War is not an option in resolving Argentina's dispute with Britain over the potentially oil-rich Falkland Islands, a senior Argentinian minister said yesterday. "War is excluded from our horizon," the Deputy Foreign Minister, Victorio Taccetti, said."After all, we got our asses kicked the last time..."
But he insisted Buenos Aires would not give up its claims to the islands it calls Las Malvinas.
"We'll just huff and puff and make life miserable for all concerned until somebody lets us have our way."
He denied that Argentina was escalating a row triggered by a British oil drilling project in the Falklands.
Just trying to save the job of Madame Kirchner, that's all ...
The dispute followed the arrival of the Ocean Guardian off the Falkland Islands. Drilling could begin as early as today or tomorrow.
"We just can't stand the thought of all that boodle flowing somewhere other than Buenos Aires."
Britain insists the exploration conforms to international law, but Buenos Aires argues that London is violating UN resolutions requiring a negotiated solution. The dispute pushed tensions between the two countries to their highest level since the 1982 conflict which followed Argentina's invasion of the islands. "We are trying to convince the British that it is in their interest to negotiate with Argentina. This is not an escalation; this is just something that we have to do in order to protect our rights, because we consider that this exploration and eventual exploitation of our natural resources is illegal," Mr Taccetti said yesterday.