Argentina fury at UK bid for Falkland seas

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Telegraph

Argentina fury at UK bid for Falkland seas
By Oliver Balch in Buenos Aires and Colin Freeman
Last Updated: 1:00am BST 23/09/2007



Argentina has reacted furiously to plans by Britain to lay claim to vast new tracts of potentially oil and gas-rich territories in the seas off the Falklands.

In a move likely to add new heat to the long-running diplomatic dispute, British officials are preparing to submit a bid to the United Nations to prove that thousands of extra square miles of the surrounding ocean floor are geographically part of the islands.

The claim follows a new approach in international law which holds that a nation's legitimately-held territory can extend up to 350 miles from its coast, if it can verify that it is part of the shoreline's underlying continental shelf.

In the case of the Falklands, that could extend the zone of British exploration rights on the seabed well beyond its existing 200-mile boundary, bringing it into direct conflict with Argentinian claims the other way.




Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/09/23/wfalk123.xml

[Judi Lynn]

1. UK in grab for Atlantic riches

September 23, 2007

UK in grab for Atlantic riches
Richard Brooks

Britain is preparing to lodge legal claims over tens of thousands of square miles of the Atlantic sea-bed, threatening to reignite the Falklands dispute with Argentina.

The claims, to be negotiated at the United Nations, would enable Britain to exploit oil and mineral reserves up to 350 miles from the coast of its territories.

The gathering struggle over the Atlantic follows the emergence earlier this year of a high-profile scramble for the sea-bed under the Arctic.

Last month, a Russian submarine raised a titanium flag on the sea-bed under the North Pole. Moscow has also taken out advertisements in western newspapers extolling its historic claims to the region.

More:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article2512365.ece

[Judi Lynn]

2. Britain said to lay claim to south Atlantic seabed

Britain said to lay claim to south Atlantic seabed
21 hours ago

LONDON (AFP) — Britain is seeking to legally annex stretches of the south Atlantic seabed in a bid to tap gas, mineral and oil wealth, in a move that could raise tension with Argentina, a newspaper reported Saturday.

It plans to file with the United Nations authorities a claim to tens of thousands of square miles of the Atlantic Ocean floor around the Falklands, Ascension Island and Rockall, The Guardian said.

In a bloody war 25 years ago, British forces expelled Argentine invasion forces from the Falkland Islands, which is 8,000 miles (13,000 kilometres) from Britain. Argentina claims the Falklands, or Malvinas, as their own.

The British government is trying to speed up the application process with the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (UNCLCS) ahead of an international deadline in May 2009, the newspaper said.

In a novel legal approach, any state can use detailed geological and geophysical surveys to demarcate a new "continental shelf outer limit" that can extend up to the 350 miles from its shoreline, The Guardian said.

More:
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hnXBDiDBqq1UU4PZUdPTRxFo6NrQ

[IndianaGreen]

3. It is time for Argentina to retake the Maldives (Falklands) islands

Britain is overstretched in Afghanistan and Iraq, her fleet a ghost from what it used to be, and there is no Maggie Thatcher at Number 10.

Argentina has more of a claim to the Falklands that Britain, plus Argentina is now a democracy. What a better time to stick it to an old colonial country like Britain, and one that cannot rely on the US because we are in a sorrier shape than them.

Go for the price! Take the Falklands! Bring the Labour government down!

[knight_of_the_star]

5. Couple things wrong with that

First, the British have held the territory since 1833, Argentina never really did enforce their claim all too effectively.

Second, a sizable majority of the inhabitants want to STAY British. How does that work that Argentina wants the islands but the islanders do not want to be Argentinians?

[JCMach1]

7. not to nitpick, but it's Malvinas

the Maldives are an independent island country in the Indian ocean.

[cali]

9. Maldives? You just demonstrated you know

nothing about what you're talking about. It's Malvinas, not Maldives.

And boy are they some distance apart.

Argentina has LESS of a claim at this point in time than Great Britain.

You're just spewing nonsense that fits in with your rigid idealogical pov.

[Odin2005]

12. But, but, Northern Europeans are always EVIL and WRONG donn't yah know?

:sarcasm:

Seriously, the only people that seem to side with Argentina on this are either ignorant or else are knee-jerk ideologues.

[Posteritatis]

15. You left out "both," seeing how they often/usually overlap.. (nt)

[FuJun]

20. Now as in the past...

"But, but, Northern Europeans are always EVIL and WRONG donn't yah know?
Posted by Odin2005"

When they are acting like imperialist thugs, yes they are evil and wrong. As for the inhabitants wanting to remain British, well, I think we have another case of people acting against their own self interests. With the wave of democratic socialism sweeping South America, I would say they will be much better off in the future as citizens of Argentina instead of a moribund, racist, coporatist, and morally bankrupt regime.

