Cable Viewer

Currently released so far... 6236 / 251,287

### Articles

Brazil Sri Lanka United Kingdom Sweden Editorial United States Latin America Egypt Yemen Jordan

### Browse latest releases

2010/11 2010/12 2011/01 2011/02 2011/03
2010/11/28 2010/11/29 2010/11/30
2010/12/01 2010/12/02 2010/12/03 2010/12/04 2010/12/05 2010/12/06 2010/12/07 2010/12/08 2010/12/09 2010/12/10 2010/12/11 2010/12/12 2010/12/13 2010/12/14 2010/12/15 2010/12/16 2010/12/17 2010/12/18 2010/12/19 2010/12/20 2010/12/21 2010/12/22 2010/12/23 2010/12/24 2010/12/25 2010/12/26 2010/12/27 2010/12/28 2010/12/29 2010/12/30
2011/01/01 2011/01/02 2011/01/04 2011/01/05 2011/01/07 2011/01/09 2011/01/10 2011/01/11 2011/01/12 2011/01/13 2011/01/14 2011/01/15 2011/01/16 2011/01/17 2011/01/18 2011/01/19 2011/01/20 2011/01/21 2011/01/22 2011/01/23 2011/01/24 2011/01/25 2011/01/26 2011/01/27 2011/01/28 2011/01/29 2011/01/30 2011/01/31
2011/02/01 2011/02/02 2011/02/03 2011/02/04 2011/02/05 2011/02/06 2011/02/07 2011/02/08 2011/02/09 2011/02/10 2011/02/11 2011/02/12 2011/02/13 2011/02/14 2011/02/15 2011/02/16 2011/02/17 2011/02/18 2011/02/19 2011/02/20 2011/02/21 2011/02/22 2011/02/23 2011/02/24 2011/02/25 2011/02/26 2011/02/27 2011/02/28
2011/03/01 2011/03/02 2011/03/03 2011/03/04 2011/03/05 2011/03/06 2011/03/07 2011/03/08 2011/03/09 2011/03/10 2011/03/11 2011/03/13 2011/03/14 2011/03/15 2011/03/16 2011/03/17 2011/03/18 2011/03/19 2011/03/20 2011/03/21 2011/03/22

### Browse by creation date

66 72 73 75 79 85 86 88 89 90 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10
1966/12
1972/02 1972/08
1973/04
1975/03
1979/08
1985/03
1986/05
1988/01
1989/12
1990/01 1990/07 1990/08 1990/10
2000/06 2000/09 2000/11
2001/02 2001/03 2001/07 2001/10 2001/11
2002/02 2002/03 2002/04 2002/07 2002/11 2002/12
2003/02 2003/03 2003/04 2003/05 2003/06 2003/07 2003/08 2003/09 2003/10 2003/11 2003/12
2004/01 2004/02 2004/03 2004/04 2004/05 2004/06 2004/07 2004/08 2004/09 2004/10 2004/11 2004/12
2005/01 2005/02 2005/03 2005/04 2005/05 2005/06 2005/07 2005/08 2005/09 2005/10 2005/11 2005/12
2006/01 2006/02 2006/03 2006/04 2006/05 2006/06 2006/07 2006/08 2006/09 2006/10 2006/11 2006/12
2007/01 2007/02 2007/03 2007/04 2007/05 2007/06 2007/07 2007/08 2007/09 2007/10 2007/11 2007/12
2008/01 2008/02 2008/03 2008/04 2008/05 2008/06 2008/07 2008/08 2008/09 2008/10 2008/11 2008/12
2009/01 2009/02 2009/03 2009/04 2009/05 2009/06 2009/07 2009/08 2009/09 2009/10 2009/11 2009/12
2010/01 2010/02

### Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z
Embassy Athens Embassy Asuncion Embassy Astana Embassy Asmara Embassy Ashgabat Embassy Ankara Embassy Amman Embassy Algiers Embassy Addis Ababa Embassy Accra Embassy Abuja Embassy Abu Dhabi Embassy Abidjan Consulate Amsterdam American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Embassy Bujumbura Embassy Buenos Aires Embassy Budapest Embassy Bucharest Embassy Brussels Embassy Bridgetown Embassy Bratislava Embassy Brasilia Embassy Bogota Embassy Bishkek Embassy Bern Embassy Berlin Embassy Belgrade Embassy Beirut Embassy Beijing Embassy Banjul Embassy Bangkok Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan Embassy Bamako Embassy Baku Embassy Baghdad Consulate Barcelona
Embassy Copenhagen Embassy Conakry Embassy Colombo Embassy Chisinau Embassy Caracas Embassy Canberra Embassy Cairo Consulate Curacao Consulate Ciudad Juarez Consulate Chennai Consulate Casablanca Consulate Cape Town
Embassy Dushanbe Embassy Dublin Embassy Doha Embassy Djibouti Embassy Dhaka Embassy Dar Es Salaam Embassy Damascus Embassy Dakar Consulate Dubai
Embassy Freetown
Embassy Guatemala Embassy Gaborone Consulate Guadalajara
Embassy Helsinki Embassy Harare Embassy Hanoi Consulate Hermosillo Consulate Hamburg
Iran RPO Dubai Embassy Islamabad Consulate Istanbul
Embassy Jakarta Consulate Jerusalem Consulate Jeddah
Embassy Kyiv Embassy Kuwait Embassy Kuala Lumpur Embassy Kinshasa Embassy Kigali Embassy Khartoum Embassy Kathmandu Embassy Kampala Embassy Kabul Consulate Kolkata
Embassy Luxembourg Embassy Luanda Embassy London Embassy Ljubljana Embassy Lisbon Embassy Lima Embassy Lilongwe Embassy La Paz Consulate Lagos
Mission USNATO Embassy Muscat Embassy Moscow Embassy Montevideo Embassy Monrovia Embassy Minsk Embassy Mexico Embassy Mbabane Embassy Maputo Embassy Manama Embassy Managua Embassy Malabo Embassy Madrid Consulate Munich Consulate Mumbai Consulate Montreal Consulate Monterrey Consulate Milan
Embassy New Delhi Embassy Nassau Embassy Nairobi Consulate Naples
Embassy Ouagadougou Embassy Ottawa Embassy Oslo
Embassy Pristina Embassy Pretoria Embassy Prague Embassy Port Au Prince Embassy Phnom Penh Embassy Paris Embassy Paramaribo Embassy Panama Consulate Peshawar
Embassy Quito
REO Basrah Embassy Rome Embassy Riyadh Embassy Riga Embassy Reykjavik Embassy Rangoon Embassy Rabat Consulate Rio De Janeiro Consulate Recife
Secretary of State Embassy Stockholm Embassy Sofia Embassy Skopje Embassy Singapore Embassy Seoul Embassy Sarajevo Embassy Santo Domingo Embassy Santiago Embassy Sanaa Embassy San Salvador Embassy San Jose Consulate Strasbourg Consulate Shenyang Consulate Shanghai Consulate Sao Paulo
Embassy Tunis Embassy Tripoli Embassy Tokyo Embassy The Hague Embassy Tel Aviv Embassy Tehran Embassy Tegucigalpa Embassy Tbilisi Embassy Tashkent Embassy Tallinn Consulate Tijuana
USUN New York USEU Brussels US Mission Geneva US Interests Section Havana US Delegation, Secretary UNVIE Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Embassy Vilnius Embassy Vienna Embassy Vatican Consulate Vladivostok
Embassy Windhoek Embassy Wellington Embassy Warsaw
Embassy Yerevan Embassy Yaounde
Embassy Zagreb

### Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
AE AF AORC ASEC AR AJ APCS ABLD AMGT AFIN AEMR AU AM ADCO ASIG AG APER AL ASUP AA AFFAIRS ASECKFRDCVISKIRFPHUMSMIGEG AMED AS AGMT APECO AO ACOA AX AROC ATFN ASEAN AFGHANISTAN AFU AER ALOW AODE ABUD ATRN AID AC AVERY
BA BO BR BM BL BU BEXP BBSR BMGT BF BG BTIU BC BTIO BY BH BE BIDEN BRUSSELS BK BX BT BB BILAT
CS CVIS CA CASC CI CU CO CH CBW CJAN CM CE CDG CR COUNTER CD CG CMGT CWC CKGR CN CPAS CONS CLINTON CT CV CJUS CY COUNTERTERRORISM CIA CACM CDB CAN COE COUNTRY CLEARANCE CACS CF CONDOLEEZZA CARSON CL CIS CODEL CTM CB COM
DR DA DS DOMESTIC DJ DOD DEAX DOE DISENGAGEMENT DEA DK DHS DTRA
ECON EFIN EINV EG ELAB EFIS ETRD EPET ENRG ETTC EAGR EAID EAIR ELTN EWWT EIND ER EC ECPS EUN ES EN EMIN EI ENVR ET ENGR ECIN ENIV EU ENVI ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS EZ EXTERNAL EINT ELN EUR ENNP EUNCH EFINECONCS EK ECINECONCS EINVECONSENVCSJA ELECTIONS ECUN EINVEFIN ECIP EINDETRD EUC EREL ECA ENERG ENGY ETRO EFTA ECONCS ECONOMICS ECONEFIN EINVETC EINN ESA ETC ETRDEINVTINTCS ESENV ETRDECONWTOCS
FR FI FJ FTAA FAO FREEDOM FBI FMLN FARC FINR
GG GH GE GV GM GCC GA GR GT GOI GZ GTIP GANGS GTMO GAZA GOV GY
HSTC HA HU HYMPSK HK HO HR HILLARY HURI HUMAN
IN IWC IC IS IR IZ IT ID ICRC IAEA ILC IO INTELSAT ISRAELI ILO IBRD IMF ICAO IACI IMO ICJ ITRA ITALY ITALIAN IRAQI INTERPOL IV ICTY IQ IPR INRB ITPHUM IIP IL IA INR ITPGOV IZPREL IRC INRA INRO IRAJ IEFIN IF
JA JO JOSEPH JM JUS JAMES JP JOHNNIE
KIRF KSCA KPAL KTFN KDEM KFRD KCOR KPKO KGHG KNNP KCRM KISL KBTR KWMN KPAO KS KFLU KSTH KOMC KE KMPI KOMS KSPR KWBG KIPR KTIP KJUS KPRV KFLO KHLS KN KSUM KTIA KGIC KHIV KDRG KICC KWWMN KUNR KLIG KBIO KMCA KSTC KZ KG KOLY KCFE KTBT KTDB KOCI KAWK KCIP KNPP KWAC KU KMDR KAWC KBCT KIDE KWMNCS KSEP KVPR KNEI KACT KRAD KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KSAF KV KFSC KCRS KO KX KPRP KR KPWR KMIG KSEC KIFR KDEMAF KFIN KGCC KPIN KPLS KIRC KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KGIT KBTS KERG KWMM KRVC KNSD KVIR KNUP KTER KDDG KHSA KMRS KHDP KTLA KPAK KNAR KREL KPAI KTEX KCOM KNNPMNUC KPOA KRFD KHUM KDEV KNUC KCFC KREC
LE LY LU LI LG LH LAB LO LOG LT LTTE
MARR MOPS MASS MX MNUC ML MCAP MTCRE MR MP MO MY MU MIL MC MTRE MA MV MD MAR MRCRE MEPI MPOS MZ MEPP MOPPS MAPP MASC MT MERCOSUR MK MDC MI MAPS MCC MASSMNUC MQADHAFI MUCN MTCR MG
NATO NL NGO NS NO NIPP NI NG NZ NA NU NK NE NPT NSF NP NATIONAL NSG NRR NAR NASA NPG NT
OVIP OAS OREP ODIP OTRA OSCE OECD OIIP OEXC OPCW OPIC OPDC OPRC OSCI OVP OFDP OTR OSAC OIC OFFICIALS OIE
PREL PINR PGOV PHUM PTER PINS PK PREF PARM PE PEL PM PBTS PA PARMS PHSA PO POL PLN POLITICS PROP PALESTINIAN PL POV PAO PG PEPR PSI PINT PSOE PU POLITICAL PARTIES PBIO PECON PAK POGOV PINL PKFK PMIL PY PFOR PHALANAGE PARTY PRAM PMAR PGOVLO PUNE PORG PHUMPREL PF POLINT PHUS PGOC PNR PGGV PNAT PGOVE PRGOV PRL PROV PTERE PGOF PHUMBA PINF
QA
RU RS RP RW RO RIGHTS RF RICE ROBERT RFE REGION
SY SU SENV SW SP SNAR SOCI SO SR SZ SMIG SCUL SC SA SAN SN SL SEVN SF SG SYR SI STEINBERG SIPRS SH SNARCS SOFA SANC SHUM SK ST
TU TRGY TS TSPL TBIO TH TT TPHY TSPA TI TK TIP TERRORISM TZ TX TW TD TURKEY TP TC TO TNGD TINT TRSY TR TFIN
UNSC UN UK UNGA UNDC UNHCR UZ US UNHRC UG UP UNAUS USTR UNEP UY UNESCO USUN UAE UV UNMIK USEU UNO UNDP UNCHS UNVIE UNCHC UE UNDESCO USAID
VZ VE VT VTPREL VN VM
WHO WA WMO WEU WTRO WZ WI WTO WTRQ WWARD WB WHA WBG
XM XL XK XC XR XW XF XY XG XT XA XZ XS XH XE XD
YI YM YMCS YE
ZI ZP ZR ZU ZF ZB ZO ZANU ZA ZOELLICK ZK ZJ

