Argentina demands UK nuke apology

Gangerolf · December 8, 2003, 07:37

http://edition.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/eu...eut/index.html

Quote:

GENERAL PICO, Argentina (Reuters) -- Argentine President Nestor Kirchner has demanded an apology from Britain for the "monstrous" act of arming its warships with nuclear depth charges during the 1982 Falklands war.

Silly Argies...

I wonder, what's the most "monstrous act": starting a war by invading some islands that doesn't want you there, or carry a couple of small nukes (which didn't even enter Argentinian waters, by the way) n your ships?

Tripledoc · December 8, 2003, 07:43

I always wondered why the Argentinians did not simply send the entire British fleet to the bottom. This explains why.

Chemical Ollie · December 8, 2003, 07:45

What are they complaining at? They got the revenge in the Football World Cup later that year, didn't they?

CerberusIV · December 8, 2003, 07:51

Perhaps he would also like to ask G W Bush and also Putin for apologies for all the US and Soviet warships that have ever been within 200 miles of the Argentinian coast with nuclear weapons on board?

Perhaps not.

Gangerolf · December 8, 2003, 07:51

Quote:

Originally posted by Tripledoc
I always wondered why the Argentinians did not simply send the entire British fleet to the bottom. This explains why.

It's not like they didn't try. They did sink several ships IIRC

KrazyHorse · December 8, 2003, 08:04

WTF are nuclear depth charges? Are they what they sound like (nukes to blow up subs)?

Gangerolf · December 8, 2003, 08:07

yes

KrazyHorse · December 8, 2003, 08:09

Okay. Did the Aregentines have much of a sub force?

East Street Trader · December 8, 2003, 08:12

I would like a personal apology from everyone who brings a nuclear weapon anywhere near me or mine.

(Or near the Earth, come to think of it.)

But politicians get off on power. So I don't suppose I'll get one from them.

Maybe the guys who handle them are a better bet. But soldiers like powerful weapons so I guess I'd better not hold my breathe on that either.

KrazyHorse · December 8, 2003, 08:13

And the guys who invent them like getting their research funded.

Gangerolf · December 8, 2003, 08:25

I don't know if the Argentinians had a sub force. They probably didn't, considering the Brits never intended to use the depth charges anyway. From what I understand, taking them off the ships would delay the campaign too much.

The Mad Monk · December 8, 2003, 08:40

Okay, let me get this straight...

Argentina is demanding an apololgy for something the Brits didn't use, while at war with them, twenty years after the fact?

Let me guess -- it's an election year there, right?

CerberusIV · December 8, 2003, 09:06

Quote:

Originally posted by Gangerolf
I don't know if the Argentinians had a sub force. They probably didn't, considering the Brits never intended to use the depth charges anyway. From what I understand, taking them off the ships would delay the campaign too much.

The Royal Navy were actually quite worried at the time about a couple of the Argentinian subs which were relatively modern european built vessels and much quieter than the Soviet subs the RN ships were designed to hunt.

Even so, it is pretty unlikely they would have used these weapons, they were really envisaged for use against Soviet missile subs in a conflict that had gone tactical nuclear anyway.

The Cabinet did IIRC fairly rapidly discard the option of nuking Buenos Aires with a Polaris missile after the war started.

The diplomat · December 8, 2003, 09:09

I didn't know the nukes were depth charges. I thought they were warheads for like surface to surface missiles.

TheStinger · December 8, 2003, 10:40

Absolutely ridiculuos.

Even if we hadn't tkane any with the task force we could have nuked downtown Buenes Aries any time with our ICBM's but did we? - no.

Christ the Ruskies used to fly there nuclear bombers right toward the UK every week did we complain no because and this is the point they didn't use or even threaten to use them.

Stupid defeated economic basket case idiots.

Theben · December 8, 2003, 11:09

Where is Apology and why does Argentina want Britain to nuke it?

They didn't mean Apolyton, did they?

