Ten years ago this spring, Ronald Reagan phoned Margaret Thatcher to offer "some thoughts" on Britain's Falkland Islands war with Argentina. Saturday, a Discovery Channel documentary will detail their talk.
Excerpts:
Reagan: Your impressive military advance could maybe change the diplomatic options....I think an effort to show that we are all still willing to seek a settlement would undercut the efforts of some of the leftists in South America who are currently seeking to exploit the crisis. Now, in thinking about this plan--
Thatcher: This is democracy and our island, and the very worst thing for democracy would be if we failed now. There is always a way through for the Argentines, and that is just to withdraw their forces from the island....I didn't lose some of my finest ships and some of my finest lives to leave quietly under a cease-fire without the Argentines withdrawing.
Reagan: Oh, Margaret, that is part of this as I understand it....They would have to withdraw. Your forces would not have to withdraw until a binational or multinational force arrived.
Thatcher: Just supposing Alaska was invaded. It's a long way from you. It's next door to Russia. You've got all your people up there to retake it, and somebody's suggested a contact would come in. You wouldn't do it.
Reagan: No, no. Although, Margaret, I have to say I don't think Alaska is in a similar situation.
Thatcher: More or less so.
Reagan: It was always my understanding that you had in the past been prepared to offer independence to the islands or--
Thatcher: Yes, but...gradually, Ron. I think this is really the fairest thing for the
Argentines....They've done awful things to our island....After all, you and I are democracies. It's self-determination that we're after....You yourself said on television the
other evening...that if the aggressor wins anything out of this, there would be 50 other
(garbled) at risk.
(text of March 30, 1992 U.S. News & World Report article)