### Browse by classification

CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN SECRET SECRET//NOFORN UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

### Community resources

Follow us on Twitter Check our Reddit Twitter this Digg this page Contact us on IRC

courage is contagious

### Viewing cable 10BUENOSAIRES95, Falklands/Malvinas: GoA Requires Permission for Ships to

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:

- The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
- The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
- The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.

To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.
Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #10BUENOSAIRES95.

Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
10BUENOSAIRES95 | 2010-02-17 22:10 | 2010-12-01 21:09 | CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN | Embassy Buenos Aires

`

    VZCZCXYZ0002
    OO RUEHWEB

    DE RUEHBU #0095/01 0482240
    ZNY CCCCC ZZH
    O R 172240Z FEB 10
    FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0538
    INFO MERCOSUR COLLECTIVE
    RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
    RHMFISS/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
    RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
    RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
    RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0029
    RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
    RULSJGA/DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON DC

` `

    C O N F I D E N T I A L BUENOS AIRES 000095

    SIPDIS
    NOFORN
    OES FOR EVAN BLOOM AND HAROLD TAYLOR
    DEPT OF ENERGY FOR MANOLIS PRIONIOTAKIS

    E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/02/17
    TAGS: ECON PHSA PBTS EFIN PREL ENRG AR
    SUBJECT: Falklands/Malvinas: GoA Requires Permission for Ships to
    Travel to the Islands

    REF: Buenos Aires 0118; Buenos Aires 0071

    CLASSIFIED BY: Tom Kelly, DCM; REASON: 1.4(B), (D)

    Summary

    ¶1. (C) The GoA issued a decree on February 16 requiring ships to
    obtain GoA permission before sailing from Argentina or through
    Argentine waters to reach the Falkland/Malvinas Islands. Argentine
    President Fernandez de Kirchner sought to justify the decree based
    on UN resolutions. The decree is intended to discourage oil
    exploration in territorial waters of the islands. British
    diplomats in Argentina are seeking to calm the waters, but note
    that Argentina has sent warning letters to companies currently
    involved in such exploration. They think that there is a real
    possibility that the GoA might place sanctions against these
    companies, even if Argentine economic interests might be harmed in
    the process. While it is unclear to what extent U.S. companies may
    be affected, one target may be U.S. tour operators for Southern
    Cone and Antarctica cruises that include a stop at the islands.
    The British strategy is to let CFK score political points now and
    wait for the issue to fade away as the public debate shifts to more
    pressing domestic issues. End Summary.

