Wednesday 8 April 2015

BRITAIN AND THE FALKLAND / MALVINAS WAR - 33 YEARS LATER

BRITISH PRESENCE ON THE MALVINAS – FALKLAND ISLANDS IS PRIMARILY ABOUT FAST ACCESS TO THE ANTARCTICA, OIL EXTRACTION AND FISHERY INDUSTRY INTERESTS


Antarctica



February 2012, Geopolitical Analysis and Monitoring wrote: 

IT’S ABOUT  ANTARCTICA 


Recent warmongering over the MALVINAS - FALKLAND Islands between BRITAIN and ARGENTINA on the eve of the 30thanniversary of the FALKLAND –MALVINAS war are not about the defense of the Islanders and the rest of confrontational rhetoric’s BRITAIN uses to justify its recent actions. They are  about latest oil discoveries, fishing industry interests and to ensure a military stronghold on the SOUTHERN CONE in order to have quick access to the ANTARCTICA the minute the ANTARCTIC TREATY becomes void and a run for natural resource exploitation and extraction will result in quarrels’ between countries claiming territory on the continent. This will most likely lead to armed confrontations and thus BRITAIN, with its MALVINAS – FALKLAND base will have a military advantage to forcefully protect its national interests. 

Se trata de la ANTÁRTIDA

Recientes actitudes belicistas alrededor de  las Islas Malvinas  entre Gran Bretaña y ARGENTINA, en vísperas del 30 aniversario de la guerra de Malvinas, no tienen que ver con la defensa de los isleños y el resto de la retórica de Gran Bretaña de confrontación que utiliza para justificar sus acciones recientes. Se trata de  los descubrimientos de petróleo, los intereses de la industria pesquera y para asegurar un fuerte militar en el Cono Sur con el fin de tener acceso rápido a la Antártida el momento que el Tratado Antártico se convertirá en nulo y una carrerapara la explotación de los recursos naturales y la extracción resultará en guerra  "entre los paísesque reclaman el territorio en el continente. Esto conducirá muy probablemente a los enfrentamientos armados y por lo tanto, Gran Bretaña, con sus  bases en  MALVINAS  tendrá una ventaja militar para proteger a la fuerza sus intereses nacionales.

ANTARCTICA HOLDS 75% OF THE WORLD’S FRESH WATER RESERVES



It is free from pollution. It also has enormous amount of natural resources such as fresh water, flora and fauna, minerals, oil, coal etc. 

It is believed that ANTARCTIC continent have large deposits of minerals, oils (~45,000 million barrels and ~115 trillion cubic feet of gas) and coal (~11% of the world’s total). This can be ascertained by using sophisticated modern technique for resource assessment. As of now, mining is banned in ANTARCTICA. The member nations of ANTARCTIC TREATY (1959) have signed the treaty for non-exploitation of ANTARCTIC resources and helps in keeping the continent free of conflicts.
However, due to increasing human population and the need for resources in future, it is obvious that by the year 2040, ANTARCTICA will become the final target for various resources exploitation's.

ARE ANTARCTICA NATURAL RESOURCES WORTH THE QUARREL?



ANTARCTICA holds 75% of the world’s fresh water.
It is free from pollution. It also has enormous amount of natural resources such as fresh water, flora and fauna, minerals, oil, coal etc. 

It is believed that ANTARCTIC continent have large deposits of minerals, oils (~45,000 million barrels and ~115 trillion cubic feet of gas) and coal (~11% of the world’s total).This can be ascertained by using sophisticated modern technique for resource assessment. As of now, mining is banned in ANTARCTICA. The member nations of ANTARCTIC TREATY (1959) have signed the treaty for non-exploitation of ANTARCTIC resources and helps in keeping the continent free of conflicts.
However, due to increasing human population and the need for resources in future, it is obvious that by the year 2040, ANTARCTICA will become the final target for various resources exploitations.

