Americas News
Thatcher says Falklands war was "noble cause" of which to be proud
Jun 13, 2007, 14:27 GMT
London - Ex-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher Wednesday hailed Britain's victory over Argentina in the Falklands War 25 years ago and said the nation should still 'rejoice at the success' today.
In a message broadcast on Britain's Armed Forces Radio, Thatcher, who dispatched a mighty taskforce to the disputed islands in 1982, said she felt 'privileged and very moved' giving the address.
The 25th anniversary of Britain's 'liberation' of the disputed islands in the South Atlantic falls due on Thursday.
It will be marked in Britain by a series of events, culminating in a veterans' parade and a ceremonial flypast in central London Sunday.
Thatcher, 81, said 'aggression was defeated and reversed' in the conflict over the islands, which cost the lives of 655 Argentinian and 255 British soldiers.
The Falklands campaign gave the conservative Thatcher government a huge political boost in Britain at the time, and led to her re- election soon afterwards.
The opinion, still held by many Britons, that the Falklands campaign was a 'just war,' was reiterated recently by Tony Blair, Britain's current prime minister.
'The memories of that time are for many as fresh as yesterday,' said Thatcher in her message, her speech markedly slower and less distinctive than at the height of the conflict.
'Twenty-five year ago British forces secured a great victory in a noble cause. The whole nation rejoiced at the success; and we should still rejoice,' said Thatcher.
Sending troops into battle was the 'gravest decision' any prime minister had to take, she continued,and fighting a 'well armed, if badly-led, enemy was bound to be an awesome challenge.'
Thatcher said while she could, at the time, not be sure what the outcome of the Falklands would be, she was, however, sure that the 'cause was just.'
'The Falklands War was a great national struggle. The whole country knew it and felt it. It was also mercifully short,' she said.
'There are in a sense no final victories, for the struggle against evil in the world is never ending. Tyranny and violence wear many masks. Yet from victory in the Falklands we can all today draw hope and strength.'
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-AgenturCOMMENT
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Older Talkback
page: 1
Which is better than can be said of her scumbag son, MARK THATCHER.
There are 38 merceneries rotting in an african jail because this man turned Judas, some of them were his best friends.
They will get out of prison, sooner, or later.
Mark,you should have had better sense than to doublecross these people.
But then again, thank God, I'm not in your shoes.
page: 1
Malcolm CarterOct 6th, 2007 - 15:45:02
Margaret THatcher
May see reason to rejoice the victory of the Falklands,but the families of more than 1000 men on both sides would not .
Firstly history will eventually note that this woman was due in her unpopularity to be kicked out of office at the next election.
The Falklands war was caused by her penny pinching ways (in 1980 she abolished free milk for school children hence the title Thacher the milk snatcher) much worse was to come,one of which engineered by he was the Falklands war. At the time we (Great Britain) had a weather station in the Falklands and a survey vessel. In order to save 500,000 pounds a year she closed the weather station and recalled everything connected to it,which meant lowering the union jack,thus signalling to the Argentinians that we were no longer interested in the Falklands.
To cover up her miserable cost cutting drastic error, she then launched a task force to retrieve the Falklands after the Argentinians had reclaimed it, this resulted in the loss of over 1,000 lives on both sides at a cost of 7,000,000 pounds. One could almost point out the old adage 'penny wise and pound foolish).
Now Mrs Thatcher has Alzeimers and through her memory loss reports her
glory days,what is glorious about loss of life in a futile war created by incompotence??????
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