    Argentina Requires Ships to Request Permission to Travel to
    Falklands/Malvinas

    ¶2. (SBU) On February 16, Cabinet Chief Anibal Fernandez announced
    that President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner (CFK) had that day
    signed a new decree (Executive Order equivalent) requiring ships to
    obtain GoA permission to sail from Argentina or through Argentine
    waters to the Falklands/Malvinas and other South Atlantic islands
    claimed by Argentina, or before loading cargo destined for them.
    According to a GoA press release, it "establishes the requirement
    for (GoA) permission to navigate between the Argentine continental
    territory and the Malvinas, South Georgia and South Sandwich
    Islands." Anibal Fernandez will head a commission (which will
    include representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs,
    Planning, Industry and Tourism, Economy and Justice) to oversee
    implementation of the decree.

    ¶3. (SBU) At a public event later in the day, CFK explained that
    "all ships that are headed to Puerto Argentino (i.e., Port Stanley)
    must request authorization from Argentina, whatever their reason
    for going." She justified this new requirement, arguing that
    "there are numerous UN resolutions which request and require both
    countries (i.e., Argentina and the U.K.) to renew talks to reach an
    agreement on sovereignty (of the islands), and resolutions which
    say that neither party can take unilateral actions." She added
    that "these resolutions have been systematically ignored by the
    United Kingdom, which refuses to discuss the matter," and that "the
    U.K. refuses to sit at the table to discuss it as the UN orders."
    She stated that she would raise the issue at the Rio Group summit
    meeting to be held next week in Playa del Carmen, MC)xico.

    The Reason: To Raise the Cost of Doing Business in the Islands

    ¶4. (SBU) Numerous press reports cited anonymous government sources
    with more detailed justifications and explanations of intent.
    Leading daily Clarin's source stated that "The ships that go (to
    the Falklands to support oil drilling) should know that they won't
    get any assistance in Argentine ports." Pro-government daily
    Pagina 12's source in the MFA went further, claiming that the goal
    was "to make the exploration process more expensive" and thus
    discourage firms from operating there. Foreign Minister Taiana, in
    a closed-door session with CFK-aligned congressmen, reportedly

    repeated that last argument, while also expressing the hope that
    companies would choose instead to conduct similar activities in
    nearby (undisputed) Argentine waters. Another MFA source told
    pro-government Pagina 12 that "last Friday, the Financial Times
    reported that stock prices (of Desire Petroleum, the British
    company leading the exploration efforts) were falling. That is
    what our sanctions aim for, always through peaceful and legal
    means, so that the risk factor that every petroleum company
    (operating in the Islands) faces is increasingly higher."

    ¶5. (C) While the decree has yet to be published in its entirety,
    the GoA may have already begun to enforce it. A British-flagged
    ship, the "Thor Leader," was detained in a port north of Buenos
    Aires on February 11 (it arrived at the port February 4) based on
    allegations that it had delivered equipment related to the oil
    exploration activity to Port Stanley prior to stopping in
    Argentina. (Initial reports quoted GoA sources accusing Argentine
    oil tubing manufacturer Techint of shipping its goods to the
    Islands on board the Thor Leader. The company quickly denied those
    claims, stating that the goods to be loaded on the ship were
    destined for various customers in the Mediterranean. The
    accusations against Techint have not been repeated in the past few
    days, but the ship remains detained.) Local press cited the
    Financial Times as the source for the information that the ship was
    owned by Desire Petroleum, and attributed the drop in Desire's
    stock price to the detention. However, other press reports state
    that the justification for the detention was a resolution issued in
    2007 (see Ref B) which threatens to shut down the Argentine
    operations of any oil company that operates in the Falklands
    without GoA permission.

    UK Expects Continued GoA Moves to Discourage Oil & Gas Exploration
    Off Falklands

    ¶6. (C) British diplomats in Argentina are concerned about how far
    the GoA will take this matter, and are therefore seeking to
    downplay the situation as much as possible. British Ambassador
    Shan Morgan told DCM February 16 that the British strategy is to be
    quiet and patient in the hope that the situation blows over, but
    adding that London was "jumpy" over the issue. A British Embassy
    source quoted by multiple dailies has followed that tack, stating
    that "Argentina applies its own laws in its own territory,"
    suggesting that this regulation was strictly a domestic Argentine
    issue. (Several newspapers said that the quote was in response to
    a question about the British-flagged Thor Leader, suggesting that
    the UK is not making the detention a bilateral issue.) However,
    the source is quoted as adding that "The U.K. has no doubt over its
    sovereignty in the Falklands and its maritime waters, and is
    convinced that the petroleum exploration is a completely legitimate
    activity." Morgan noted her belief that the Kirchners were fanning
    the flames in an effort to score political points domestically, a
    point underscored in the Argentine press as well.