Antártida contiene el 75% del agua dulce del mundoSe encuentra libre de contaminación.También cuenta con gran cantidad de recursos naturales como la flora y la faunaminerales, petróleo, carbón, etc.
Se cree que el continente antártico tiene grandes depósitos de minerales, combustibles (aproximadamente 45.000 millones de barriles y ~ 115 billones de pies cúbicos de gas) y carbón (~ 11% del total mundial). Esto se puede comprobar mediante el uso de la técnica moderna y sofisticada para la evaluación de los recursos. A partir de ahora, la minería está prohibida en la Antártida. Los países miembros del Tratado Antártico (1959) han firmado el tratado para la no explotación de los recursos antárticos, y ayuda a mantener el continente libre de conflictos.
Sin embargo, debido a la creciente población humana y la necesidad de recursos en el futuro, es obvio que para el año 2040, la Antártida se convierte en el objetivo final para la explotación de recursos diversos.

April 2015, Geopolitical Analysis and Monitoring wrote: 

UK SPIED INTENSELY ON ARGENTINA AND CONDUCTED PSYCHOLOGICAL OPERATIONS AND MISINFORMATION CAMPAIGNS FROM 2006 UP TO 2012

The BRITISH government carried out an extensive program of intelligence collection and psychological operations in ARGENTINA until 2011, because it was concerned about the security of the FALKLAND ISLANDS, according to newly leaked documents. In 1982, the two countries went to war over the islands, which are ruled by BRITAIN but are claimed by ARGENTINA. The 74-day conflict, which killed nearly 1,000 soldiers and civilians on both sides, ended in defeat for the ARGENTINIAN forces and solidified BRITISH authority in the SOUTH ATLANTIC territory. But ARGENTINA continues to dispute BRITAIN’S rule over the FALKLANDS, which it calls MALVINAS, and has repeatedly threatened to take them over.

Documents released last week by ARGENTINE online news portal TN.com, reveal that a consortium of BRITISH Intelligence units implemented a broad program of spying and propaganda operations against ARGENTINA. The program, codenamed Operation QUITO, lasted from 2006 to 2012, and was aimed at hampering perceived efforts by the ARGENTINE government to subvert BRITISH rule in the FALKLANDS.

Comment by Geopolitical Analysis and Monitoring:
Given the current state the ARGENTINE Military is in, it is most unlikely that ARGENTINA could seriously challenge British Armed Forces. The campaign allegedly initiated by the BRITISH, as mentioned in this article is much more about deliberate psychological operations and misinformation because ARGENTINA does not comply with the International Financial Institutions neo conservative doctrines and because ARGENTINA’S current restrictions on foreign natural resources extraction. The BRITISH Magazine “The Economist” is a typical example of such misinformation campaigns when it comes to reporting on ARGENTINIAN issues, this is when “The Economist” loses its credibility and simply turn’s bias and a far cry from renowned journalism. 

Read:

THE ECONOMIST, THE POODLE OF ANGLO SAXON FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND POLITICIANS?

BRITISH MEDIA OFFENSIVE

In reality British Military presences on the Falkland Islands is simply about fast access to the ANTARCTICA, oil extraction and fishery industry interests. 

(Seehttp://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com.ar/2015/04/britain-and-falkland-malvinas-war-33.html)


The news portal said it received the documents from EDWARD SNOWDEN, an AMERICAN former intelligence contractor who currently lives in RUSSIA under political asylum. According to TN.com, the secret program was implemented by the JOINT THREAT RESEARCH INTELLIGENCE GROUP (JTRIG, as reported by intelNews in February 2014). It is believed that JTRIG is an office operating under the command of the GOVERNMENT COMMUNICATIONS HEADQUARTERS (GCHQ), BRITAIN’S signals intelligence agency. Its focuses on psychological operations —known in BRITAIN as “effects operations”— which are aimed at discrediting their targets through sabotage and misinformation campaigns.

According to the newly released documents, JTRIG launched Operation QUITO as a “long-term, far reaching” program that included the interception of communications of ARGENTINE politicians, the planting of computer viruses on ARGENTINE networks and the spreading of misinformation or pro-BRITISH propaganda online. As of Sunday night there had been no official response to the news report from either the Argentine or the BRITISH governments.

