Argentina Toughens Shipping Rules in Falklands Oil Row

Argentina has announced new controls on shipping through its waters to the Falkland Islands in a growing dispute over British oil drilling plans.

A permit will be needed by ships using Argentine waters en route to the Falklands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands - all UK controlled.

The UK Foreign Office said the Falkland Islands' waters were controlled by its authorities and would not be affected.

Argentina has protested to the UK about oil exploration due to begin this year.

Buenos Aires claims sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, which it calls Islas Malvinas.

Last week, a ship carrying drilling equipment was detained by Argentine officials.

BBC world affairs correspondent Peter Biles says Argentine anger has been "brewing for a while".

"The sabre-rattling over oil in the South Atlantic is just the latest episode in a dispute that's remained unresolved since the Falklands War nearly 28 years ago," he said.

After Argentina's invasion of the islands in 1982, a UK taskforce seized back control in a short war that claimed the lives of 649 Argentine and 255 British soldiers.

'Defence of resources'

On Tuesday, Argentine President Cristina Fernandez signed a decree requiring all vessels travelling between Argentina and the islands, or those that want to cross Argentine territorial waters en route to the Falklands, to seek prior permission.

Cabinet Chief Anibal Fernandez said the decree sought to achieve "not only a defence of Argentine sovereignty but also of all the resources" in the area.

He said the measure also applied to vessels going to the other nearby UK-controlled islands in the South Atlantic - South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.

It is not clear whether Argentina intends waters surrounding the disputed islands, considered part of the British Overseas Territories, to be subject to the new controls.

"Regulations governing Argentine territorial waters are a matter for the Argentine authorities," the UK Foreign Office said in a statement.

"This does not affect Falkland Islands territorial waters which are controlled by the island authorities."

It added that the UK and Argentina were "important partners" with a "close and productive relationship".

"We want, and have offered, to co-operate on South Atlantic issues. We will work to develop this relationship further," the statement said.

A drilling rig from the Scottish highlands, the Ocean Guardian, is due to arrive this week and drilling could begin within months.

Geologists think the South Atlantic ocean bed surrounding the Falklands could contain rich energy reserves.

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Someone had better drag the Royal Navy out of mothballs.

Too late this government has sold most of it to Chile and India.

With us so committed to Afghanistan and Iraq, could we even cope if Argentina tries another grab of the Falklands?

The QE class carriers won't be available for at least five years.
Now is the perfect time for them.

The new QE carriers now look like a necessity.

supported by the older 42 type destroyers

I'm surprised the sneaky buggers haven't invaded them again.
They know all our forces are tied up in Iraq and Afghanistan. The navy has phased out the sea harrier so we only have the RAF ones left, one of our carriers is mothballed, we've cut back on our naval strength, our new Astute and Type 45's are still undergoing trials and aren't available for war yet. The QE class carriers won't be available for at least five years.
Now is the perfect time for them.

I'm surprised the sneaky buggers haven't invaded them again.
They know all our forces are tied up in Iraq and Afghanistan. The navy has phased out the sea harrier so we only have the RAF ones left, one of our carriers is mothballed, we've cut back on our naval strength, our new Astute and Type 45's are still undergoing trials and aren't available for war yet. The QE class carriers won't be available for at least five years.
Now is the perfect time for them.

Actually it's the worst possible time. Strategically speaking, the US couldn't possibly allow one of its major allies in Afghanistan to suffer any form of attack from, as it were, the rear.

Not much they could do about it. Public opinion is currently against wars in America. Only the UK could take action without a UN resolution calling for war and we wouldn't want to wait for that as that would give them time to dig in. Plus our "special relationship" with the USA isn't as strong as it was when Bush and Blair were in power.