to comfort Socialist Evita wannabes like the President of Argentina, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. Perhaps our Secretary of State sees something familiar; the Kirchners are Argentina’s Clintons, lefties who wished to pass power from husband to wife. The background is simple. The British have solely possessed the Falkland Islands for more than 170 years. This has led the Argentinean government, when economic times are tough,...

UNITED NATIONS — It’s diplomatic déjà vu all over again. The long forgotten Falkland Islands, deep in the South Atlantic, have again regained the spotlight as Argentina presses its political case at the United Nations reviving its perennial political dispute with Britain. Argentina’s Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana met with Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to press for UN political involvement in the case. The Minister later told correspondents that the islands, which it calls Las Malvinas, are an integral part of Argentine territory. Tensions rose recently when British companies started drilling for oil in the nearby waters. Claiming sovereignty, Argentina’s military...

The transcript of Hillary Clinton’s press conference in Buenos Aires with Argentine President Kristina Kirchner last night, has just been released by the State Department, and it is a real eye-opener. Her remarks represent an astonishing propaganda coup for the Peronist regime in its dispute with Britain over the Falklands, with Washington brazenly backing its position. Here’s a snippet: QUESTION: (In Spanish) And for the Secretary, it’s about the Falklands. The – President Fernandez talked about possible friendly mediation. Would the U.S. be considered – would the U.S. (inaudible) consider some kind of mediation role between the UK and Argentina...

The Obama administration continued its “smart power” efforts with America’s closest ally by demanding that the UK negotiate with Argentina over the Falkland Islands. Hillary Clinton appeared with Argentina’s President Kristina Kirchner yesterday for a press conference in which she pushed for talks to settle the status of the islands — which the British already consider completely settled now. Nile Gardiner calls Hillary’s comments a “slap in the face” to the UK.

Margaret Thatcher forced François Mitterrand to give her the codes to disable Argentina's deadly French-made missiles during the Falklands war by threatening to launch a nuclear warhead against Buenos Aires, according to a book. Rendez-vous - the psychoanalysis of François Mitterrand, by Ali Magoudi, who met the late French president up to twice a week in secrecy at his Paris practice from 1982 to 1984, also reveals that Mr Mitterrand believed he would get his "revenge" by building a tunnel under the Channel which would forever destroy Britain's island status. (Excerpt)....

Professorial lefties have memorized a list of nations to like and dislike. Likes include Cuba, Sweden, China and Venezuela. Dislikes include America, Israel and the United Kingdom. In that respect, nothing about this story should surprise. The UK and the US share an indispensible relationship. We have fought alongside each other in two World Wars, and created an anchor for the West to rally around during the Cold War. Today we fight together in the Middle East. Sometimes the US President and UK Prime Minister have personally liked each other, such as Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher or FDR and...

THE Navy has intercepted an Argentine warship in our waters in the first head-to-head of the Falklands row. Destroyer HMS York spotted the vessel up to ten miles inside the disputed "oil zone" around the South Atlantic islands. York's crew monitored the progress of the Argie ship, a smaller corvette named ARA Drummond, before radioing her to change course. The Drummond came within just 65 miles of the islands before complying. She was sent packing with no further action taken. Sources insisted her crew made an "innocent navigational blunder" and were embarrassed. ARA Drummond ... 'navigational blunder' But the incident...

Thanks a lot, Mr. President. You insulted our Queen by giving her an iPod as if she were some primitive tribal leader wide eyed for magical technological totems. You treated our Prime Minister as if he were the boss of a small waste management company touting for a drain clearing contract in some Chicago precinct (I don’t like Gordon Brown but he is sending our young men and women to fight and sometimes die alongside your troops in Afghanistan). You also sent back a bust of one of our greatest heroes, Sir Winston Churchill, loaned to the White House since...

The Obama administration’s decision to remain neutral in the dispute between Great Britain and Argentina over the Falkland Islands is a shameful decision that will go down very badly across the Atlantic. As The Times has just reported, Washington has point blank refused to support British sovereignty over the Falklands, and is adopting a strictly neutral approach. In the words of a State Department spokesman: “We are aware not only of the current situation but also of the history, but our position remains one of neutrality. The US recognises de facto UK administration of the islands but takes no position...

It was a headline I never expected to read: “US refuses to endorse British sovereignty in Falklands oil dispute.” Washington has declined to back Britain in its dispute with Argentina over drilling rights in the waters surrounding the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands. President Obama’s position is one of strict neutrality, refusing to take sides. According to the State Department: We are aware not only of the current situation but also of the history, but our position remains one of neutrality. The US recognises de facto UK administration of the islands but takes no position on the...

