Manoeuvres uneventful

Press, 9 March 1988, Page 10

Manoeuvres uneventful

NZPA-AFP Buenos Aires

British manoeuvres in the South Atlantic Falkland Islands started yesterday without incident, an Argentine Navy source said as Argentine Government officials continued to analyse the possibility of demanding an emergency United . Nations Security Council meeting on the exercise.

President Raul Alfonsin met the Foreign Minister, Dante Caputo, who in turn consulted the Defence Minister, Horacio Jaunarena, on the manoeuvres. A reliable source said the meetings resulted in a decision to maintain "a state of defensive alert” , in the Atlantic.

Argentine soldiers who lost a 74-day war against Britain over the disputed archipelago in 1982 and

student groups protested at the manoeuvres in demonstrations yesterday in front of the Buenos Aires branch of Londonbased Lloyds Bank.

Labour and human rights groups also tried to hold a rally in front of the Argentine Parliament but police prevented the effort.

In London yesterday, the British Minister of State for the Armed Forces, lan Stewart, justified the exercise, in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation, reiterating that London wanted to normalise relations with Buenos Aires but would not yield its sovereignty of the Falklands.

“We have to defend the Falklands. We had a very unfortunate experience six years ago,” Mr Stewart said.

He said he failed to see how a purely defensive, small-scale exercise could be provocative. The aim of the Fire Focus exercises, involving 1000 men and fewer than 12 Phantom 4 fighter jets, .is to * test | the British Army’s ability ,to reinforce its 1200 to 2000 men stationed at the Falklands military base of Mount Pleasant.

In Britain the exercises seemed to enjoy widespread support, in spite of protests from Brazil, Uruguay and Mexico.

An editorial in the daily "Independent” said the “sensible and legitimate” exercise was designed to be "the least disturbing to Argentina,” while the "Times” said Britain had "consistently] proffered an olive branch to Buenos Aires.” i