A ri 1 I JB2 lHE FALKLANDS DISPUTE AN HISTORICAL PERSPECT1VE The controvprsy dates back to 1833 when thp Aritish who originally discovered the islands reoccupie them for use as a seal hunting Dnd shipping base in the South AtlantIc Th Argentines claimed that the islands contro led bv t panish as part of the ArlJentim' colony un t i 1 lfll0 becalrr t h ir s once independence had been secured 'T'he npw qovprnm l'it ' ' 'dS too weak to oust the Rrit ish and Bueno s AirE's lost cion t r o l r the islands o ------ --The dispute was only a minor l r r i t an t in - i l n t o r a I _ - relations between t ondcn and Buenos Ai res un t i 1 1 9 f 5--when c - - -' --Argentina brought the dispute before the Un i t ed Nntions 'T'h0 - _ General Assembly declared that sovereignty over the jsl nds was _o o in dispu te and created a negotia t ing f aml work 'l'a J k n ''' l r e - --- - largely unsuccessful and yi eldE d on I Y a ser i e n of aqrp ments _ _ - during the ear ly 1970s facilitate-d t ravel and apprnvN'i ------ - contracts for Argentine compan i e s to pr ov i de fuel 'H o t he r necessities to the islanders o The growing economic potential of the f s l and a r e a heightened diplomatic tensions in the rnid-J 970s n lQ74 a -- ---- - geological survey de te rmi ned that the Fi k l ands cou d Cp the center of a vast pool of oil--perhaps nine t imes thf Sl E of -------' North Sea fields Offshore marine r e aour ce s-c-f Lsh krill a small shrimp and kelp also promise substantial prot its In '--- ' '- '- - 197fi Argentina underscored its determination to r pef d lip ' negotiations by usi ng a destroyer to harass a Hz i t _ h r e se ar ch -' _ ' '- ship in Falkland territorial wa t e r s j s eve r a t warnino shots wprp - - - f Lr ed The inc ident occu r r ed at a time of subs t zm t a 1 dorne s t i c t ' strife in Argentina just prior-to the ouster of I bel Peron and in part appeared des igned to qa r n e r support for t h e ' ' - ''' 0 President with a distracting ultra n a t i onc I i s t l o i 1J - ---- However Peron was ousted shortl y t he r e a f t e r Be H i nh r e sponse - - ---- -- was r es t ra ined and negotiations con t 1nuerl o The latest round of talks beqan in F0 brllury---r t ill part of the 15 years 01- negotiati ons that f o Ll owr-d the st lblifjhment by the UN of a framework mechanism Pr e s i dc n t ol' r ri who has directed a qeneraJ1y mor o aggressive io t e i on p l e ' s r nno his assumption of power in December pr f' SSPO for a po rmanpnt negotiating oomm i s s i on to r ep l e cr- t hr- 1 pss r equ l il- b' -'l structure In mid-March when the Br it i sh '3pr' dT d tf he vaciliatinq the A gentin 5 pub jcly 1r manrl p d Rr'itain - 1cc'' ' f1t the pr opos a j or face an end t o the t a l k s and o t hr- r 1111 'D0cified Arg ntlne actions Thl British r e f u s r d t ' L lk r'ollndprf d and the incident a t South r eorgia that beC an on M JT ' 1 lC escala ted into con f ron tat j on ann - h AI 'f'n t j ne j n ' i l F'r i dav _4 C'8NFIOErHIAl r- Jq O $ 1 #4L dth 6 't tnJ