Strike when the iron is hot - but it was cold in Port Stanley!
Dear Fellow Earthlings,
On the 9th of April 1982 Port Stanley was full of activity as the Argentine occupation force continued to bring in all sorts of military equipment and provisions from Argentina. Clearly the occupiers were preparing for the arrival of the Task Force from the United Kingdom. The independent minded Falkland Islanders continued to follow their usual routines as much as was possible. Quite a few of them were preparing for the celebration of Easter, so their churches were open as usual for such celebrations as Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. Only now the locals were celebrating alongside Argentine military people! Looking back at some of the other events of 1982, we can gain a picture of the context in which the Argentine government was viewing things. With improved worldwide communication, people in Argentina were receiving all sorts of news reports describing changing geopolitical situations all around the globe. For one thing, word was out that Israel would be completing its handover of the Sinai peninsula to Egypt before the month of April was out. This would be done as the final step of a peace accord signed by Israel and Egypt on March 26, 1979, in hopes of securing "a lasting peace and coexistence" between those two countries. Such news surely would have indicated to the generals that handovers DO take place. One can assume that many of the generals would have thought: "Why not give the handover of the Falklands to us a little 'boost' by sailing out to those islands and just taking them!...." Also, on April 1, 1982 the United States turned its 78-year-long control over the Panama Canal Zone to Panama (and would eventually turn the Canal Zone over to Panama completely on December 31, 1999).
The Argentine generals were also aware that the United Kingdom's role dealing with Canada was going to be reduced. Through the "Canada Act" of 1982, Canada would gain complete independence from the British government and its workings, although it would retain its relation with the Queen, who would remain the "Head of State" of Canada. Henceforth any British monarch would be the monarch
of Canada -- but in a separate role from that of kerm role as monarch of Great Britain.
All of this, against the backdrop of the woes confronting Britain at the time (See Installment 374.) led the Argentine generals to believe that the Falkland Islands were just sitting there for the taking... Margaret Thatcher, however, had decided that she was going to was put a halt to the dismemberment of a living, vital British geopolitical entity. Was the United Kingdom truly "sick" ? Perhaps a little... Gravely ill? No way, José! Steve Walker Earthsaver and Jingles Creator
© 2013 Steve Walker, The Jingles-The Japan Foundation for English Pronunciation, Summit Enterprises.