La guerre des Malouines dans les relations internationales
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La guerre des Malouines dans les relations internationales

La guerre des Malouines dans les relations internationales La guerre des Malouines dans les relations internationales

theses.paris.sorbonne.fr
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06.07.2013 Views

Valuable possessions Annexes I decided Government House would be the operational headquarters for the Royal Marines. After I had sent my wife and son to a safer house, I told the domestic staff to go away and just take their few most valuable possessions. Nanny, our housekeeper, got her priorities right. Off she went with a picture of the Queen under one arm and a bottle of gin under the other. From five to six the next morning until dawn, which was 6.35, it was a very fierce fire fight. I was under my desk with my assistant. I had to make a conscious effort to think through the noise. People say "weren't you frightened?" I think I would have been but I was stunned of all emotions because of the noise. I had a little handgun and I was going to use it if they got as far as my office. At about 6.35, the firing subsided and (Royal Marine Major) Mike Norman popped his head round the door and said: "We've repulsed the bastards". Injured I could hear some groaning and I said "Mike, we'd better get our injured in," and he said: "They're not ours, they're theirs." That was when I realised how close they were. There were three of them who had been shot in my wife's vegetable garden just 15 yards from where I was. I knew I would have to give in sometime. My one anxiety was how many lives I had to lose before I gave in, and had we done enough to resist to get the response from Britain that we needed? If I had known Maggie Thatcher as well then as I know her now I would not have had that anxiety. I got the admiral in charge of the task force to come to me and he urged me to give the order to lay down arms. He said otherwise I would be held responsible for any further casualties. I did point out that it is the people who start the shooting that are to blame. But I did take his point. It was an overwhelmingly superior force. 561

Annexes [At 1230, the governor, wearing his plumed governor's hat, went to the town hall in Stanley to meet the Argentine general commanding the invasion]. "There was this rather miserable little general, sallow faced, coming towards me with a fixed smile on his face. I really felt the anger surge then and I thought: "This is just the rape of the Falkland Islands." I refused to shake hands with him and said: "You have landed unlawfully on British territory and I order you to remove yourself and your troops forthwith." He said: "We have taken back what is rightfully ours and we shall stay forever." I had to get out by 4.30 that afternoon. We were flown to Montevideo. I didn't know anything more than the general public about what was going on. I was never invited into any of the confidential briefings at the Foreign Office. It was ridiculous. When I went back the Falklands it was very emotional. The islanders insisted on grabbing me by the hand and putting their arms around me. They will forever be grateful for the sacrifices people made. Was [the war] worth it? Yes, undoubtedly so. Just look at the poor Argentines now and look at the prosperous islanders. They have done tremendously well since then. All sorts of things have happened that couldn't have happened had it not been for Galtieri's folly. We still have a lot of friends out there. During the occupation we were sitting [in Britain] looking at the television to see how the islanders were getting on. That formed a bond between us and the islanders which I think will last until we die 3 . 3 Extrait d’une interview accordée à la BBC lors de la publication de « Falkland Days ». 562

Annexes<br />

[At 1230, the governor, wearing his plumed governor's hat, went to the town hall in Stanley to<br />

meet the Argentine general commanding the invasion].<br />

"There was this rather miserable little general, sallow faced, coming towards me with a fixed<br />

smile on his face. I really felt the anger surge then and I thought: "This is just the rape of the<br />

Falkland Islands."<br />

I refused to shake hands with him and said: "You have landed unlawfully on British territory<br />

and I order you to remove yourself and your troops forthwith."<br />

He said: "We have taken back what is rightfully ours and we shall stay forever."<br />

I had to get out by 4.30 that afternoon. We were flown to Montevideo.<br />

I didn't know anything more than the general public about what was going on. I was never<br />

invited into any of the confidential briefings at the Foreign Office. It was ridiculous.<br />

When I went back the Falklands it was very emotional.<br />

The islanders insisted on grabbing me by the hand and putting their arms around me. They<br />

will forever be grateful for the sacrifices people made.<br />

Was [the war] worth it? Yes, undoubtedly so. Just look at the poor Argentines now and look<br />

at the prosperous islanders. They have done tremendously well since then.<br />

All sorts of things have happened that couldn't have happened had it not been for Galtieri's<br />

folly.<br />

We still have a lot of friends out there.<br />

During the occupation we were sitting [in Britain] looking at the television to see how the<br />

islanders were getting on.<br />

That formed a bond between us and the islanders which I think will last until we die 3 .<br />

3 Extrait d’une interview accordée à la BBC lors de la publication de « Falkland Days ».<br />

562

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