Originally Posted by agoreira

It's that time of the night, he gets worse as it goes on! Like you, I couldn't see us having to resort to nuclear weapons simply to deter some argies, conventional weapons would do fine. As I say, they have no stomach for it! The argies were OK sending some jets and fighting from a distance, as soon as it got down to the serious hand to hand stuff , untried, young argies conscripts against battle hardened British troops, they threw their hands in the air. Against better prepared troops, we'd have struggled, so unless they have improved, I'd fancy us to have the upper hand. They reckon there's always been a conflict with which British troops have been involved somewhere in the world, if there wasn't, we would have started one.

Originally Posted by iamthecreaturefromuranus

Many of the Argentine troops were poorly motivated conscripts, but not all and if those decent quality troops had been better supplied, then it would have been a very different tale. We were only capable of fighting a very short war and if it had dragged on then we would have struggled badly.

The FAA guys showed a huge amount of balls.

Originally Posted by rugbymatt

We had no choice over HK, we only had the lease, India, much to the protestations of my best friends Indian wife, had to be handed back as it was costing an absolute fortunes, which we didn't have at the end of the war... Gib will never be relinquished and quite frankly it never should, the Spanish are complete hypocrites, its out of their control, screw them!

We are hanging on to the Falklands for two reasons, as well you know, firstly the people there are British, its their sovereign right to decide who they are part of and to almost a man they want to be part of Britain, Argentina has already made it quite clear that if they ever got it back they will throw the inhabitants out, they want revenge.... secondly is the most important, if the oil that sits off shore in the Falklands proves to be worth while it will make the UK more capable to stand on its own two feet with its energy needs... why do you think Argentina want it back? To free the Islands? To liberate the penguins? No, they want it back to own the oil reserves... fuck them, if they want another war, good... Most untrustworthy bunch of malingerers I have ever met, I've yet to meet an honest one and I have met literally thousands over the years....

Originally Posted by Domino

i have said it a couple of times on this forum already but I will repeat
The only part of China that had to be returned was the New Territories, which were subject to a 99 year lease (surprising how quickly time goes when enjoying yourself)
Hong Kong and Kowloon were ceeded in perpetuity to Queen Victoria and all her descendents.
I believe Gib is also part of a similar agreement.

Its Christmas so I think instead of me wasting my time you should do a Google search and read up on this and then understand why so many Far Eastern hands were so disgusted at having to return the lot because the Foreign Office were against HK from day one.
So much money flowed thru HK before arriving in the UK, would probably have resolved our budget deficit no problem.

Perhaps Spain ought to give up the Balearics, the Canaries, Mellila and Cueta, and also Llivia.
Perhaps Portugal should give up the Azores and Madeira

.

Originally Posted by rugbymatt

Thanks for the patronising advice, I am fully aware of the finer details of the return of HK and its easier to say that we had to hand it back because of the end of the lease than it is to try and explain why we had it, what other territories we had, the 7 or so treaties we signed, why HK island and Kowloon could never work if split from the NT's and god knows what else went on over the whole sorry mess, it has to be said that by and large it has been a success, we have in laws who have lived there for years and they say they have never had it so good as now and that China has turned out to be quite a benevolent master... but her, what do I know? I'm off to Google patronising and arrogant....

Originally Posted by iamthecreaturefromuranus

Come on now. You have no need to look that up at all.

Originally Posted by rugbymatt

Adding your insightful input to the discussion again I see numbnuts.

Originally Posted by iamthecreaturefromuranus

Unlike yourself of course who, in the space of half a dozen posts, has called one poster a ****, accused another of spouting utter shite and a third of being patronizing and arrogant?

Originally Posted by rugbymatt

Yeah, and?

Originally Posted by HBG

Ever since reading of the foreign office plan to evacuate a million British expats from Spain, I had this niggling suspicion that there was something wrong with it. A million people take up a lot of space, and the UK is not exactly an empty place. And along came the Falklands.

I now have this vision of expats looking out of their troop transport ships and seeing icebergs floating past.

Originally Posted by Dick Dasterdly

I'm not sure about icebergs around the Falklands but they'll definitely need their Winter woolies.
Best ditch the shades and sombreros and get knitting some Benny hats as well.

Quite a cunning plan really in view of the large numbers of ex SAS guys we seem to have amongst the expats I can't imagine the Argies even dreaming about popping their heads up.:blink:

Originally Posted by Domino

I have heard that there are more expats claiming to be SAS than have ever been recruited in its history,
only been bettered by the number of people claiming to be ex Met Police,

perhaps it a good job I refused the commando course when I was offered it, otherwise I might be one of those saddo's