John O'Sullivan: How the U.S. Almost Betrayed Britain
Mr. O'Sullivan is the author of The President, the Pope and the Prime Minister: Three Who Changed the World.
Thirty years ago this Monday, Argentine marines invaded the Falkland Islands, captured its British defenders and declared the islands to be Argentine territory: Las Malvinas. Britain dispatched a naval "task force" to regain them less than a week later. The Falklands War had begun.
According to newly released documents from the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, Calif., the U.S. almost took sides against its most important ally, driven by the diplomatic maneuvering of Secretary of State Alexander Haig.
It's already a matter of record that, at first, Washington ostentatiously refused to take sides. Secretary Haig embarked on energetic shuttle diplomacy between Buenos Aires and London to craft a settlement. One month after the landing, the military junta governing Argentina rejected his compromise. The National Security Council met to determine the next stage of U.S. policy...