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| Thatcher urged to steal French-made Exocet missiles during Falklands war | Thatcher urged to steal French-made Exocet missiles during Falklands war |
| (4 months later) | |
| One of Britain's most senior law officers at the time of the Falklands conflict, the attorney general, Sir Michael Havers, urged the prime minister to steal deadly French Exocet missiles to stop them ending up in the hands of the enemy. | One of Britain's most senior law officers at the time of the Falklands conflict, the attorney general, Sir Michael Havers, urged the prime minister to steal deadly French Exocet missiles to stop them ending up in the hands of the enemy. |
| The ingenious scheme is revealed in previously secret documents released to the National Archives on Friday which show how the UK government attempted to subvert South American solidarity with Argentina. | The ingenious scheme is revealed in previously secret documents released to the National Archives on Friday which show how the UK government attempted to subvert South American solidarity with Argentina. |
| The Chilean junta offered secret help to British forces during the Falklands conflict, the documents disclose, including the use of remote airfields. The clandestine relationship involved arms sales to General Augusto Pinochet's regime while agonising over its human rights record. | The Chilean junta offered secret help to British forces during the Falklands conflict, the documents disclose, including the use of remote airfields. The clandestine relationship involved arms sales to General Augusto Pinochet's regime while agonising over its human rights record. |
| But it was the French-manufactured Exocet anti-ship weapons, used by the Argentinian air force against the British relief convoy as it steamed into the south Atlantic, that most exposed the weakness of the Royal Navy's anti-aircraft defences. HMS Sheffield and the SS Atlantic Conveyor were among those sunk. | But it was the French-manufactured Exocet anti-ship weapons, used by the Argentinian air force against the British relief convoy as it steamed into the south Atlantic, that most exposed the weakness of the Royal Navy's anti-aircraft defences. HMS Sheffield and the SS Atlantic Conveyor were among those sunk. |
| On 1 June 1982, the attorney general sent a handwritten note to Margaret Thatcher, the prime minister, outlining his plan to hijack missiles being transported through South America. It was dreamt up by a friend, Charles Hughesdon, who ran an air freight company. | On 1 June 1982, the attorney general sent a handwritten note to Margaret Thatcher, the prime minister, outlining his plan to hijack missiles being transported through South America. It was dreamt up by a friend, Charles Hughesdon, who ran an air freight company. |
| "The risk of resupply to the Argentines of further air-to-sea missiles justified consideration of all options to prevent this – even the most way-out, which may be thought to be more appropriate to a James Bond movie," Havers told Thatcher. | "The risk of resupply to the Argentines of further air-to-sea missiles justified consideration of all options to prevent this – even the most way-out, which may be thought to be more appropriate to a James Bond movie," Havers told Thatcher. |
| The idea was to tender for the cargo contract "where the exporting country will not want to risk its own aircraft for publicity reasons". He explained: "The loadmaster has total control over the flight and therefore could redirect the aircraft, in transit, to (for example) Bermuda. This will cost money (this is an expensive dirty business) but would, in my view, be cheap at the price. | The idea was to tender for the cargo contract "where the exporting country will not want to risk its own aircraft for publicity reasons". He explained: "The loadmaster has total control over the flight and therefore could redirect the aircraft, in transit, to (for example) Bermuda. This will cost money (this is an expensive dirty business) but would, in my view, be cheap at the price. |
| "This seems to me although highly unlikely, an option we should keep open. It is probably unnecessary to add that Charles Hughesdon's loyalty and integrity is beyond question." | "This seems to me although highly unlikely, an option we should keep open. It is probably unnecessary to add that Charles Hughesdon's loyalty and integrity is beyond question." |
| Israel and Israeli companies, a separate Foreign Office briefing warned, "… have made offers or are involved in negotiations on the supply of weapons [to Argentina] … despite assurances" that they would not make any new deals. | Israel and Israeli companies, a separate Foreign Office briefing warned, "… have made offers or are involved in negotiations on the supply of weapons [to Argentina] … despite assurances" that they would not make any new deals. |
| It was the French who held the largest stocks of the deadly weapons. Thatcher despatched an emotional secret appeal to President François Mitterrand, pleading with him to delay the export of more French Exocet missiles to South America. | It was the French who held the largest stocks of the deadly weapons. Thatcher despatched an emotional secret appeal to President François Mitterrand, pleading with him to delay the export of more French Exocet missiles to South America. |
| In her telegram on 30 May 1982, she said cabinet colleagues were "all dismayed by the prospect of France supplying these missiles to Peru when, as you yourself agreed, there can be no doubt that Peru will pass them on to Argentina". | In her telegram on 30 May 1982, she said cabinet colleagues were "all dismayed by the prospect of France supplying these missiles to Peru when, as you yourself agreed, there can be no doubt that Peru will pass them on to Argentina". |
| She added: "It would have a disastrous effect on the alliance as a whole. This is the last thing that either of us would wish. I hope therefore that for the time being you will be able to find some way of keeping those missiles in France." | She added: "It would have a disastrous effect on the alliance as a whole. This is the last thing that either of us would wish. I hope therefore that for the time being you will be able to find some way of keeping those missiles in France." |
| Publicly, Chile adopted a position of "strict neutrality", a policy dictated by its need to defer to Latin American solidarity with Argentina and its own dispute with Argentina over the Beagle Channel. | Publicly, Chile adopted a position of "strict neutrality", a policy dictated by its need to defer to Latin American solidarity with Argentina and its own dispute with Argentina over the Beagle Channel. |
