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Argentina scraps Falklands oil deal
Relations between Britain and Argentina took a turn for the worse today after Buenos Aires ended an agreement for oil exploration near the Falkland Islands.
Argentina's decision came just days before the 25th anniversary of the war for the South Atlantic islands.
Round two warming up
The move ends a 1995 accord designed to foster cooperation on oil prospecting around the islands. Scientists say that there may be billions of dollars worth of oil under the waters in the area.

The Argentinian foreign minister, Jorge Taiana, said the move was taken as Britain had unilaterally floated public bid oil deals in the area. Mr Taiana said he had informed Britain's ambassador in Argentina, John Hughes, about the decision, adding "the Argentine decision brings an end ... to an instrument the United Kingdom sought to use to justify its illegitimate and unilateral action to explore for resources that belong to Argentines."

The 1995 agreement was reached under British prime minister John Major and Argentine president Carlos Menem, who worked hard to improve relations between the two countries. The first Argentinian head of state to visit Britain since the Falklands war, he laid a wreath at the Falklands memorial in St Paul's cathedral. President Nestor Kirchner, who came into office in 2003, has adopted a different tack, calling on Britain to discuss the issue of sovereignty of the islands, populated by 2,900 people of mostly British ancestry.

Last year, Argentina criticised a British decision extending fishing licenses from one to 25 years in waters around the Falkland Islands, saying it disregarded Argentina's territorial claims. "Argentina is not opposed to cooperating with the United Kingdom, but only if this contributes to renewing dialogue over sovereignty," Mr Taiana said.

Argentina invaded the islands - called Las Malvinas by Argentineans - located some 300 miles off its South Atlantic coast - on April 2 1982. Seven hundred Argentinian and 255 British troops died in the 10-week conflict before Argentina's forces surrendered. Argentina claims it inherited the islands from Spain before they were occupied by Britain in 1833.
Might as well try to grab them again. What's left of the British army is tied up in Iraq and Afghanistan, there's hardly any Royal Navy left, and Tony has lost his spine.

Posted by: Steve 2007-03-28
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=184312