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one thirty am in moscow these here are t. headlines iran says it's been considering cutting the oil sales to six e.u. countries but wouldn't do so at the moment because of the cold winter across europe this is the israeli pm accuses the islamic state of being behind bomb attacks in india georgia and thailand and urges an end to what he said is the islamic republic's aggression. russia says quote external players are encouraging opposition groups to stay out of dialogue with the syrian government and therefore bear responsibility for ongoing violence meanwhile president assad has announced a referendum on a new constitution. and rallies marking one year since the pro-democracy

uprising in bahrain protesters face yet another harsh crackdown with police using tactics and weapons from the u.k. coming up artie's debate show cross talk this time peter lavelle and guest discuss the strained relations between our tina and britain over the falkland islands stay with us. here. and you can. still. below in welcome to crossfire time people about take your pick the falkland islands or the melvina britain and argentina are again sparring over the legal status and

future of these islands is this dispute about self-determination and sovereignty or one of the last vestiges of british imperialism. to cross not the endless dispute over these islands i'm joined by my guest in washington larry burns he is the director of the council on hemispheric affairs alex gibson he's a fulbright scholar specializing in contemporary argentinian politics and a research associate at the council on hemispheric affairs and luke coffey he's a fellow in the margaret thatcher center for freedom at heritage or a german cross-talk rules in effect that means you can jump in anytime you want larry i want to go to you first here over the last few weeks and months we've seen a ratcheting up of tensions between britain and argentina over these islands the islands that these two countries fought a war over thirty years ago what's in play here what what we should be worried about the tensions here or is this something of a function of domestic politics in both countries. well probably

a combination of all of those things i think that the the real danger that lies at the bottom of this whole issue is is an accident or some kind of unplanned development that may deteriorate into. a shooting conflict but the both the option tine military and the british military are really in no shape to. fight a war that's thousands of miles separating the disputants and also it's very apparent that much of the motivation behind this conflict is there to ration of domestic conditions in argentina which was the same explanation for why the war in one nine hundred eighty two broke out that is the military which ruled the country in argentina at the time was. gay gene

corruption and deep cation of funds and the government needed some kind of great patriotic issue to. pull the nation together roughly speaking the same sort of thing is happening now and i think that is part of the explanation for what we're now seeing ok if i'm going to look i think it's very interesting here in britain most people don't really care much about the what they call the falkland islands and i mean of course that there was there was patriotic on the side of the the brits thirty years ago but it's not really a big issue and people aren't sitting and pubs talking about these islands but they are in argentina is that isn't that kind of a risk too and it seems odd if it people in britain don't care about it why does the british government care so much about it well i would have to say that your average person on the streets in great britain don't care much about the issues surrounding the falkland islands and tell it's made and shared by the argentinians . we saw that the front page of the sun newspaper today in britain had sean penn's

remark. during his recent visit in the falklands so i think i think you're absolutely right about the political classes cared a great bit about the falkland islands and britain sovereignty over those islands and i think the reason is because no british government could ever survive losing the falkland islands ok alex that's rather peculiar too because i mean there's so much as it riskier i mean britain and argentina these are important countries and they should have good relations why is it isn't it with their risk for the british to put so much into this bad relationship over what three thousand people whose claim of self-determination is a bit dubious at best. if i can just quickly respond to mr burns point first and then get to luke and yourself we should be careful first about drawing parallels between the ninety two situation between argentina and britain and what we see today because as mr resolute two one thing that should ring very clear here

is that no one's going to war in both countries know this so what's what's really really important question to get at here is what are the underlying motives why are we talking about this now other than just the fact that it's the thirtieth anniversary of the conflict getting to this point about about the importance of the falklands to britain and well let me in let me add on that a bit to argentina i think the question of survival is a bit extreme i think anyone would acknowledge that and britain would be absolutely fine with out without the falklands under their sovereign control but what would pose an even greater problem is the is if argentina were to continue on the track with this relationship with the falklands now what i mean is without some sort of sovereignty or at the very least nick sovereignty very basic things like trade agreements between the falklands in argentina is just the effect of their geographical location is going to make it difficult to sustain