| For a short but important time after the invasion of the Falklands, Chile secretly allowed Britain to base a Nimrod reconnaissance aircraft at an airfield on San Felix, a small island off the Chilean coast. It also agreed to delay the handover of a British tanker, RFA Tidepool, which Britain had recently sold to Chile. | For a short but important time after the invasion of the Falklands, Chile secretly allowed Britain to base a Nimrod reconnaissance aircraft at an airfield on San Felix, a small island off the Chilean coast. It also agreed to delay the handover of a British tanker, RFA Tidepool, which Britain had recently sold to Chile. |
| And the Chilean junta kept quiet when a UK special forces Sea King helicopter landed on Chilean soil after a failed attempt to blow up Argentinian Super Etendard bombers based at the southern Argentinian airbase of Rio Grande. | And the Chilean junta kept quiet when a UK special forces Sea King helicopter landed on Chilean soil after a failed attempt to blow up Argentinian Super Etendard bombers based at the southern Argentinian airbase of Rio Grande. |
| The Chilean armed forces had a long and close relationship with Britain and military sales reflected this. Early in 1982, just before the invasion, the Ministry of Defence noted that providing Chile with pilot and weapons training for the Hunter fighter/bomber would "create a favourable climate for the sale of further secondhand Hunters". | The Chilean armed forces had a long and close relationship with Britain and military sales reflected this. Early in 1982, just before the invasion, the Ministry of Defence noted that providing Chile with pilot and weapons training for the Hunter fighter/bomber would "create a favourable climate for the sale of further secondhand Hunters". |
| It added: "None of the courses can be said to be training the Chileans in the techniques of repression, except in so far as the tactical weapons course involves training in low-level ground attack." | It added: "None of the courses can be said to be training the Chileans in the techniques of repression, except in so far as the tactical weapons course involves training in low-level ground attack." |
| A Foreign Office official noted in the margin of the document: "Weren't Hunters uses to attack Allende's Palace" – a reference to the key role played by Hunter aircaft in the 1973 coup d'etat which overthrew the socialist president. | A Foreign Office official noted in the margin of the document: "Weren't Hunters uses to attack Allende's Palace" – a reference to the key role played by Hunter aircaft in the 1973 coup d'etat which overthrew the socialist president. |
| Another official noted that the FCO minister Richard Luce suggested "we should try to prevent the press from getting wind of such training". In July 1982, after the Falklands war was over, the FCO undertook a review of Anglo-Chilean relations, the papers show. Robin Fearn, a senior official, noted: "We need to decide what price we are prepared to pay for long-term Chilean co-operation over the Falklands." | Another official noted that the FCO minister Richard Luce suggested "we should try to prevent the press from getting wind of such training". In July 1982, after the Falklands war was over, the FCO undertook a review of Anglo-Chilean relations, the papers show. Robin Fearn, a senior official, noted: "We need to decide what price we are prepared to pay for long-term Chilean co-operation over the Falklands." |
| After a passage redacted by Whitehall censors, Fearn's memo continued: "The main difficulty for us will be now to adjust our human rights policy in a way which is sufficient for the Chileans … without exposing ourselves to criticism from the domestic lobby that we are subordinating human rights concerns to political and commercial expediency." | After a passage redacted by Whitehall censors, Fearn's memo continued: "The main difficulty for us will be now to adjust our human rights policy in a way which is sufficient for the Chileans … without exposing ourselves to criticism from the domestic lobby that we are subordinating human rights concerns to political and commercial expediency." |
| However, another senior FCO official, John Ure, warned that Britain was in danger " with some justification of adopting a cynical policy". He added: "The fact is that Chile is still not free of human rights abuses and has some particularly bad skeletons in the cupboard." | However, another senior FCO official, John Ure, warned that Britain was in danger " with some justification of adopting a cynical policy". He added: "The fact is that Chile is still not free of human rights abuses and has some particularly bad skeletons in the cupboard." |
| The files refer to detentions without trial and torture, including that of the British doctor Sheila Cassidy and the British businessman William Beausire, by the DINA, Pinochet's secret police. | The files refer to detentions without trial and torture, including that of the British doctor Sheila Cassidy and the British businessman William Beausire, by the DINA, Pinochet's secret police. |
| An FCO official commented later in the year: "We cannot afford to restrict our trade to those countries of whose internal repression we disapprove." | An FCO official commented later in the year: "We cannot afford to restrict our trade to those countries of whose internal repression we disapprove." |
| In 1998, Pinochet was arrested in Britain, were he was undergoing medical treatment, for human rights abuses. He was freed by Jack Straw, the home secretary, on the grounds that medical experts said he was unfit to stand trial. | In 1998, Pinochet was arrested in Britain, were he was undergoing medical treatment, for human rights abuses. He was freed by Jack Straw, the home secretary, on the grounds that medical experts said he was unfit to stand trial. |
| Thatcher welcomed his release at the end of what she called a "political vendetta" which had "tarnished" the reputation of British justice. | Thatcher welcomed his release at the end of what she called a "political vendetta" which had "tarnished" the reputation of British justice. |
| In 2004, Chilean judge Juan Guzmán Tapia ruled that Pinochet was medically fit to stand trial and placed him under house arrest. The former dictator died in 2006. | In 2004, Chilean judge Juan Guzmán Tapia ruled that Pinochet was medically fit to stand trial and placed him under house arrest. The former dictator died in 2006. |
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