The Falkland war

1) European settlers and explorers were the people who lived on the Falkland Islands. The islands were not inhabited before the European nations started their colonization.

2) It was important for the UK to maintain control over the Islands because they wanted to protect their territory and not let Argentina reoccupy the islands after they had already managed to take control. Nationalism and patriotism were key factors as well. They already had British settlers on the islands which they wanted to “protect” and keep the islands under British rule.

3) Argentina wanted the islands because it’s located right next to their country, and they did not want Britain there to rule over the islands and have them close to them.

4) The war ended with British victory. General Menéndez ignoring orders from Buenos Aires to gather all the remaining forces and go into a suicidal counter-attack, surrendered unconditionally to Major General Moore, bringing the conflict to an end.

5) About 650 Argentines and 260 British casualties.

6) The Falklands campaign was considered a great victory for the United Kingdom. The Tory government of Margaret Thatcher was reelected the following year by a landslide. Even though the national economy was by then starting to recover from the recession, this change in the public opinion became known as the Falklands factor. The war was a victory to the people as well.

On October 23. 1993 a bomb killed ten people in a local fish-shop at the protestant Shankill road in Belfast. Amongst the victims of the attack was the bomber Thomas Begley, a member of the IRA along with the parents of Michelle Williamson (a protestant).
Now 16 years later there have been proposed suggestions and an active effort to solve and get an end to all the violent actions between Protestants and Catholics. Terrorist attacks between these two groups have been a major problem and caused many innocent lives. In a conference in Belfast Michelle Williamson is furiously talking about the problem and saying that the commissions’ plans are unacceptable. Along with other victims like herself they are pounding down the proposals with fury and awful language.

The report was meant to “compensate” for the loss of victims family member(s) or work as conciliation, but instead it caused more trouble and disagreements. The report stated that all the families of the victims killed by terror attacks would be given 120 000kr including the families of the IRA terrorists. This is what caused the problems and huge fights between the victims’ families and the commission. The commission had to eventually withdraw their plan that was meant to stabilize the relationship between Protestants and Catholics.

I think the commissions’ plan to give a sum of money to all the families was a good idea initially, but as I got to the part where it said the families of the IRA terrorists would also receive money, I drastically changed my mind. I agree that it would be the same as giving money to the terrorists of the 9/11 attack. I don't understand how someone would give money in compensation to a family where another family member had actively tried and succeeded in killing others. I can understand how their families feel, and think theyshould be given a helping hand and support to deal with the situation because they didn't have anything to do with the attacks.