a puzzle relationship not just for argentina but for those cultures which are what the falkland islanders are called one final point here and quickly also. then the main thing to remember about all of this is. this this isn't an issue that's going on like i said before it's going to escalate and into conflict it's a political issue but it's also something that's at the core of argentina identity these these islands have been under argentines claim since before its independence this is not just something that came off as a whim argentina believe that these islands belong to them and has felt that for over a century so i think we have to look at the deeper issues underlying this rather than just the political a grief if we go larry i mean there's a need for the mother. ok ok look but for many in south america this is just a colonial era to us a colonial issue for a lot of people in south america right go ahead well well yeah. in so far as the argentinians would like to colonize the three thousand british citizens and her

majesty's subjects currently living peacefully on these islands that want to go back to a point alex smith i think you misunderstood me slightly when i was saying that the issue about survival is not the great britain as a nation can survive with the loss of the falkland islands i was saying that the government of the day would fall if the falkland islands were ever taken now i do agree with you know there's not going to be a military there's not going to be military answer to this this is going to be resolved peacefully in the end i firmly believe ok look if i can stay with you it's been thirty years so why hasn't it been resolved and it looks like nobody on either side wants to with all of it well as far as the british government is concerned the situation is resolved they've made very clear that. it's a matter of self-determination as clearly outlined in the un charter and that is so long as the people of the falkland islands want to remain british they shall remain

british and this is a very simple the simple fact that people in the falklands want to be british ok i don't want to be arguing i don't think it is that simple go to larry here i mean this is not indigenous people to these islands are they and this is what the argentine position is ok what he's how strong those who claim to self-determination if they're not indigenous to the island and as a matter of fact i mean i read somewhere was that only forty percent of the population there is lived there for ten years what kind of self-determination is that. well trace of paternity of a lot of countries a lot of civilizations you may find kind of a murky antecedents but the interesting thing is of course the british had no difficulty in liquidating a vast empire its empire today consists of christian to. other folks and bermuda and a couple of other islands here and there so this is not exactly a country that's dedicated to colonialism or can you find an explanation of why

this is happening in such a simplistic explanation as clueless and i think really what it is is that. in both countries the issue has become wrapped in symbolism and there also is another issue here and that is what really brought argentina into the falkland war in one nine hundred eighty two and why is it posturing again right now i think the beginning of a discussion is we don't really know all the facts of the matter for example i would like to know why in general vernon walters was in the argentine military club when the issue of being of invading the falklands was discussed the being discussed and everyone turned to general walters who is raked president reagan's emissary from the united states and he simply shrugged this was taken interpreted

by the argentine military as an assent to what the auction counter were about to do and we also had ambassador jean kirkpatrick that evening the evening of the invasion was out the auction kind embassy in washington she knew the invasion was going to take place why was she there. i think that the argentine government has a point. a body called the running back commission which is looking into these matters but this war this conflict this issue has an extraordinary potential for being explosive not because of rich and herring important but because of the emotionality you catch the issue on both sides ok alex what about the issue of self-determination i mean how strong do you think the case is for the people who live on the island for self-determination well i think. argentina has

a very long history of angle argentine relations and not just that but english heritage within argentina there's no reason why the islanders the people who live on the island can't live peacefully independently within the sovereignty of argentina i mean if you look at argentina today is how to go new and also it's there give me about well because that they want to be british subjects ok well look you bring up a good point why you want to be british such as it can be why can't they just be british subjects within the sovereignty of argentina. what's wrong with that well as if they were under the sovereign control of argentina they wouldn't be british subjects well they would like it's very clear that some determination is based around the idea that these people are living in the falkland islands today and want to be british now this argument that they're not indigenous population well there's never been an indigenous population on the falkland islands ever in fact the closest thing we have to an indigenous population is what we have there today

you're correct in saying that you know roughly forty percent of these people may have lived in the falklands for less than ten years i'm not sure those facts but that sounds about right but that means sixty person have lived there longer and some of them have been there for generations so quite clearly this is a matter of self-determination for the people of the falkland islands wanting to remain british now large and tina needs to do is if they if they think they have a solution to this problem they need to say what they would do with the three thousand people living on these islands who wish to remain british if these islands were to go back on or go back into argentine control all right let me jump in guys we're going to go to a break and after that short break we'll continue our discussion of the future of the southeast not because i've stayed at r.t. . if.