Cruddy · December 8, 2003, 11:36

Quote:

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
WTF are nuclear depth charges? Are they what they sound like (nukes to blow up subs)?

A depth charge with a nuclear warhead. Effectiveness of a depth charge is proportional to the warhead yield - put a nuke on it and it's effective for miles, depending on the depth of detonation.

Although nuclear weapons are routinely carried by many US, UK, Russian, French and Chinese vessels, they are not armed unless a "nuclear release" order is received down the chain of command.

There was quite a fuss a few years ago when a couple of them accidently dropped off a truck en route from the naval arsenal to the docks. As it was on a major highway it didn't half cause a traffic jam, not to mention a certain amount of panic.

As for the Argentinians not having subs, I'm pretty sure one was damaged and captured within striking distance of Ascencion Island. It couldn't have been that far away as the hull was punctured by Sea Skua's fired from a Navy Lynx, not at all a long range weapon.

So, this General want's an apology, but doesn't offer one for causing death, hardship, and a bloody great defence bill? He can go boil his backside.

DrGerry · December 9, 2003, 01:12

Quote:

Originally posted by TheStinger
Absolutely ridiculuos.

Even if we hadn't tkane any with the task force we could have nuked downtown Buenes Aries any time with our ICBM's but did we? - no.

Christ the Ruskies used to fly there nuclear bombers right toward the UK every week did we complain no because and this is the point they didn't use or even threaten to use them.

Stupid defeated economic basket case idiots.

You little piece of ****. The "Ruskins" are not in a war with you, stupid.

Drake Tungsten · December 9, 2003, 01:16

Quote:

You little piece of ****. The "Ruskins" are not in a war with you, stupid.

Silly Argies.

mrmitchell · December 9, 2003, 01:32

I hope Gerar's trolling. I mean, the US has been on the brink of pushing the world into endless chaos for upwards of 50 years now, and we always laugh it all off.

Frozzy · December 9, 2003, 03:05

Good luck Argentina

KrazyHorse · December 9, 2003, 05:11

Quote:

Originally posted by GerarDream

You little piece of ****. The "Ruskins" are not in a war with you, stupid.

So it makes it better to threaten nuclear annihilation if you're not at war with somebody?

I don't get it.

Silly Argies.

Nubclear · December 9, 2003, 05:28

I demand that all the citizens of the US give me at least $10, for all of them have pointed a LETHAL object in my direction at least once in their lifetimes.

Evil Americans.

Unspeakable Horror · December 9, 2003, 07:45

Actually, it´s not just an apology what they want, but to know if some of those nukes went down with the Sheffield or some of the other ships IIRC, they said that the nukes were transfered at some point before arriving to Malvinas. What they they are worried about is possible contamination, they are our islands after all.

Chemical Ollie · December 9, 2003, 07:50

Quote:

Originally posted by Unspeakable Horror
Actually, it´s not just an apology what they want, but to know if some of those nukes went down with the Sheffield or some of the other ships IIRC, they said that the nukes were transfered at some point before arriving to Malvinas. What they they are worried about is possible contamination, they are our islands after all.

Or how to retrieve them and sell them to Iran for fat dollars.

Unspeakable Horror · December 9, 2003, 07:51

Unspeakable Horror · December 9, 2003, 07:52

That wasn´t serious, Chemical Ollie, right?

Chemical Ollie · December 9, 2003, 07:55

Why not? I'm sure your government need all foreign money they can get.

CerberusIV · December 9, 2003, 07:59

I wouldn't worry too much about leftover nukes. If they are salvageable the Royal Navy has had 20 years to quietly recover them. If they are in deep water, there are enough lost nuclear subs and warheads scattered around the world's oceans that will pollute everywhere if they leak a few more won't really make any difference.

This still sounds like a politician trying to score a few points with the electorate.

Unspeakable Horror · December 9, 2003, 08:00

You are crazy

First, we can´t go there, there´s an exclusion zone that doesn´t allow us to go near the islands, unles we want to star another war

Second, if there are nukes in there, the UK will take care of them, or they already did

.