It is no business of the DR and if they supported Argentina they would undo all the marketing the Dr has been working at to increase trade with Britain and the Commonwealth . All you have to do is have a referendum in the Falklands and it would be 99% in favour of staying with Britain .
Argentina has enough internalproblems without adding external problems ,,strange thing is that the two countries enjoy rugby and polo together and London is full of Argentiniians who are almost more british than the British

this is got to be the dumbest thing I've ever heard, DR stay out of their business, stick with Great Britain .

Those also lining up to lay claim: The French and Spanish. The US could remotely lay claim; it was an American, Col. David Jewett (a privateer) in 1820 claiming the islands for United Provinces of the River Plate (Argentina), because he was the captain of the ship that landed there.

The true reason why this claim is being stirred up is there is about 8 billion barrels of oil in the surrounding waters of the islands.

You can bet the foreign relations minister is buying DR support with promises of cheap oil for a poor country, a la Chavez.

Are we starting that sh*t AGAIN?....Wasn't one EXOCET missle enough?....what's it gonna take?

It is about time for the British to get the hell out of there. Look after your own problems you have in the UK. Too many parts in the world are under them, enough is enough, stay the fu... home!!

I think we should support the Argentinian for a diplomatic solution. the UK is right must of the people that live in the Falkland are British and want to remain British citizen.

but it is also true, that Argentinian were evicted from the island by the Brits in 1833, San Martin also declare these island to be parts of the river plate republic.

UK keep the island and give Argentinean oil exploration right, that is what this whole mess is all about

once again, Leonel is showing his simplistic understanding of how the real world works. a war was fought over this issue, and Argentina took a shellacking. decades later, they now choose to revisit this matter, through diplomatic channels. as readers have rightfully noted, a referendum would show that the islanders would prefer British rule. Leo fails to understand one simple matter....FIGURES. that means, in simple parlance, that Argentina sends a few dozen tourists here , each year. Britain probably sends us more each day. start a contretemps with them, and Thomas Cook, and Thompson Fly, and others like them, will take their business elsewhere. the tourism reviewers, who are largely english oriented, will tar and feather the Dominican product. that is how things work, in an adult world, and not in the mind of some first year college idealist.

This has to be the dumbest "Benedict Arnold" type quote I have ever heard here, thanks Ateo...

"this is got to be the dumbest thing I've ever heard, DR stay out of their business, stick with Great Britain"

Ofcourse we should side with Argentina in this dispute.

What all this is about is oil there are more sheep than people and if it was such a great place why isn't it over populated ? Answer cold, wet barren island suitable for sheep. Argentina could retake the islands with force but then what ? NATO or the US would be obligated to get involved and all hell would break loose. Hugo would send his ships and planes to support the fight against the colonials and round and round we go. The British do not have the war ships nor aircraft carrier needed fight back but. Then it would be a war waged by missile firing submarines and ships far out to the Atlantic targeting the mainland. Commercial shipping would cease and everyone would lose. Make a deal to continue to fly the British flag and form a company with the two countries to look for the oil.

Lopez, philosophically, you might be right, from an ideological standpoint. however, from the practical side, it might be counterintuitive. it is incumbent on the leader of a country to temper his, or her, public statements and positions with practical good sense, and not play a hand which might jeopardize the fortunes of his or her state. this is not unlike siding with Taiwan in the tiff with mainland China. practicality demands otherwise. even though your sentiments may lie on one side, at times, the nature of your state in life demands that you might have to compromise your personal views for the betterment of your citizens.

" practicality demands otherwise. even though your sentiments may lie on one side, at times, the nature of your state in life demands that you might have to compromise your personal views for the betterment of your citizens."

Unfortunately, I'll have to agree on this one, Dread.
I remember the Falklands' war and rooted for the Argentines. Ideologically, I feel, it's Argentina's territory, and we should support their claim. I wish we could, though, without the assured repercussions.

That was beautiful Dread, I like the part when you said "the nature of your state in life demands that you might have to compromise your personal views for the betterment of your citizens."

thank you, RobertoJose. and RonEvane, what do you mean by this?

Unfortunately, I'll have to agree on this one, Dread.

is it a bad thing to agree with old man Dread, on occasion?

"is it a bad thing to agree with old man Dread, on occasion?"

Well, Yes and no. We rarely agree on anything, which makes for a good debate and a learning experience for me.

What I meant, though, is that if we were not assure of a backlash by the Brits, I would wholeheartedly support the Argentines; people whom I admire greatly.

Argentina trying to use a 200 year old claim to an inhospital territory to leverage of oil rights. DR should stay out of this. Sovereignty should be decided by the local population. Another conflict Is not worth the risk to humanity.

