Falklands War 2: The reboot

[ECA]

With our forces stretched thin and underfunded it's time for the Argentinians to get their funk on.

Will labour bother fighting for it if it happens soon, will David cameblair bother either?

 

[rynnor]

With our forces stretched thin and underfunded it's time for the Argentinians to get their funk on.

Will labour bother fighting for it if it happens soon, will David cameblair bother either?

I dont think the Argentinians could afford a war for a rock right now - plus theres still a Garrison there of UK troops and we have been fighting wars since the falklands whilst the Argies would all be green troops.

They took it the first time because it was un-defended.

 

[ECA]

I dont think the Argentinians could afford a war for a rock right now - plus theres still a Garrison there of UK troops and we have been fighting wars since the falklands whilst the Argies would all be green troops.

They took it the first time because it was un-defended.

We have 500 people there and an airfield, the Argentinians have domestic issues and it's an easy way to divert attention from domestic problems.

Plus there are an estimated 60 billion barrels of oil near it that is now in dispute.

 

[throdgrain]

They have two hopes of that mate, and one of em is Bob

 

[Furr]

Also helps that, albeit sadly and although stretched out thinner than rice paper, that out military is very much battle hardened at the moment. Also that a US owned oil exploration ship only arrived there within the last couple weeks has increased tension, although any aggression that would force the UK to take its eye of Afghanistan would no doubt see the US get mighty pissed off at Argentina.

 

[rynnor]

We have 500 people there and an airfield, the Argentinians have domestic issues and it's an easy way to divert attention from domestic problems.

Plus there are an estimated 60 billion barrels of oil near it that is now in dispute.

500 people with good defenses would probably mean at least a thousand dead Argentinians to take it if not a lot more - you reckon they have the stomach for that many dead?

This is ignoring the fact that they'd have to neutralise the air assets first or their troop ships would never get within a hundred miles.

We also dont know how close a british sub might be to the area...

 

[Mabs]

Also helps that, albeit sadly and although stretched out thinner than rice paper, that out military is very much battle hardened at the moment. Also that a US owned oil exploration ship only arrived there within the last couple weeks has increased tension, although any aggression that would force the UK to take its eye of Afghanistan would no doubt see the US get mighty pissed off at Argentina.

my thoughts exactly

they go for us, we withdraw troops from afghan/iraq, usa has kittens

 

[Zenith.UK]

Thing is that US would back a UK decision to redploy troops in the event of an attack on the Falklands.
The watchword is OIL.

It was defended because of sovreignty last time. This time it's about oil as well.

 

[Zenith]

Now, the reason for UK having troops and claiming the Falklands as their own is one of the things I have never fucking understood. A lame thing to go to war for id say....

 

[Gumbo]

Now, the reason for UK having troops and claiming the Falklands as their own is one of the things I have never fucking understood. A lame thing to go to war for id say....

Oil.

 

[Furr]

There's an estimated 60 Billion Barrels of reasons we won't leave without a fight.

 

[Chilly]

and 60 billion reasons for the argies to get in there.

 

[00dave]

Falkland islands, been there done that

4 typhoons are now operating in the Falklands to replace the tornado f3s that I used to refuel . The Argies wouldn't stand a chance if they tried now.

 

[Moriath]

man you have a bad problem

you have a huge black hole for a head

how do you see ?

 

[00dave]

Your eyes can deceive you, don't trust them

 

[Moriath]

i have holes in my eyes when i look only at your face ... now im scared

 

[Mabs]

Now, the reason for UK having troops and claiming the Falklands as their own is one of the things I have never fucking understood. A lame thing to go to war for id say....

i believe its something to do with having a legal claim on part of antarctica, not 100% sure on details tho

 

[00dave]

It's because of the islanders, they don't want to be under Argie rule. They consider the Falkland islands their home not Britain but would rather we owned the place than the Argies. They are all a bit weird though, you'd have to be to want to live there.

 

[DaGaffer]

Now, the reason for UK having troops and claiming the Falklands as their own is one of the things I have never fucking understood. A lame thing to go to war for id say....

Unlike most former colonies, the Falklands were unoccupied before the British moved in. Argentina's historical claim is purely that, historical, they never had people on the ground so to speak (well, they did, but they weren't really Argentina at that point). Having said that, there's still a lot of feeling about "El Malvinas" in Argentina; when I was in Patagonia a few years back there were posters about the 25th Anniversary all over the place, and they certainly haven't changed their claim.

HM Goverment has always taken a line similar to Gibraltar; "if the people voted for it, we'd talk about a handover", knowing full well that's extremely unlikely. Whether Argentina could have a crack at taking the place again; I really doubt it; Argentinian military spending is the lowest its been for 20 years and is currently the lowest in the whole of South America, and while the British presence isn't exactly huge, and we no longer have the naval force projection capability to do a rerun of 1982, we probably wouldn't have to; their airforce is still flying the same Mirage Vs and Skyhawks they were back in '82; the Typhoons we have there could probably kill their entire air force on their own.

 

[00dave]

Unlike most former colonies, the Falklands were unoccupied before the British moved in.

Not strictly true, there were a number of colonies established on the island before the British. Apparantly there were 2 colonies on the island that weren't aware of each other at one point.

 

[Sparx]

Now, the reason for UK having troops and claiming the Falklands as their own is one of the things I have never fucking understood. A lame thing to go to war for id say....

its a tactical position, a drop off point to other places. Same as gibraltar was

 

[Ctuchik]

With our forces stretched thin and underfunded it's time for the Argentinians to get their funk on.

Will labour bother fighting for it if it happens soon, will David cameblair bother either?

if they did all the english football pro's would pack up and go home, so the general public would revolt

 

[Ch3tan]

if they did all the english football pro's would pack up and go home, so the general public would revolt

That makes no sense.

 

[SilverHood]

Curious that we were discussing this the other day:

Argentina grants itself power to blockade Falkland Islands
Argentina to blockade Falkland waters in dispute over oil rights - Times Online


Time to send some subs down there I think. Interfere with British Sovereignty and the British Navy interferes with you!

 

[rynnor]

Time to send some subs down there I think. Interfere with British Sovereignty and the British Navy interferes with you!

Hey if they attack the Falklands can we invade Argentina? Its a big place and its getting a bit crowded over here

 

[Sparx]

How about offering swapsies. Tell the Argies they can have Falklands and we will have Argentina

Then move all of them there and we turn it into a giant golf course

 

[Jupitus]

How about sending all of our prison inmates to live on the falklands. Then later they can get fat rich on oil profits and become rich crooks and buy some football teams or something.

Oh... and bomb the argies!

 

[Nate]

I wonder if we'll pull everyone out of Afghanistan to get them bastards! Lets do it! YEEAAHH!!! They are the biggest threat to our lives after all, plus they cheat.

 

[rynnor]

I wonder if we'll pull everyone out of Afghanistan to get them bastards! Lets do it! YEEAAHH!!! They are the biggest threat to our lives after all, plus they cheat.

It would be nice after all the IED's to be fighting a conventional war against an opponent whos technologically 50 years behind us...

 

[Ch3tan]

they'll use the hand of god and finish us Cheating gits.

On the bright side, if we did rule the Argies, would that mean we could pick Messi and Tevez for England?