    ¶7. (C) British DCM Simon Thomas told EconCouns on February 11 that
    the GoA had, as widely reported in the press, formally delivered to
    him (as ChargC) d'Affaires) on February 2 a protest over
    hydrocarbons exploration activity in the Falklands/Malvinas Islands
    territorial waters that was expected to begin in mid-to-late
    February. He downplayed the protest, calling it similar to many
    their mission has received previously. Thomas was surprised to
    learn that the USG had not yet received any similar protest,
    despite the fact that the drilling rig contracted by Desire
    Petroleum to do the drilling in the Falklands/Malvinas is owned and
    operated by a major U.S. drilling firm, Diamond Offshore Drilling.
    (British Ambassador Morgan also raised this point with DCM, saying
    she has been told by London that U.S. companies had been warned by
    the GoA to not participate in the project. She asked us to confirm
    that the USG is not/not aware of such approaches, either to U.S.

    companies or to the USG itself.)

    ¶8. (C) British diplomats also told EconCouns that several companies
    involved in the planned exploration had received warning letters
    from the GoA threatening to cancel (or prevent) their operations in
    Argentina if they participate in the Falklands/Malvinas exploration
    without GoA permission. In addition to Desire Petroleum, these
    include Danish shipping giant Maersk, which is towing the rig to
    the planned drilling site. The British believe that the intent of
    the letters is to pressure companies into dropping all
    Falklands-related activity; they did not rule out GoA sanctions
    against these companies for continuing Falkland-related activities,
    even if such action would also damage the Argentine economy.
    Maersk, in particular, handles approximately 20% of Argentina's
    foreign shipping, including an estimated 50% of Argentina's soy
    exports, the country's top export commodity and a critically
    important source of export tax revenues for the GoA.

    ¶9. (SBU) There have also been press reports claiming that
    British-owned Barclay's Bank, the lead bank working on behalf of
    the GoA on the proposed debt restructuring agreement to resolve the
    problem of the "holdouts" from the earlier 2005 debt swap (Ref A),
    is the single largest shareholder in Desire, with about 4.5% of the
    shares. Barclay's is also said to own an interest in Minera
    Alumbrera, a large copper and gold mining firm, which was
    Argentina's 10th-largest exporter in 2009. Post has not yet been
    able to verify either claim. In light of Barclay's ownership
    position in Desire, a former Argentine congressman has filed a
    lawsuit seeking to force the GoA to end Barclay's participation in
    the debt restructuring. Australian company BHP Billiton was also
    identified in the press as a firm with interests in both the
    Falklands/Malvinas exploration and mining in Argentina.

    Comment

    ¶10. (C) While the GoA seeks to prevent companies from participating
    in oil exploration activity in the waters off of the
    Falklands/Malvinas, it is not clear how much it is willing to risk
    real harm to the Argentine economy as it exploits a nationalistic
    issue for political gain. For now, the GoA is being scrupulous to
    couch its actions in terms of adherence to UN resolutions and
    international law. In the absence of an (unlikely)
    British-Argentine accord on the Islands, the GoA will, in all
    probability, continue to ratchet up economic pressure on Falkland
    Islands residents, for whom tourism is an important cash generator.
    An aggressive position on the issue unites Argentines behind their
    unpopular government, and there is still a long way to go before
    the steps contemplated by the GoA cause any real damage to the
    Argentine economy. Current ship traffic between Argentina and the
    Falklands (as well as the other islands) is limited, and the impact
    of the decree on U.S. and other companies will likely also be
    limited for now. However, this could change if the GoA ups the
    ante and imposes significant sanctions on companies such as tour
    cruise ship operators with current activities in both the Falklands
    and Argentina, harming both the companies and the Argentine
    economy.
    MARTINEZ

`