February 25, 2010 US Refuses To Endorse British Sovereignty in Falklands Oil Dispute Giles Whittell and James Bone Washington refused to endorse British claims to sovereignty over the Falkland Islands yesterday as the diplomatic row over oil drilling in the South Atlantic intensified in London, Buenos Aires and at the UN. Despite Britain’s close alliance with the US, the Obama Administration is determined not to be drawn into the issue. It has also declined to back Britain’s claim that oil exploration near the islands is sanctioned by international law, saying that the dispute is strictly a bilateral issue. Argentina appealed...

President Hugo Chavez delivered a bizarre attack on the Queen when the firebrand Venezuelan leader demanded Britain return the Falkland Islands to Argentina.The outspoken Mr Chavez used his weekly television and radio show Alo Presidente to rally Latin America behind the cause of his Argentine counterpart Cristina Kirchner by making a direct appeal to Buckingham Palace. "Look, England, how long are you going to be in Las Malvinas? Queen of England, I'm talking to you," said Mr Chavez. "The time for empires are over, haven't you noticed? Return the Malvinas to the Argentine people." Still addressing the Queen, he went...

Falklands’ war tested modernized Super Etendard in Argentine Navy’s agenda The possible transfer to Argentina of a refurbished model of the French manufactured fighter-bomber Super Etendard, which had an outstanding performance during the 1982 Falkland Islands conflict, is under consideration by the French Ministry of Defence, reveals the French publication, Mer & Marine. The operation which includes giving the Argentines part of the sophisticated avionics of the Super Etendard Modernized (SEM) model would take place in 2015 when the French navy will de decommissioning their air fleet to be replaced by the new Rafale. However in the event of the...

It's the bitter truth: We couldn't send a task force to the Falklands today By Captain Michael Clapp 19th February 2010 We approached the Falklands in almost perfect conditions. The thick fog hid us from the prowling Argentine bombers. Unfortunately, our luck didn't last. The following morning, the clouds lifted, the sun came out - and we became sitting ducks. As Commander of the Amphibious Task Group, I had 5,000 troops and huge quantities of arms, ammunition and supplies to disembark in San Carlos Bay, an area that soon became known as 'Bomb Alley'. It didn't take long for the...

The Times has reported that Argentina “is taking control over all shipping between its coast and the Falkand Islands, effectively awarding itself the power to blockade the disputed territory.” As The Times notes, “According to a decree issued by President Kirchner, all ships sailing through the waters claimed by Argentina must hold a permit. The measure looks set to deepen a row over conflicting claims to oil beds lying inside the Falklands’ territorial waters… Today’s decree amounts to an Argentinian move to control all traffic from South America towards the islands, including an oil rig due to arrive today and...

Feb. 11 (Bloomberg) -- Argentina blocked a ship from leaving a Techint Group plant after it traveled to the Falkland Islands without government permission, the Argentine Foreign Office said. The ship, called Thor Leader, is docked in Techint’s Campana plant carrying a cargo of seamless pipes, the government office said yesterday in a statement. Techint, in a separate statement last night, confirmed that the ship is docked at the plant.

Weatherman Justin Chamberlain said the Islands had been under the influence of a highly unstable convective south/southwest air flow originating in Antarctica, keeping air temperatures below freezing. At times the wind was strong or gale force, leading to blizzard conditions and snowdrifts. The duration of the Antarctic showery feed was unusual, he said, due in part to an area of high pressure covering much of South America, which blocked the usual mobile westerly flow. Forty-three centimetres of snow were recorded, a new record at Mount Pleasant. It is comparable to July 2004, when a total of 33cm was recorded, and...

PRINCE William's military deployment to the Falkland Islands has reignited the row over the archipelago's sovereignty. "This circumstance only serves to once again highlight Britain's ongoing military presence in land and sea areas that are part of the Argentine Republic's national territories," an aide to Foreign Minister Jorge Taina said today. Argentina claims ownership of the islands it calls the Malvinas. Prince William will be sent to the Falklands by the Royal Air Force to serve as a search and rescue pilot for a period of three months, Britain's Daily Telegraph reports. He completes his 18-month RAF course later this...

The Falkland Islands are to be left without the protection of a British warship for the first time since the war with Argentina because the Royal Navy no longer has enough ships to meet all its commitments. HMS Northumberland has been pulled off Falkland duties because of Navy outstretch The frigate HMS Northumberland, which is armed with guided missiles, torpedoes and a Lynx helicopter, was due to be sent on patrol to the islands this month. But it will now be replaced by a Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) vessel not equipped for offensive combat operations. The controversial decision was forced...