Originally Posted by
Marcantilan
Argentina prosecuted the vast majority of the military (including non-commissioned officers) who committed crimes against humanity during the last dictatorship (1976-83). The trials continue to this day.
Military responsibility for the 1982 defeat was also the subject of administrative and judicial proceedings, including convictions (which were not finalised by a presidential pardon in 1989).
In the 1982 war, in general, there were no war crimes.
As General Menendez claimed after the war (rather proudly) - there were no rapes during the illegal occupation.
However, Argentinian forces:
- Illegally occupied the Falkland Islands & South Georgia, against international law, and against the will of the local population.
- Restricted the liberty and freedom of movement of the local population, including imprisoning the population of Goose Green in a village hall for several weeks.
- Forced, under duress, the local population to refer to their own city and country under Spanish names.
- Indiscriminately scattered thousands of landmines across the islands, keeping no record, and restricting land use for 30+ years
- Occupied civilian dwellings, which were left damaged, and strewn with grafitti, booby traps and human faeces.
- Caused a war which cost the lives of three FI civilians, 255 British and 649 Argentinians, as well as hundred more with life threatening injuries.
Forgive me if I don't gush with gratitude at the lack of war crimes.I am pretty sure if the UK had done the same to mainland Argentina you'd be crying to the UN for the next thousand years.
The Falkland islands have no intrinsic value to Argentina other than as a distraction from the chaos and failure that litter its domestic politics. Once one of the worlds richest nations, it is now an international watchword for economic mismanagement and failure. If the Islanders raised the Argentinian flag tomorrow, BA would have absolutely no idea what to do with the place.