Well, Yes and no. We rarely agree on anything, which makes for a good debate and a learning experience for me.

RonEvane, i learn a lot from you too. if i keep discussing things with you, in the same atmosphere, i might even learn to be humble, like you are.

RonEvane says

What I meant, though, is that if we were not assure of a backlash by the Brits, I would wholeheartedly support the Argentines; people whom I admire greatly.

we might not be sure they would retaliate, but is it worth taking the risk? what do we gain by publicly supporting Argentina? what do we stand to lose? it is called Cost/ Benefit analysis.

The people living in the Falklands are British, this has been the case for nearly 200 years, they have said over and over again, they do not want to be part of Argentina.
The actual people of Argentina get on well with Britain and its people. Yes it is all about money power and oil......
No more wars and needless deaths of the people of either country. Neither want it!

This is being discussed on this site;
dreamteamdownloads1.com

I think there are enough wars going on the world today.
I doubt Leonel will get involved, he has too much investment and tourists coming in from Britain.

This is just what we need to come along with the last scandal by the Brittish Embassy of brittian company leaving the country because they didn't wanted to pay off some corrupt politicians. I support Argentina in this matter.

All countries in the Americas, except USA, "supported" Argentina in la guerra de Las Malvinas in 80's.

Y no le sirvio de na'.... se van a joder otra vez!

( ';' )

Any country could depend on us supporting them. We are the "Lambones del Mundo" because of our "Grass is greener on the other side" syndrome.

Then Malvinas Island is part of Argentina..Imperialism of 200 years ago isnt over yet ? The UK try to own a territory in front of Argentina?
Like somebody stealing samana Bay or Tortuga island?
Come on..!
Support our fellows latinamerican brothers, like we would be expecting if somebody do the same to us...

Latinamerica belongs to us.. latinamericans!

Leo must have been absent the day they did history at his primary school. He may impress the Argentinians but not most of the world, including the Falkland Islands inhabitants. Argentina's claim has almost no legitimacy whereas the UK claim is legitimate on many fronts. He will make a lot of enemies and won't get into Cristina's pants anyway.

ohhhvictor,
The Falkland Islands are not part of Latin America by definition. They speak English, not French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian or Rumanian.

Ron,
How does the fact you admire Argentinians, give them the right to British territory?
I admire the Americans so I think they should claim Hispaniola. It seems most Dominicans want to be Americans if given the chance.

ohhhvictor, just what makes the Falklands a part of Latin America?

I was in LAS ISLAS DE MALVINAS 3 yrs ago and it is not like you say Roy they also speak Spanish fluently as well as English and French.
Lots of people don't know that it also was inhabited by the French and the Spaniards before the
3rd Empire England took over and got rid of all the Argentinians Inhabitants .
You have a strong garrison of British soldiers in the Archipielago 3 to 1 the civilians. So it is an
Army post more so now than before. The British say that the people want them there. Most likely
they are saying their military personnel want them there .
We have to also remember that in 1980 Britain had a good friend name Pinochett ex-dictator of Chile,now they have no one.Uruguay was the first to declined British/malvinas flag coming into port followed by Argentina,Brazil,Chile and finaly Venezuela.
Where is the so call' MONRROE DOCTRINE'that stipulates America for the Americans ,to keep the colonialist out of the western hemisphere.

"How does the fact you admire Argentinians, give them the right to British territory?"

British territory? by whose decree? Las Malvinas were sovereign Argentinian territory way before the Brits took possession by default. They settled in on an mostly uninhabited islands which the Argents were too weak militarily to defend, back then.
The same scenario with Texas being part of Mexico and most of today's southwest, US.
The Brits were a mighty naval power to contend with and one not to be challenged. They still are...alas!

I think it is about time the Bitish change their pro-colonial strategy to a more friendly status and business like people, they have always been . The UN voted in favor of Argentina in spite of the UK
having an extra post at the UN that is not warranted and it is call North Irland that is a colony.It would be like PR having a post at the UN backed up by the USA. All this is a joke and favoring
sertain groups of nhations.
Why all of the sudden Princess cruise is not allowed to enter the FALKLAND,MALVINAS,by a UK
mandate? This people make a living from tourists as well sheeps. Some diplomats he British ?
Sending an atomic driven cruises with missioles to a country that don't even have them followed by an atomic sub and the Prince of Weals. Just like his uncle 30 yrs ago.Is England looking for
war instead of by peacefull negotiation. If that is the case those countries that are all left wigs will be calling for RUSSIAN precense. I don't say USA since they are family.

