Nostalgic Britons see Falklands campaign as a 'just' war

By Anna Tomforde Jun 14, 2007, 5:07 GMT

ANALYSIS: Nostalgic Britons see Falklands campaign as a 'just' war By Anna Tomforde, dpa Eds: updated version of package item that moved March 27, Falklands War ran April 2 to June 14, 1982, infographics No. 6092, epa photo 00000401009463 available =

London (dpa) - As Britain marks the 25th anniversary of the 'liberation' of the Falkland Islands, most Britons still believe that ex-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher sent her troops into battle for a just and worthwhile cause.

Even though attitudes to war and nationalist fervour have mellowed dramatically over the past 25 years, Thatcher's unwavering response to the 'outrage' triggered by the Argentine invasion are placed in a completely separate category from the present wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, analysts said.

Commenting on the anniversary, Prime Minister Tony Blair insisted that the war with Argentina was 'right' and congratulated Thatcher on her 'political courage' for sending a mighty taskforce to the Falklands in 1982.

While Britons might hold a 'nostalgic' view of the events in the South Atlantic a quarter of a century ago, there has no doubt been a change in the attitude of how interventionist their government should be.

Recent opinion polls confirmed that four years after the invasion of Iraq, 60 per cent of Britons believe that the intervention was a mistake, and 51 per cent said they would oppose military action abroad if the sole reason was a perceived threat to Britain's national security.

However, 57 per cent said they would back military action for causes such as disaster relief or stopping genocide.

The Argentine invasion of the disputed Falkland Islands on April 2, 1982, was at the time viewed as an attack on British territory, explained one analyst, enabling Thatcher to convince the nation that a military response was justified.

'In the Falklands the military and political objectives were achieved in good time, the sacrifice was seen as being worthwhile,' said one military analyst.

Whereas in the Falklands conflict, the status before the war had been re-established by the British intervention, the situation in Iraq has been made more dangerous for both Iraqi civilians and British troops.

'The two conflicts posed very different military predicaments, they are a mirror image of each other,' said one analyst.

The sacrifice made by Britain in the two-month Falklands campaign, in which 255 British soldiers died, was seen as being acceptable because the cause was considered just and the desired goal was achieved.

By contrast, the persistent trickle of casualties during four years in Iraq and Afghanistan make Britons feel that those wars represent a useless waste of life, which will, ultimately, define Blair's political legacy, commentators believe.

By contrast, Thatcher is fondly remembered in the Falkland Islands. There is a Thatcher Drive in Port Stanley, the island's capital, and British filmmakers are working on a documentary tracking the 17 crucial days before the British Task Force sailed to the islands in the South Atlantic.

'During that period, Thatcher had to confront her private fears, face the men who doubted her and forge the image that even today casts a shadow across the political landscape,' a spokesman for film distributor Pathe said.

For Thatcher, aged 81, her planned presence at the four-day anniversary celebrations, starting on June 14, will probably be the last chance to bathe in the glory of her 11-year leadership.

At the time, the determination she showed over the Falklands gave Thatcher's flagging premiership a welcome boost in elections the following year, enabling her to pursue a highly-divisive and rigorous domestic political agenda.

'The Falklands campaign was one of the most memorable in post-war British history. The liberation of the islands was a huge achievement by our forces, operating in harsh conditions 8,000 miles (15,000 kilometres) away from home at the bottom of the map,' said Veterans Minister Derek Twigg.

The minister stressed, however, that the veterans' parades and military fly-past over Buckingham Palace on June 17 would 'not be triumphalist,' and that the 649 Argentinians who died in the conflict would also be remembered.

'The commemorations will provide us with an opportunity to reflect on the events of 25 years ago. Our relationship with Argentina has come a long way in recent years and, in addition to remembering the sacrifices of our forces, we will recognize their losses, too.'