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welcome back to crossfire and i'm peter lavelle remind you we're talking about what the british call default when i. thought we were talking about the issue of self-determination and and researching this program here i'm going to i'm not an international lawyer but you know it's seems like the they are sometimes have a pretty strong case for the sovereignty over the falkland islands i mean in many many ways and it was that they were themselves a colony of the spanish so i mean you know it is this this is not helping either side because either side is very rigid on that but they do have still a very strong case. yes i believe they do and i want to make it clear i'm not a nut rallying for the falkland cause either i like to look at this of the perspective of a journalist but i'd be very happy to outline be arguments in argentina's favor and

i think the biggest one just to respond to what luke was saying a moment ago the three thousand islanders that want to become british we should certainly respect that we should hear them and respect their their desires but also recognise the basic facts twelve million argentines to three thousand people who live on a colonial vest each is not exactly equal in terms of of what they're both there they're the weight of both causes what we have right now is a falkland fortress and the question is do we want to continue that you can you know cameron can keep sending out as many elite destroyers as he'd like but it seems a bit counterproductive and what we should really be looking at here again are the velvety of argentina's claims which as you alluded to go far back both historically and also the importance of the geographic claims the resources surrounding the fucking ok i want to i want to get into the one i want to get to the way only shoot i want to tell you i should a second you can jump in go ahead. you yes if firstly that they don't want to

become british they are british in terms of the history of who is had control of the falkland islands you made the point that the the spanish had the falkland islands or anything or control but the last spanish settlement actually left an eighteen eleven and i believe that the argentine declared independence from the spanish and eight hundred sixteen so at the time of this the argentine declared independence from spain no one had defacto control over the falklands and i was until a two hundred thirty three with a major british settlement that really became permanent around eight hundred thirty eight that the falkland islands were actually settled by anyone and this argument about a geographical location is i'm sorry holds no water at all because look at canary islands for example then morocco would have a claim over the canary islands ok larry if i can go to you i mean as a result of the war thirty years ago there was it was the united nations that

should be a compromise or should be negotiations between britain and argentina why can't wait can't this just be resolved i mean if there's just no political will is there. well you know a lot of little elements here one is the argentine is not particularly famous for good governance and an argument is repeatedly made to remind us that back in nine hundred seventy six eighty three some twenty five thousand arjun concha of indians were murdered by the military. secondly. in terms of precedence and so forth you clearly can't look at this self-determination issue as either strengthening or weakening the respective positions of the two countries because you can find compelling arguments going either way and sovereignty issue isn't clear cut. you know both countries can

score their points. the real issue at this point is that there has to be a solution because you arjun tonnage are going to continue to line over the issue because this is a great national cause that can be exhumed when. you need a big whenever you need a good distraction wave the bloody flag of the frog. and even even as a parent go right ahead. you let me jump in very quickly can i let me tell you one very easy way for me to lose this argument by defending the military junta and argentina and i would never do that i'm not going to defend a group of murderers and murderers who are currently serving life sentences in jail now the real issue here is that art and the argentine democracy today which has not only distance itself from this military dictatorship but has been proactive in

finding justice for for the atrocities committed why should they have to pay for the stupidity and the. just the actions of these these military generals the violent actions of these generals i think we have to i think what mr burns is doing is he's equating the government of cristina kirchner to that of the delo or some of these more of these these dictators and that's just not fair so i think we have to really look at modern day argentina today ok just to get to a second point this issue of what ok i'm going to raise your second point quickly i had. an easy argument also to say to discard argentines claims here is that it's bloviation they're whining this is all political but if you actually look at the past thirty years their claims to the islands are and i'm talking the last thirty years very in keeping with foreign policy and economic policy after the the actions the belligerent actions of the military junta with with the birth of democracy

