Argentina’s basic aims achieved — Minister

Press, 5 June 1982, Page 1

Argentina’s basic aims achieved — Minister

NZPA-Reuter Buenos Aires Argentina's Defence Minister, Mr Amadeo Frugoli. said last evening that whatever the result of the battle for Port Stanley, the Falklands' capital, the Argentinian Government had achieved iijS basic'aim. Mr Frugoli told reporters,

as the main Argentinian garrison on the islands awaited a British assault, that whatever the military outcome, Argentina had won a resounding political victory and had become a country worthy of respect. Argentinian newspapers had earlier quoted the Air

Force commander, Briga-dier-General Basilio Lami Dozo, a member of the military junta, as saying that Port Stanley was the most important stronghold on the islands, but not the last. "The Malvinas (Falklands) battle is just that — a battle, and there are many battles in a conflict," he said. The Argentinian high command said that military activity on the islands yesterday had been limited to artillery exchanges. Argentinian forces had suffered no casualties and had heavily bombarded British positions on Mount Kent. Military sources quoted by the independent news agency.' Noticias Argentinas, said that British troops, using infra-red equipment, would probably attack from. Mount Kent to the west and from the Freycihet Peninsula to the north. The delay in the offensive was playing against the British, who were exposed to bitterly cold weather, and could not change wet clothes

or cook hot food, the sources said. • .

Mr Frugoli, Returning from a tour ,of southern mainland airbases, said that the justice of Argentina’s claim to the islands had deeply penetrated into the conscience of humanity. This was a resounding victory.

A war was won when the opponent's will was crushed, he said. “Our will will never be crushed, whatever the consequences of military battle.'-' •'■'■

President Leopoldo Gal tieri .yesterday urged all Government officials to display total austerity and cut down on .social activities "in a show - ' of support for the sons of this land' who are defending, sovereignty in the SOUth.” - !• '

In London, the Defence Ministry' said that British aircraft had dropped, thousands of leaflets on the besieged Argentinian troops in Port Stanley urging them to surrender. •■_ - • "

The leaflets, in Spanish, contained-an open letter to the Argentinian military governor, Brigadier-General Mario Menendez, commander of the estimated 7000 troops at Port Stanley. He was urged to give up and save lives in the face of overwhelming odds. The appeal, signed by the British commander of the naval task force, Rear-Ad-miral John Woodward, said: “The forces' under my command have established a dominating presence in this area and there can be no prospect of your garrison being relieved.”

The British aircraft also dropped safe-conduct passes, in English and Spanish, to help Argentinian soldiers pass through British lines to receive food and medical treatment as prisoners of war.

The British Prime Minister (Mrs Thatcher) has appealed to Argentina to withdraw its occupying troops and avoid what could be a prolonged battle with many casualties.

Correspondents with the British forces reported yesterday that Argentinian patrols;sent out to test the British strength came quickly under fire from advance troops within 16km of the capital. A Reuter correspondent, Leslie Dowd, said that the 7000-strong Argentinian garrison was believed to include up to 4000 combat troops and might still have a few Pucara ground-attack aircraft. Royal Marines, encountering minimal opposition, had installed guns on strategic heights and had bottled up the Argentinian troops, he said.

As the British force dug in round the town, more supplies and equipment were being ferried in from the beachhead at San Carlos,; 80km to the west.

Thick mist blanketing the Falklands was holding up a British assault on Port Stanley, another British correspondent reported. The thick, clammy mist had reduced visibility to about 200 metres and slowed up provision of supplies to front-line British troops on the strategic heights over-, looking the capital, said Jeremy Hands, of Independent Television News. “With British forces now poised above the capital, all it needs is for the weather to clear for the final advance to get under way,” he said.

In Paris, the American Secretary of State, Mr Alexander Haig, said yesterday that the United States and France both wanted an early end to bloodshed.

Mr Haig is Tn, Paris to attend Western economic summit talks this week-end.

In New Kork, the United Nations, Security Council was yesterday continuing its efforts to find an acceptable cease-fire resolution after Britain said that it would veto an earlier resolution because it did not call for an Argentinian withdrawal from the Falklands. The “New York Tinfes” said yesterday- that ,■Soviet technicians had been working in Argentina to set up a national radar network to guard against possible British air attacks?-