Word: argentinas
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1980-1989
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Washington policymakers feared that by inflicting a humiliating military defeat on its foe, Britain might wreck any chance of a broad, long-term settlement that would have to involve Argentina. Such a defeat, the U.S. believes, could also precipitate the downfall of Argentina's ruling junta, leading to political chaos and revolving-door governments that might be even more prone to renew attacks on the islands. In addition, protracted hostilities would put an enormous drain on Britain's resources and on NATO, which would be deprived of British ships and troops...
...posed for U.S. policy, Secretary of State Alexander Haig said that "in many respects, American interests were more heavily engaged in the Falklands than even the interests of the two parties." Haig was referring to the fact that by backing Britain, the U.S. had endangered its overall relations with Argentina as well as with Latin America as a whole. But the Administration had accepted Haig's view that the U.S. had no choice but to side with an ally-and against a country trying to gain disputed territory by force...
Seeking to avoid a potentially disastrous clash at Port Stanley, the U.S. was urging the Argentines to withdraw before the British drove them off the islands. Privately, American officials warned Buenos Aires that the U.S. could do nothing to prevent a British assault and that Argentina's bargaining position would be far weaker after a crushing military defeat...
...meanwhile, where British Ambassador Sir Anthony Parsons and Enrique Ros, Argentina's Deputy Foreign Minister, had wearily negotiated for weeks, the Security Council tried again to find a compromise. Spain and Panama introduced a resolution implicitly Unking a cease-fire with unilateral Argentine withdrawal and a vaguely defined U.N. role in the future administration of the Falklands...
...resolution came to a vote, it was rejected by Parsons on the grounds that it did not explicitly demand an Argentine withdrawal within a fixed time limit. Reluctantly supporting the British position, Kirkpatrick also vetoed the resolution. But when her turn to speak came, she had conciliatory words for Argentina. Kirkpatrick expressed the hope that "cooperation will be restored and friendship mended," and pointedly referred to the Falkland Islands by their Argentine name, the Malvinas. Then came the surprise of the evening. "I am told that it is impossible for a government to change a vote once it is cast...