following the failure of the war under menem in the ninety's he kept this issue low he wanted to get on the good side of england of britain but what happened with the kitchener first minister and the christina with their governments is they didn't want to be dependent on these strong western countries the united states england so they said we are going to build our national sovereignty we're going to make him do you know we're going to make this country great alex you know it's been let me to get involved let me jump in because there's another huge issue out there that we haven't really talked about and that's called oil and there's a potential there vast reserves could be there and the british are now unilaterally doing exploration. is this what it should really now all about is about oil because maybe the britons don't care about the falkland islands but they care about oil b.p. does go ahead. well that's a forgive me it's a bit of a simplistic way to look at the situation you're absolutely correct in saying that there is some exploration going on around the falkland islands but i also believe

and correct me if i'm wrong alex about think there is some actual there was some joint falkland argentina an exploration going on as well but the matter to me is quite simple if the oil that is found is found around the falkland islands in the area that. includes under its sovereign control then we know where the oil belongs but the sort of back and forth between margin. than that and the following list that continues to dominate alex go ahead so i could say yeah like i said the only the only colonial asking me for this whole debate is the fact that argentina wants a colonized three thousand british subjects on the whole and i and i think that's a bit simplistic alex you want to record i heard david cameron too but one of the times yes i know what you are aware of us that us of the three thousand wonderful are at the three thousand people who live on the falkland islands and they will want to remain british ok larry if i can go to you how do you how do you see the oil playing into this here go ahead go ahead larry. i'm sorry i didn't get

your point now my but you know we throwing in oil now here how does this change the mix all right right right ali. this becomes an economic determinism argument. you know the british certainly like the sniff of oil. but you have to face up to the fact that income we have to calm the nigeria and so forth which have plenty of oil the british are probably giving up. colonies. it is not that. and the exemption the british tradition when it comes to commies what you have here is that the conservative party margaret . you're the iron lady who was able to describe general view and be known many as ten pop dictators but howard no problem

in hugging and embracing general pinochet of chile because chile was of use to the british in the falklands that is the tories ig adopted this issue as the as the great top tragic issue of the decade and it was a very heroic one in britain the british sending their v. bombers thousands of miles in an improvised oil tankers that had landing strips laid down on them it was a it was a really a glorious war and there is a subset of the british population that is deeply committed to that war and also. a much larger percentage of the british population that can have their enthusiasm be revived very quickly if there's any threat to the fore croons and the tories know they can work this issue and of course is a domestic component to this but it's not something that the world hostage get away

with because the british have quite quite as a matter of fact have as bonafide a case no better no worse than the arjun time and i don't think the argentines have been so there's another scenario there's another element here look if i go to you what about the the antarctic ok because it's become more and more important in this is a nice nice foothold for the for the brits to be on what they call the falkland islands i mean there are other places you did these islands are moving but political reality and economic reality is moving. yeah with it with these islands and the south atlantic you know the days of the british empire are over the sheer t.j. value of these islands now in the twenty first century or are not true is not really relevant this isn't about for great britain this is not about oil this is not about power this is a. strategic influence on the subtle and think this is

a simple matter of three thousand people living on some islands that wish to remain british subjects and say is listen i'm going to give you a lot of it we're going ok i was going to give alex the last word here is this just a principled issue here there's no it that's that's the top priority you think in this conflict it's principle. of course not you have political rhetoric of course on both sides christian churches saying give peace a chance which everybody i think gave a little sigh to this is about i mean this is about sovereignty and this is about the issue of what are we going to leave the colonial past behind are we going to look to the future are we going to face up to reality which is that it's not sustainable for the islanders on the falklands and the argentine citizens to keep up a good relationship if there's this tension and if there's this ridiculous divide between them trading lines their relationship in many different ways is very clear so we should just acknowledge that all right gentlemen we've run out of time now that a status quo has lasted for thirty years maybe another thirty years the many thanks

my guest today in washington thanks to our viewers for watching us here r.t. see you next time and remember.