Sweetbabyj offers the best solution. By the way are the islands an independant nation or British territory?

If you followed the previously written dialogue you could see it is Argentinian's, stollen by the British emperialist in 1833. My question is where is the MONRROE DOCTRINE? unless it does not apply to the British since it was the mother country of the USA.

Thelmo,
Can you please point me to the UN resolution demanding British withdrawal from the Falkland Islands?

"United Nations Security Council Resolution 502 was a resolution adopted on 3 April 1982. After expressing its concern at the invasion of the Falkland Islands by the armed forces of Argentina, the Council demanded an immediate cessation of hostilities between Argentina and the United Kingdom and a complete withdrawal by Argentine forces. The Council also called on the governments of Argentina and the United Kingdom to seek a diplomatic solution to the situation and refrain from further military action.

The resolution, tabled by the British representative Anthony Parsons, was adopted by 10 votes to 1 against (Panama) and four abstentions (China, Poland, Spain and the Soviet Union)."

"Resolution 502, which was in the United Kingdom's favour, gave the UK the option to invoke Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, allowing it to claim the right of self-defence. It was supported by members of the Commonwealth, and by the European Economic Community, which later imposed sanctions on Argentina"

Guys i think i have the solution to this issue,they should create an independent commission to study this mater. And they should report with 6 months to a year the outcome of this commission.Then this recommendations should be adopted by both nations Uk and Argentina. They should adopt a model for the Malvinas(Falkland Islands) like the Portuguese and the Chinese and the British did in Macau. I think something of this sort would work very well without each party owning the Islands right-out.

plinio75
1) There is no issue, the Falkland Islands is sovereign British territory and has been for most of its history.
2) Argentina would not agree to any commission finding, since Britain suggested taking it to the International court and Argentina refused.
3) Argentina also refused to recognize the UN resolution in favor of Britain.
4) The residents have virtually unanimously stated there desire to remain British.

What does Argentina want the Falkland Islands for other than offshore oil? They invaded in 1982 to distract the people from the failings of their military government. Nothing like a war to unite the nation against a common foe. However they underestimated the strength and resolve of the British Bulldog and the Iron Lady. Britain successfully defended her remote territory, despite enormous logistical difficulties due the location. On the other hand, Argentinian fighters and bombers could fly over and back in time for lunch and afternoon siesta. This victory was a great boost to British morale, at the expense of the Argentinian government. "Britannia still rules the waves."

Thelmo, so you support the Monroe Doctrine?
That means that no European country, including the sovereign state of The Vatican should meddle in the affairs New World countries. Hence it should be viewed as acts of aggression requiring U.S. intervention.
So Uncle Sam should declare war on the Holy See?
I'd like to see that!

Roystone:
The vatican was never an imperialist State country in the new world .On the cotrary what we are from Canada to Argentina is owed to the Vatican religious intrution if you may call it that.
To my knowlege the Vatican does not own a navy or conquering army or air force or HARRIS squadrons to take off from top of a US aircraft carrier.You are mixing apples and pears my friend.
The Holly sit is and has been since Christopher Columbus days a sort of gudance to the Western
World .
The Monrroe Doctrine was dictated by president Monrroe to keep the Imperialist and colonialist countries out of the western hemisphere such as Spain,France,Holland,Portugal and England, but i guess England was left out as a Colonialist Empire. He also created an African State name
Liberia whose capital is MONRROVIA,after him.The idea was to send all the Afro-American back to Africa and undo what his forefathers had done in the days of enslavement.

Thelmo,
The Vatican has always got others to do their dirty-work. Have you not heard of the Crusades, and the Nazis?

The Munroe Doctrine was not to keep Britain out of the New World - indeed it depended on it. It was to keep out the Holy Alliance, which in turn was formed to prevent revolutions from unseating their oppressive monarchies, and their partners in crime, the Cristian churches.

It was ultimately the support of Great Britain, (and her superior naval power) not the Monroe Doctrine, which protected the sovereignty of Latin America’s newly independent nations.

As for the Holy See's "guidance to the Western World", what an inhumane doctrine that has been, like the Dark Ages of Europe, presided over by the Catholic Church. In every country where the Catholic Church has power, crime and corruption is rife.

Roystone:
The vatican was never an imperialist State country in the new world .On the cotrary what we are from Canada to Argentina is owed to the Vatican religious intrution if you may call it that.
To my knowlege the Vatican does not own a navy or conquering army or air force or HARRIS squadrons to take off from top of a US aircraft carrier.You are mixing apples and pears my friend.
The Holly sit is and has been since Christopher Columbus days a sort of gudance to the Western
World .
The Monrroe Doctrine was dictated by president Monrroe to keep the Imperialist and colonialist countries out of the western hemisphere such as Spain,France,Holland,Portugal and England, but i guess England was left out as a Colonialist Empire. He also created an African State name
Liberia whose capital is MONRROVIA,after him.The idea was to send all the Afro-American back to Africa and undo what his forefathers had done in the days of enslavement.