[closeupready]

21. Yeah, it's not like Northern Europeans ever raped the earth, and stole from the indigenous.

Nope, pure as snow, they and their history are. :eyes: Scuse me if I view this with a jaundiced eye.

[Odin2005]

23. The Falklands were uninhabited before Brits settled there IIRC.

And the past moral transgressions of the Europeans doesn't change the fact that the Falkland Islanders think of themselves as British and want to stay British.

[Odin2005]

11. The folks that live on the islands are British and want to stay British.

Democracy overrules claims of jingoistic Argentines.

[truebrit71]

14. We kicked those Argie bastards asses before, we'll do it again no worries..

...btw I think it is time for the Mexicans to re-take California, Arizona and Texas...:eyes:

[Nye Bevan]

16. What a disgusting post

Argentina should attack the Falklands? You want a preemptive war against a few thousand peaceful farmers and fishermen? Military and civilian casualties, children left fatherless, and property destroyed, all to "stick it to an old colonial country like Britain" and to "bring down" a democratically elected government?

Unbelievable. And highly ironic, given your signature line.

[Stella_Artois]

18. Its worse than we thought !?!!!

They want the Maldives as well ?

[derby378]

22. Should the Argentinians offer a brazillion dollars for the Maldives?

Sorry, man, but you walked right into it... :rofl:

[Dark]

4. Not this shit again! n/t

[Judi Lynn]

6. UK to Claim Atlantic Territory

Report: UK to Claim Atlantic Territory
8 hours ago

LONDON (AP) — Britain is preparing to claim tens of thousands of square miles of Atlantic seabed around some of the country's remote island possessions, a newspaper reported Saturday, including areas around the Falkland Islands.

The Guardian said Britain plans to exploit an international rule that allows countries to claim underwater territory as far away as 350 miles from its shoreline.

The claims include areas around the Falklands, some 8,000 miles from the British mainland; Ascension Island, a volcanic island in the middle of the Atlantic; and Rockall — a tiny, uninhabited rock 200 miles off the Scottish coast.

Preliminary talks on Rockall are due to be held next week in Iceland, Chris Carleton, the head of law of the sea division of Britain's Hydrographic Office, told The Guardian.

Carleton said the Falklands claim was the most likely to be contentious. The status of the British-run Falklands is hotly disputed by Argentina, which also claims sovereignty over the islands and fought a war over the territory in 1982. Relations have improved since, but Argentina still claims the Falklands as its own and recently pulled out of a 1995 agreement to explore for oil and gas in the region.
(snip/...)

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hc07wrb1dQI8Ihic8QW9Yg6W66ow

[T_i_B]

8. Well the Argies proved they couldn't be trusted with the place in 1982!

[Judi Lynn]

10. UK in grab for Atlantic riches

September 23, 2007

UK in grab for Atlantic riches
Richard Brooks

Britain is preparing to lodge legal claims over tens of thousands of square miles of the Atlantic sea-bed, threatening to reignite the Falklands dispute with Argentina.

The claims, to be negotiated at the United Nations, would enable Britain to exploit oil and mineral reserves up to 350 miles from the coast of its territories.

The gathering struggle over the Atlantic follows the emergence earlier this year of a high-profile scramble for the sea-bed under the Arctic.

Last month, a Russian submarine raised a titanium flag on the sea-bed under the North Pole. Moscow has also taken out advertisements in western newspapers extolling its historic claims to the region.

Its case is opposed by four other Arctic countries – Canada, America, Norway and Denmark through its sovereignty over Greenland.

More:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article2512365.ece

[Judi Lynn]

13. Short statement by Nestor Kirchner, who was imprisoned and tortured by the Argentinian junta:

It was a colonial victory, really unacceptable in the eyes of the world… I would like to say to Senora Thatcher that she may have won the battle because she belongs to a major power, but she never defeated us through the force of reason or justice… The islands are Argentine and by way of peace will again be Argentina's.

http://www.psywar.org/falklands.php

[Stella_Artois]

17. never defeated us through the force of reason or justice

Is this the same reason and justice that would have the inhabitants of the place forced to become Argentinian against their will ?

Since they are arguably the first and only permanent inhabitants of the place, would that make them the natives ?

And the Argentinian invaders the colonialists ?

[DemoTex]

19. Oil? So I guess that old saying about the Falkland War is wrong ..

The UK and Argentina waring over the Falklands: Two bald men fighting over a comb.

[Blue_Tires]

24. how about they set up a winner-take-all soccer match??

lol