BACKGROUND:

ARGENTINA’S foreign minister has accused the UK of deploying nuclear weapons near the disputed MALVINAS - FALKLAND Islands, militarizing the South Atlantic. Hector Timerman voiced the accusations as he lodged a formal protest with the UN. He said ARGENTINA had intelligence that BRITAIN had deployed a Vanguard class submarine in the area.
“Thus far the UK refuses to say whether it is true or not,” he told a journalists in New York. “Are there nuclear weapons or are there not? The information ARGENTINA has is that there are these nuclear weapons.”

Britain’s ambassador to the UN would not officially comment on disposition of BRITISH submarines, but called ARGENTINEAN allegations of UK’s militarization“manifestly absurd.” UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon said in a statement that he was concerned with the escalating row between ARGENTINA and BRITAIN over the MALVINAS - FALKLAND Islands. Earlier the BRITISH media reported that UK had deployed a Trafalgar-class nuclear-powered submarine armed only with conventional weapons to the region.

The tension between the two countries has surged in the run-up to the 30th anniversary of the MALVINAS - FALKLANDS War. Back in April 1982, ARGENTINA tried to take control of the islands, and claims as its rightful territory. BRITAIN repelled the attack with military force. More than 900 people were killed in the hostilities.

The current row has been brewing since at least 2010, when BRITISH companies started drilling for oil in the region. Argentina has put diplomatic and commercial pressure on the islands’ administration. Buenos Aires recently convinced LATIN AMERICAN countries no ban ships bearing the MALVINAS -FALKLAND Islands flag from their ports, troubling their supply logistics.






TESTS OF THE ANTARCTIC TREATY 

The ANTARCTIC TREATY set the base line for peace and security. But the treaty was necessary for a reason. Furthermore, the Treaty has undergone revision in order to maintain peace in an ever-evolving international environment.
The initial reason for an Antarctic Treaty was the overlapping claims of seven nations, BRITAIN, FRANCE, DENMARK, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, CHILE and ARGENTINA to ANTARCTICA. War was inevitable when three countries claimed the same slice of the continent. The unknown value of the territory made the grab for territory even more contentious.

The ANTARCTIC TREATY rectified this situation by refuting all territorial claims to ANTARCTICA. However, this possibility still remains. The seven nations, although all original signatories of the Treaty, still nominally claim their sovereign territories. Furthermore, the UNITED STATES and RUSSIA, should the treaty structure fail, reserve the right to acquire territory. Hence, the infrastructure that supports the Treaty, and the additions and allow it to remain flexible become even more important. 

The next test for ANTARCTIC came in 1988, when an addition to the Treaty was proposed to regulate mining in ANTARCTICA. It was believed that oil reserves, as well as natural gas may be trapped underneath the eternal tundra and ice that covers the continent. Plans were made to enforce "safe" mining techniques, and study the environmental impacts mining had on the rare ecosystem. 

International outrage over the proposal was so strong, that many governments began to change their minds over the initiative. FRANCE and AUSTRALIA began to echo calls from other nations to make ANTARCTIC a global park. Nations in the UN argued that the environmental problems that ANTARCTIC would face would eventually face the world. When the initiative came to a vote, it was defeated. Instead, the consultative nations of the ANTARCTIC TREATY decided on the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the ANTARCTIC TREATY, commonly known as the MADRID PROTOCOL, in 1990. The Protocol first and foremost establishes ANTARCTICA as a natural reserve. Furthermore, it prohibits mining, and establishes a system for getting new scientific research approved by the Secretariat for international approval. 

One perpetual problem the Treaty faces is exclusivity. The Treaty precludes from consultative status (or voting status) any nations that do not have an on-going scientific program in ANTARCTICA. Repeated calls in the General Assembly have yet to lead to an opening up of the treaty. Despite the allowance of the UNEP to observe, poorer nations are being secluded from decision making on ANTARCTIC based on their poverty. ANTARCTIC cannot become a "global park" unless the entire globe is allowed to participate. In short, since what happens in ANTARCTICA does not stay in ANTARCTICA, these nations feel it is imperative that they should be allowed a say in the decisions that ultimately affect everyone. It is this dispute that puts the most pressure on the framework of Antarctica, and prevents other areas from being designated as an international territory. 

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