After everything is said and done, the malvinas' (falkland islands) issue must be brought to the negotiating table. I wonder if Argentina would have had possession of northern island, i am sure that UK would have had the same arguments that the argentineans' have right at this time. By the way back in the eighteen century one individual because there was a law in the US,that stipulated that any individual that found guano a main substance found in caves. This american citizen found it in the saona island. After much back and forth and negotiations the DR government at the time took the US to the world court and that is how the saona island was return as patrimony of the DR.

plinio75,
What "World Court" was in operation in the 18th century?

I hate when other people are right, and I'm wrong!.
Still, I'm a biased, old fart and hope Las Malvinas are returned to Argentina, and the Brits get the Fwck out!

What one ass kicking wasn't good enough ? Well at least Castro, Hugo-a-go-go etc..etc.. will rally behind Argentina.

This set of events should be interesting.

Argentina is no more than a product of the Spanish empire so I don't think they have any more claim over the place than anyone else.

The people on the Falkland Islands want to remain British - that is what matters not what happened in 1833.

Perhaps Haiti should get the Dominican Republic back. Or the Americans can hand over their colonies - Hawaii, Puerto Rico etc.

wellRonEvans I think I may be older and I hope the disgusting Argentinians who have never inhabited the Falklands except as a miltary force for several months and were NEVER sovereign Argentinian territory try again and get the same medecine from the British ,,
Maybe you should look at what the Argentiinians did to Port Stanley in the few months that thry were there ,,defacting in all the rooms of public buildings, making huge dumps of rotten food and clothes in side streets and behaving like animals ,The people of the Falklands want nothing to do with Argentina ,,which shows their good sense ,
Why should the matter be brought to any negotiating table when the Argentinians have no llegitimate right to the Falklands and the people do not want them.
Have a look at the press in Buenos Aires ,,,they even think the President is a joke ,,,that we have in common

I can not believe I have read that Dreadlocks admires the Argentinians ,,,the country that produces the mass murders who throw drugged live people from aeroplanes into the ocean , that hounds people into public arenas and massacres them , that do not care for anyone else excpet them selves, who produced a pack of cowards in the last war that out numbered the British 13 to one and still ran up the white flag, that rubbished Port Stanley in less than 3 months, that have an economy that is far more corrupt than even juan b or josean could dream of ...and whom think of themselves as better than any other latin country ,,,No wonder they are the most unpopular country in south america

Dom leon:
If you are looking at it this way ,so can we say abot USA a product of the British Empire, there fore
all have a claim to it, after the independece.Nonsense!. Were you there in the Falklands? I was and the civilians are minority to the military garrison and their families 3 to 1. So the English Crown speaks for them. Crazy comparison as the DR going back to Haiti,after DR kicked them out if you read our history. As to PR ,Cuba,Philippines was a product of the Spanish Gringo war in 1898,and was kept as a spoil of war. In the Philippines was a matter of when the Japanese were going to drive the Europeans out,as they drove the Gringos out under Macarthur.
Plinio75:
Roy is right there were no international Courts in the 18th,19th century.The league of Nations in
the 1930,followed by Hayas in Holland then the UN 1946 and OAS.
Roy ;
Yes i have heard of the Crusaders on the 12th century on and the Nazis in 1930 on.I don't see the correlation with the Vatican.

Ricardiito:
I must agree with your last statement about the Argentineans been arrogants, no diferent from the British, but when it comes to solidarity ,they are still LA.
We are not tlaking about how to avoid wars by means of diplomacy (not British Diplomacy) War ships ahead of the diplomats. Those countries might not have the means of defending themselves but they have a leader name Fidel who is behind all these. This man outlived 10 US presidents and believe me it was not because he was dumb,but outshrewed them all behind the
Soviets. Stop to think Fidel is still in charge of Cuban internation affars and all those left wings countries. No diferent from Putin in RUSSIA he is still the leadder of Russians affairs.
If all this is about oil they should compromise and negotiate or call the Russians in to negotiate for them. The Russians lost an empire that was a burdden to them but did not lose their industrial might and have plenty of nuclear warheads.

I will admit the Argentinean's I've meet in the U.S are so full of themselves always correcting my Spanish claiming they speak the perfect Spanish, many will tell you their very proud of their European roots.

