I just wanna point out how hypocritical & shameless UK politicians are. Not a gram of fucking common decency or dignity in foreign politics. They want to claim an iceland that is thousands of miles away from them, but they don't recognize serbian sovereignty over kosovo. They conquered, enslaved and owned 1/4 of the world, owned lands they had absolutely no rights on, they supported separatist movement all over the world so they can divide & conquer easier, economically & socially crippled numerous regions over the world so they can easily profit from them and in the end they have some balls to talk shit to Serbia and Argentina...seriously,the BRITISH, out of all people on this planet, the BRITISH talk about land sovereignty...pitful

I wouldn't trust a future UK government to defend them though especially given the cost. The Falklanders could just bluff that they have them.

Once the oil money starts flowing, they can go independent and start bullying the Argentinians with their billion dollar pirate ships.

No it isn't, it's 800 miles, and I said 'kinda' twice.

This is what I said:

"The Islands are 400 miles off of the Argentine coast, which is kinda like the UK claiming they own Iceland... Kinda."

It is the only example in the entire world which I could relate this too, okay! Now, quit your yappin' or I will write a strongly worded letter to the UK govt saying we should invade Iceland, mkay? MKAY?!

Difference is the majority of the Falklanders want British rule, while the majority of those in Kosovo want indepedance( although there is the Serb dominated area in Northern-Kosovo that rejects it). However, if you start intervening in every war of independance the world would be a bombed-out mess. Take whats going on in Mali for instance. The only path that is acceptable is the one South Sudan took and the way the SNP are doing it in Scotland. I respect the Kosovans right to decide their future, but if we are going to jump in and help them, why didn't we do the same thing in Georgia, and when the Russians did there what NATO did in Kosovo, why did we condem them? You can condem the West for having double standards in relation to Kosovo and South Ossetia/Abkhasia, but then to avoid having double standards yourself you should really do the same with Venezuela, Nicuragua, Russia etc for recognising South Ossetia/Abkhasia but not Kosovo.

Basically, global politics is a mess.

Argentina also claims South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands which are nearly 2000 miles away.

Argentina has no legitimate claim to the islands, Britain does. The Argentinian government just likes to bring this up to increase their popularity.

Also I find it unlikely that the British destroyer would have nukes on board - I thought that the British nuclear deterrent was entirely submarine based?

why do some say something like "it's like uk would claim iceland is theirs, or argentina could claim the neighbour countries are theirs because they are "near"" as well? i think the huge difference is that argentinas neighbours and iceland are independent countries, the falkland island aren't independent.

but still, it's not argentinas right to claim they have to own the falkland islands. we have to see the situation like it is nowadays so falkland isalnd are uk's or they have to be independent if they would like to be independent. or even a part of argentina if they would like that but they won't so, no right for argentina.

Just found this interesting article..

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2012/04/08/2003529772

Argentina’s latest saber--rattling over oil exploration around the Falkland Islands is puzzling given the recent financial results from the island’s key prospectors. Desire Petroleum and Borders & Southern Petroleum, two of five London-listed exploration businesses with interests in the archipelago, announced annual pre-tax losses of US$42.5 million and US$1.74 million on Monday.

Those figures are typical of explorers struggling to strike oil and there are two others in a similar situation. Argos Resources and Falkland Oil and Gas are long on promise, but short on producing barrels of the black stuff.

The Argentine government’s anger is heightened by the fact that one outfit, Rockhopper Exploration, has discovered significant oil reserves in the Sea Lion prospect to the north of the islands and has been seeking a partner to invest in the US$2 billion project.

The most recent in a flurry of aggressive statements from Argentina, seemingly timed to coincide with the 30th anniversary of its invasion of the Falklands, emerged last weekend.

Argentina’s embassy in London sent a two-page letter to up to 15 banks, thought to include Royal Bank of Scotland and Goldman Sachs, raising the threat of civil and criminal action if they continue working with the five London-listed companies.

Casting a wide net, the diplomats targeted banks that advise the companies as well as City firms that provide stockbroking services or write research notes about the five, a list that includes Panmure Gordon and Oriel Securities.

Wielding a mixture of legal and diplomatic brawn, the letter warned the institutions to “bear in mind ... the sovereignty dispute and ... the consequences of any unlawful hydrocarbon exploration activities in the Argentine continental shelf in proximity to the Malvinas [Falkland] Islands.”

“It should also be borne in mind that ... participation in those activities will cause companies directly or indirectly involved in them to be subject to such administrative, civil and criminal actions as may be provided for in the Argentine laws governing such activities,” the letter added.

The five explorers declined to comment on Monday, with one industry source admitting that none of them wanted to be “dragged into the political realm.”

However, while there is confidence that the legal threats will not damage the five companies, another industry source said an attempt at co-operation between the UK and Argentina would at least remove the distraction of a prolonged territorial tussle and the knock-on effect on exploration.

Such an arrangement has the potential to compensate Argentina if a deal on sovereignty remains out of the question.

According to Edison Investment Research, reportedly a recipient of the embassy letter, the islands could generate US$180 -billion in royalties and tax from oil.

The following companies are operating in the Falklands:

Rockhopper Exploration

Estimates of the amount of oil around the Falkland Islands range from 8.3 billion barrels to 60 billion barrels, but Aim-listed Rockhopper is the only business to have come close to realizing that promise. It has found recoverable reserves of between 400 million and 500 million barrels of oil at its Sea Lion prospect in the north Falklands basin and said this year that eight companies are interested in a joint venture on the project.That announcement stoked takeover speculation about the company, which hopes to start producing oil in 2016. Analysts have said that a “farm-out,” where a partner is delegated extraction duties, is the most likely outcome.

Post not relevant, ignore.