The London Daily News

17 February, 2010 08:42 (GMT +00:00)

Falkland’s tensions escalate over oil

- 60 BILLION BARRELS OF OIL NEAR FALKLANDS ISLANDS
- EXPLORATION TO START THIS WEEK

International News Desk

Growing tensions between Argentina and Britain over oil rights in the sea around the Falklands has led to the Argentina President to decree that all ships sailing to the Falklands must have a permit from the Argentine government, in effect taking full control of shipping in the South Atlantic seas.

To date the British government have been careful not to provoke any escalations of what many believe is becoming a crisis, with the impending arrival of an oil rig from Scotland due to arrive in the Falklands today.

Military analysts have long warned that the British military would not be able to undertake an operation as in 1982 given the extensive commitments in other theatres of war like Iraq and Afghanistan.

Fears that the Argentine army will be used to intimidate British workers involved in the oil exploration exercise, were confirmed when Argentine military jets buzzed a crew from the Scottish Highlands this week.

As yet the Argentineans have used diplomatic methods to express their frustrations and anger, but the Argentine foreign minister Jorge Taiana is reported in The Times as saying "all necessary steps" would be taken to protect his nation's claim to the 300 mile coastline.

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