Falklands’ sovereignty debated
30 years after war, tensions up
LONDON — Britain on Monday marked the anniversary of Argentina’s invasion of the Falkland Islands amid renewed tensions over the South Atlantic archipelago that was the scene of intense fighting on sea, air and land 30 years ago.
A memorial service was held at the national war memorial in central England to remember the 255 British troops and three islanders who died in a conflict begun by the April 2, 1982, amphibious invasion by Argentina forces. A candle was lit and will be left burning for 74 days to mark the period the conflict lasted.
Argentina has been reasserting its claim to the islands, and President Cristina Fernández on Monday urged Britain to concede sovereignty of the islands amid protests in Buenos Aires.
“We don’t have war drums, nor do we wear military helmets. Our only helmets are those of construction workers, working for the inclusion of all,” she said at the Monument to the Fallen, honoring the 649 Argentines who died in the war.
The Falklands War became a test for relations be- tween the U.S. and Britain under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who asked for the backing of Western nations when she dispatched a fleet of more than 100 ships to retake the islands it had held since 1833.
President Reagan worried that the conflict would harm his attempts to combat the influence of the communist Soviet Union in Latin America. Even so, he acceded to Thatcher’s requests for military assistance, and the two leaders would become steadfast allies.
By the time the British fleet arrived, Argentina’s army was dug in and backed by fighter jets and naval forces. British jets aboard aircraft carriers engaged the fighters, and bombing runs struck island airfields.
The submarine HMS Conquerer sank the warship Belgrano, killing more than 300 Argentines. About 700 men were rescued from the frigid sea. An Argentine missile struck the HMS Sheffield, killing 20 crewmembers. British troops landed and fought their way to the islands’ capital, Stanley, which fell June 14.
Prime Minister David Cameron said Monday that Britain’s action amounted to “righting a profound wrong.” He said the United Kingdom is determined to uphold the right of the islanders, mostly sheep farmers, to decide their future.
Fernández said it was Argentines who were deprived of their liberty while living under British rule. She criticized Cameron’s refusal to negotiate the Falklands’ future and said she would “respect the interests of the islanders” as Argentina seeks to peacefully regain control.
The islanders have overwhelmingly said they want to remain British, but they are concerned for their future. “Thirty years and now we find it again. We are worried we are going to go through it all again, another invasion,” islander Mary Lou Agman said at a commemorative march in Stanley by the small Falkland Islands Defense Force.