From early on, Margaret Thatcher's resolve to liberate the Falklands was evident.

Dear Fellow Earthlings,

On the 8th of April 1982 "shuttle diplomacy" between Alexander Haig and the Argentinian government was about to begin. The talks would prove to be of no value in stopping military action. The talks would break down for the final time on the 19th of April. United States Secretary of State Alexander Haig was now in the middle of negotiations with the Argentine government, ostensibly to prevent Great Britain and Argentina from going to war with each other. 35 years later, from documents that have been declassified and released to the general public, we learn that Haig was pushing for an Argentine takeover. -- this despite the fact

that Ronald Reagan, who was President of the United States at the time, seemed to have a

positive, warm relationship with Margaret Thatcher, then Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The Falkland Islanders just wanted life to go on as it had with their ancestors over the past 150

years. But the reality was that 80% of the people in the Falklands at this moment were now from

Argentina -- and all of them had come there within the past seven days! Port Stanley was a beehive of activity as the Argentines prepared for the arrival of the British flotilla! In an effort to prevent a full blown war from breaking out, Alexander Haig would be shuttling back and forth between London and Buenos Aires. But it was clear that Margaret Thatcher was not going to back down. The only meaningful result of Haig's shuttle diplomacy would be that United States president Ronald Reagan, seeing that no peaceful solution seemed possible, would decide not to send American troops to the Falklands.

Steve Walker Earthsaver and Jingles Creator

© 2013 Steve Walker, The Jingles-The Japan Foundation for English Pronunciation, Summit Enterprises.