Falklands : Are the UK Government Really Concerned About Falklands Security?
Submitted by Falkland Islands News Network (Juanita Brock) 06.03.2006 (Article Archived on 20.03.2006)
The BBC's Dee Palmer confirms what FINN wrote in an editorial last week.
ARE THE UK GOVERNMENT REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT FALKLANDS SECURITY?
A Report for BBC World Service “Calling the Falklands by Dee Palmer (DP) 03/03/06
Last weekend two British papers, The Sunday Express and Scotland on Sunday published long articles saying that the UK Government is concerned about Argentina’s Military capabilities and claiming that the security of the Falklands is at risk. I (DP) spoke to the BBC’s correspondent in Buenos Aires, Daniel Schweinler (DS) and asked him if the Argentine press have commented on these reports.
DS: The issue of the Falklands, although it’s not high on the agenda here and hasn’t been for some time, is never far below the surface in people’s consciousness. I think there’s always interest when the subject is mentioned in the British Parliament or in the British media, it’s always reported in the Argentine press. So, the newspaper, Clarin carried a substantial story, as it did when the JOHN CHEEK fishing boat was detained a few days ago.
DP: So, what sort of attitude were they taking on the British press stories?
DS: I think, in general, it was a straight report. If anything, I noted a tone of incredulity in the article. That’s because they pointed out that most of the incidents highlighted in the British press reports were simply not true. They talked about the relationship between Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Nestor Kershner of Argentina being especially strong. I think they made the point that relations were good as they hoped all relations between Governments in Latin America should be but perhaps no stronger than with any other Government in the region. There is also the point about Argentina perhaps having the biggest Military forces in Latin America are simply not true. Brazil obviously has a bigger force and Colombia, no doubt, has a bigger force.
DP: so in Clarin, the story is more why the British press are reporting things in this way.
DS: I would say that’s certainly the case. I think they see that as their duty. They checked all the facts with phone calls to the relevant Defence Ministers in Britain and in Argentina. But I think, if anything, there is a note of incredulity, certainly in the Clarin article about those reports being carried on the British press and really showing some surprise at the very fact that the British media would have covered those stories.
(100X Monitoring and Transcription Service)
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