[bigmikeymike]

UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- Argentina said Friday it has information that Britain sent a nuclear-armed submarine to the South Atlantic near the disputed Falkland Islands in the latest verbal salvo in a dispute over the territory.

Argentina's Foreign Minister Hector Timerman told reporters at the United Nations that a submarine called the Vanguard with nuclear weapons was recently sent as part of Britain's deployment in the Falklands, which Argentina calls the Malvinas. HMS Vanguard is one of four British submarines armed with nuclear missiles.

"Argentina has information that within the framework of the recent British deployment in the Malvinas Islands they sent a nuclear submarine ... to transport nuclear weapons to the South Atlantic," said Timerman.

He said Argentina asked the United Kingdom through diplomatic channels if it had introduced nuclear weapons to the South Atlantic, but "thus far, the UK refuses to say whether it's true or not."

He said the deployment of nuclear arms in the region would violate the Treaty of Tlatelolco for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean, designed to create a nuclear-free zone in the region.

Britain's U.N. Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant said later at his own news conference responding to Timerman: "We do not comment on the disposition of nuclear weapons, submarines."

"I don't know how he knows about submarines," he added. "I certainly don't know. The whole point of nuclear submarines is that they go all around the world and you don't know where they are. That's why they're a deterrent."

As for the treaty, Lyall Grant said that there would be no violation as long as nuclear submarines stayed out of Argentine waters.

Argentina and Britain fought a war over the islands that killed more than 900 people in 1982. With the approach of the 30th anniversary of the start of that conflict, which began when Argentina invaded on April 2, tensions have risen between the countries over the status of the British overseas territory.

Argentina claims the islands they call Malvinas, as well as the British-held South Georgia and South Sandwich islands, farther off its coast. At stake are not only the islands themselves - where sheep far outnumber people - but rich fishing grounds and potential undersea gas and oil in the surrounding seas.

Timerman said Argentina accepted an offer from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to mediate with Britain. Lyall Grant said there's nothing to negotiate, because the Falklanders have now been there for nine generations and don't want change.

Britain's defense and foreign ministries on Friday also refused to discuss Timerman's claim about nuclear weapons, citing long-standing government policy not to comment on the deployment or movements of the country's submarines.

Britain's navy has 11 nuclear-powered submarines, seven armed with conventional weapons, including Tomahawk missiles, and four that carry Trident nuclear missiles, which can deliver warheads more than 4,000 miles (6,400 kilometers).

Last week, Britain's Daily Mail newspaper reported the U.K. had deployed a Trafalgar-class submarine, armed only with conventional weapons, to the South Atlantic.

"We are not looking to increase the rhetoric. We have not started a war of words." said Lyall Grant. "But clearly if there is an attempt to take an advantage of the 30th anniversary of the Falklands War, we will obviously defend our position and defend it robustly."

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez initially dispatched Timerman to formally complain to the U.N. Security Council that Britain has created a serious security risk by sending the destroyer HMS Dauntless, one of its most modern warships, to the region. Britain called it routine.

Timerman also met Friday with Togo's Ambassador Kodjo Menan, who holds the rotating U.N. Security Council presidency, and Cuban Ambassador Pedro Nunez Mosquera, who heads the U.N. Decolonization Committee.

----

Associated Press writers Edith Lederer David Stringer in London and Michael Warren in Buenos Aires contributed to this report.

[ices]

I like how the argies think we'll fall for their little trick.

They bang the tub and say they're up in arms and will take back the islands with force but in reality they want the British government to send some forces as a precautionary measure just in case they do.

If this were to happen they will then scream blue murder at the UN, rally the support of South America and basically call for military action on us.

Sneaky little argy bastards but unfortunately for them our military isn't a lame duck.

[spresley616]

Fucking stupid Argies, they have no claim to the island. We had claimed the island before their country even existed. The French and Spanish have more claim over the Falklands than they have.

[luton loyal]

Argentina u surrendered last time, so fuck off, u will get ur arses kicked

[johnleeknoefler]

Britain should use the next attack as a pretext to take out the Argentine government and replace it with one that doesn't suck so bad.

[rob666]

Who the fuck cares about a bunch of rocks?

[johnleeknoefler]

Originally Posted by rob666 ↗

Who the fuck cares about a bunch of rocks?

The people that live there might care.




<div style="font-family:arial, sans-serif; font-size:10px; background-color:#ffffff; border: 1px solid #dddddd; width: 550px; margin: 0 auto 5px auto; padding:4px"><a href="http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-photo/lance_fan/s_america_2006/1139970120/p1010654_edited.jpg/tpod.html"><img alt="Christchurch Cathedral, southernmost in the world, Stanley, Falkland Islands" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/lance_fan/s_america_2006.1139970120.p1010654_edited.jpg" /></a><br/>This <a href="http://www.travelpod.com">travel blog</a> photo's source is TravelPod page: <a href="http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lance_fan/s_america_2006/1139970120/tpod.html">Port Stanley, Falkland Islands</a></div>
It looks like a beautiful place. And the Brits may also like it for a base. Perhaps they like the natural resources.

Both major islands have mountain ranges, both reaching to around 700 metres (2,300 ft). The islands are home to large bird populations, although many no longer breed on the main islands due to introduced species. Major economic activities include fishing, tourism, and sheep farming (used for high-quality wool exports). Oil exploration, licensed by the Falkland Islands Government, remains controversial as a result of maritime disputes with Argentina.

A 1995 agreement between the UK and Argentina had set the terms for exploitation of offshore resources including oil reserves as geological surveys had shown there might be up to 60 billion barrels (9.5 billion cubic metres) of oil under the seabed surrounding the islands. However, in 2007 Argentina unilaterally withdrew from the agreement; Falklands Oil and Gas Limited then signed an agreement with BHP Billiton to investigate the potential exploitation of oil reserves. Due to the difficult climatic conditions of the southern seas exploitation will be difficult, though economically viable; the continuing sovereignty dispute with Argentina is also hampering progress

[rob666]

Just another British Colony that didn't declare independence.

I would have figured that Argies would have learned after the first try at it, oh well.
Still just a pile of rocks.

[Blewvane]

The place looks nice, you poms should take it back off them. BURN IT!! BURN IT WITH FIRE AND POKE IT WITH A STICK!!