Many even claim they are the perfect race/people and have gone as far as telling me up-front darker people are inferior.

And to think this is the same country who helped harbour escaping/fleeing Nazi's war criminals after the 2nd world war.

Thelmo, you're pulling my leg - you've gotta be!
The Crusades were initiated by a number of Popes over time. Their soldiers were granted indulgences - free entry in to heaven regardless of their sins, if they died in the cause of the Catholic Church in its Crusades. Similar to the 72 virgins awaiting Muslim martyrs.

As for the Nazis, it was the Reichskonkordat (like this country's Concordat) and the support of the Vatican, that destroyed the German Catholic Party and gave Hitler the absolute majority to get the Enabling Act through the Reichstag giving him absolute, dictatorial power over Germany.

Regarding international diplomacy, you are forgetting the basic overriding principle -
"Might is right."

Roy :
I know you live in Australia and owe your allegance to the CROWN since Australia is part of the B/C/W ,but as a Dominican immigrant can not be blindfolded. Just like me immigrant to USA but the congress does not speak for me. I was a US active soldier for 3 years,1959-1962 and 3 yrs in the reserve from 1962-1965, a US citizen in 1965 , am going to die here but the newsmedia is not going to brain-wash me.
Roy ,Been immpartial.. There is talks of dismanteling the entire HARRIS fleet of plains and scrapping a flat-top by the present british administration,to reduce expenses by London.Retired
generals and admirals along with the Admiralty are in opposition.Their military expenditure is US $59,000 millions I think the administration is wrong specially when the British have no friends except the USA. I also heard they want to pull out of the EU that makes it even worst.
Please get back to me on that and let us forget "the falk-land,Malvinas"

riosm,
I have made similar observations. Those I met in Buenos Aires (admittedly not many) considered their city to be more European than South American - the "Paris of the New World". They were very critical of other Latinos, especially Brazilians, saying they are lazy and dishonest. Brazilians say Argentinians are arrogant and conceited. I guess they know better than me.

Of course they harbored Nazi War Criminals at the end of WW2 - its a Catholic country. And who issued their forged papers to enable them to escape the Allies in Europe? Yep, you guessed it - the Vatican. Any enemies of Communism (especially Nazis) were friends of the church.

You are both rifht Ricardito and Roy:
I was in Argentina and the ones i met are arrogants here as well as there. They think they are Italians ,not Spaniard decendents an speak one of the worst Spanish of Ibero_America.When
they tell me that i answer true you are not too far from Africa been Cecilians.
Roy .the Catholic church was just protecting the Jews in WW2 ,admit they could have done a hell of a lot better by expediting the visas towards LA via the vatican. Trujillo along expedited 500,000.
The proof is there in PTO PTA ,SOSUA. and the Zcheck armament industry at Sancristbal mainly
Hungarian Jews engineer and techs.
As for the vatican behind the crusaders it is also a fact ,but you have to go back in the 1200 when
they wanted to get the Hollyland away from the relatively young religion "the muslems"who had invaded it and all the western europeans went for in exchane for a place in heaven. Among them
was Miquel cervantes de Sabedras who came back minus R arm.

As you know Miguel cervantes de Sabedras had to learn to wright with the L hand been the Turks
used to send them all back minus R arm." El Manco de Lepanto" ,Lepanto been Turkish foothold and the worst dungeon in Turky .He was the Spanish Shakespeare,El quiXote de la mancha
.
Europe was in the dark age then ran by masters and sirfs and knights sort of slaves to them ,
Spain alone was sub-divided in multiple kingdoms as was England and France and Italy since the Roman Empire was disolved in 300ad and Muslem relegion became active in 700ad. Coming out of the dark age arouing 1400 ad. So 99% of Europe population was ignorant supertitious, Latin and Greek been the main language of the well to do shcolars,that is why you
find among the Italians and Spaniards lots of dialects non Latin roots .It was after the dark age that Latin based and Romance languages were absorved by each country.Such as Portuguese,Spanish,French, Italian, Rumanian.

Thelmo,
I'm happy to answer your question but I am not sure what you are asking.

As an Australian, I don't have (and I think most Australian's don't have) "allegiance" to the crown. Certainly QE2 is our ultimate head of state, and Britain is an ally, however the days when Australia would automatically declare war on any country that Britain does are over. QE2's role in the governance of Australia, as Queen of Australia, has nothing to do with Britain, or the British government, despite the fact she is also the Queen of Britain. It is not easy for outsiders to understand, but most Australians are not royalists, but republicans. However since we can't agree on how to elect a head of state, we are leaving it as it is. It has provided a stable, democratic government for our entire history. If it ain't broke, then don't fix it.