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T H I S D r >CUMENT IS T H E P R O P E R T Y O F H E R B R I T A N N I C M A J E S T Y ' S G O V E R N M E N T

C C ( 8 2 ) 2 2 n d C o ^ l U C O P Y r.o s i ions

C A B I N E T

C O N C L U S I O N S of a Meet ing of the Cabinet

held at 10 Downing Street on

T U E S D A Y 4 M A Y 1982

at 10. 30 am

P R E S E N T

The R t Hon M a r g a r e t Thatcher M P - P r i m e M i n i s t e r

R t S e C r e t a r y n W U l i a mo f , , White law M P The R t Hon L o r d H a i l s h a m

t a t e

T

f ° r the Home Department L o r d Chance l lo r

a n c e U o 7 ° r F G e o f f r e y Howe QC M P The R t Hon F r a n c i s P y m M P

of the Exchequer Sec re t a ry of State for F o r e i g n and

Commonweal th Af f a i r s

Rt Hor, c

K e i t h6 c**tarv J 2 ^ s e p h M P The R t Hon James P r i o r M P

t a t e for Educa t ion and Science Secre ta ry of State for Nor the rn Ire land

s n N o t t M p The R t Hon Pe te r Walke r M P N ^ M i n i s t e r of A g r i c u l t u r e , F i s h e r i e s and Food T h y of o t a t e f o r :nce e Rt Hon M i The R t Hon George Younger M P 6 t a * y of o T ' h a e l H e s o I t i n e M P

o t a t e for the Env i ronmen t Sec re t a ry of State for Scotland The Rt

( iMHon ° l a sC * e t a * y o / ^ h E d ^ a r d s M P

of state for Wales

W d 1 B i f^ s i / 0 * ^ M P 8 l d e ^ t of the C o u n c i l * h e R t

The R t Hon P a t r i c k Jenkin M P Secre ta ry of State for Industry

The R t Hon Dav id H o w e l l M P

Sec re t a ry of State for T ranspo r t

^ o f ^ F ° w l e r M P The R t Hon Leon B r i t t a n Q C M P t a t e for S o c i a l Se r v i c e s Chie f Secre ta ry , T r e a s u r y

W A 1 Hon Bar t d Y o u n g The R t Hon N i g e l Lawson M P P r i v y s e 7 r e s s Sec re ta ry of State for Ene rgy

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The R t T J o nS Norman Tebbi t M P The R t Hon C e c i l P a r k i n s o n M P B^ c r e t

r y o f S t a t e for Employmen t C h a n c e l l o r of the Duchy of L a n c a s t e r and P a y m a s t e r G e n e r a l

The R t Hon L o r d Cockf i e ld Sec re t a ry of State for Trade

T H E F O L L O W I N G W E R E A L S O P R E S E N T The ^ t ^ A t t ~ S l r M i c h a The Rt Hon M i c h a e l Jop l ing M P o r n P , ° e l H a v e r s Q C M P e y General P a r l i a m e n t a r y S e c r e t a i y , T r e a s u r y

A d m i r a l of the F l e e t S i r Terence L e w i n C h i e f of the Defence Staff

S E C R E T A R I A T

S i r Rober t A r m s t r o n g M r R L W a d e - G e r y M r R L L F a c e r

S U B J E C T

F A L K L A N D I S L A N D S

i i

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CONFIDENTIAL

T h e C a b i n e tI s L A N D s N D reviewed the state of the dispute over the F a l k l a n d Is lands.

^******** T h e Cabine t ' s d i s c u s s i o n and conclus ions reached are recorded

C (82)21 8 t separa te ly .

M l t l * t 2e

Cabinet Office

4 M a y 1982

CONFIDENTIAL

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fo rces . Al though Argen t ina had been warned on 23 A p r i l that any approach by Argent ine warsh ips o r m i l i t a r y a i r c r a f t , which could amount to a threat to in ter fere wi th the m i s s i o n of B r i t i s h forces i n the South A t l a n t i c , would encounter the appropr ia te response, general authori ty to at tack Argent ine warsh ips const i tut ing such a threat outside the To ta l E x c l u s i o n Zone had not been given un t i l the day after Argen t ine forces had launched an attack on the fleet . F u r t h e r m i l i t a r y ac t ion i n the next weeks might be neces sa ry i n o rde r to reduce the dif£icultie9 of an opposed landing on the Islands, should one become neces sa ry .

T H E C H I E F O F T H E D E F E N C E S T A F F br iefed the Cabinet on the m i l i t a r y s i tuat ion.

T H E P R I M E M I N I S T E R , summing up the d i s cus s ion , said that there was genera l support for the view that further d ip lomat ic in i t i a t ives were needed wi th the dual a i m of secur ing the wi thdrawal of Argent ine troops and main ta in ing broad in te rna t iona l support for the United Kingdom pos i t ion . There was wide a d m i r a t i o n for the p ro f e s s i ona l i sm and s k i l l which the A r m e d Se rv i ces had shown i n the recent engagements.

The Cabinet -

Took note.

Cabinet Office

4 M a y 1982

2

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