Adm. Woodward: Falklands undefendable

[TLAM Strike]

Interesting article from the commander of Operation Corporate.

What are the opinions of those around here from both sides of the Atlantic?

[Gerald]

According, the article feels like it is missing, base on the island and its status .... and certainly there are things under the table,personally I do not think that the UK, have problems in any conflict, without being too informed of when their defense,

[Jimbuna]

Actually, there are more assetts there now than there have been for some years since the conflict.

I'm not saying we could relieve the island in force like we did in 82 but given a little warning (satellite intel) I should imagine an on-station nuke and similar reinforcements (Trafalgar/Astute Classes) could do a bit of damage.

A question...Is this hypothetical shift in US thinking in any way related to the Russians about to set up rigs off Cuba?

Is it possible they are looking for a bigger slice of the oil and gas cake they believe they may lose to the Russians?

[Oberon]

The Argie military hasn't exactly leapt on in bounds either. In fact I think they're going through their own budget crisis at the moment. Furthermore, it's a completely different style of government in Argentina right now, so the chances of any immediate conflict over the Falklands is miniscule.

Of course, if by some amazingly long shot the Argentinians did get onto the Falklands then getting them off could be problematic.

[nikimcbee]

The question is, does Britain have the stomach to defend it?

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by nikimcbee

The question is, does Britain have the stomach to defend it?

What? Son of the Iron Maiden. He'll defend it, even if he had to take forces out of Afghanistan to do it. I don't think much of Dave the chameleon but I do think that he would Thatcher the Falklands without a seconds indecision.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

Is this hypothetical shift in US thinking

Hypothetical...?

Are you still buying the fairy tale of special British-American relations in the present? It might feel like that in the crew ranks and interpersonal relations, but politically already Bush held you by your noses and lead you around in circles - and you did "Wuff!" when he said "Balk!" If you recall, several high ranking British commanders bitterly and very openly complained about that and the very one-sided nature of these special relations two or three years ago. The complaints continued through the ranks of commanding field officers after they returned from Basra - and Afghanistan as well.

And the big rewards and economic contracts Bush promised you for participating in Iraq (and the Spanish, and ther Poles, and others) - have they ever come true?

Sorry Jim. You Brits are "useful idiots" for your American buddies these days. Or more politely: its nice to have you at the end of a long American line when America goes to war. Of course they tell you you are special. Else you would not follow them.

WWII era is over, so is the cold war. Get real. And Obama has no sense for Europe anyway, it simply does not interest him much, and never has. His focus is elsewhere.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Hypothetical...?

Are you still buying the fairy tale of special British-American relations in the present? It might feel like that in the crew ranks and interpersonal relations, but politically already Bush held you by your noses and lead you around in circles - and you did "Wuff!" when he said "Balk!" If you recall, several high ranking British commanders bitterly and very openly complained about that and the very one-sided nature of these special relations two or three years ago. The complaints continued through the ranks of commanding field officers after they returned from Basra - and Afghanistan as well.

And the big rewards and economic contracts Bush promised you for participating in Iraq (and the Spanish, and ther Poles, and others) - have they ever come true?

Sorry Jim. You Brits are "useful idiots" for your American buddies these days. Or more politely: its nice to have you at the end of a long American line when America goes to war. Of course they tell you you are special. Else you would not follow them.

WWII era is over, so is the cold war. Get real. And Obama has no sense for Europe anyway, it simply does not interest him much, and never has. His focus is elsewhere.

My apologies but I somehow overlooked your post Sky.

There is a growing feeling in the UK that what you post may well be correct.

Myself....I simply hope that is not the case.

Only time will tell.

[Onkel Neal]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Hypothetical...?

Are you still buying the fairy tale of special British-American relations in the present? It might feel like that in the crew ranks and interpersonal relations, but politically already Bush held you by your noses and lead you around in circles - and you did "Wuff!" when he said "Balk!" If you recall, several high ranking British commanders bitterly and very openly complained about that and the very one-sided nature of these special relations two or three years ago. The complaints continued through the ranks of commanding field officers after they returned from Basra - and Afghanistan as well.

And the big rewards and economic contracts Bush promised you for participating in Iraq (and the Spanish, and ther Poles, and others) - have they ever come true?

Sorry Jim. You Brits are "useful idiots" for your American buddies these days. Or more politely: its nice to have you at the end of a long American line when America goes to war. Of course they tell you you are special. Else you would not follow them.

WWII era is over, so is the cold war. Get real. And Obama has no sense for Europe anyway, it simply does not interest him much, and never has. His focus is elsewhere.

Wow, cannot disagree more. So wrong on every level. Just because allies support each other, does not mean one is leading the other by the nose

[kraznyi_oktjabr]

Originally Posted by Neal Stevens

Wow, cannot disagree more. So wrong on every level. Just because allies support each other, does not mean one is leading the other by the nose

Whatever is truth is not important. What is really important is what it looks like.

If UK was just "supporting ally" then it looked heck much like dog doing whatever Master says to do. *woof, woof!*