New Book: Thostaer Threatened to Nuke Argentina (Ben)

I know there are a lot of history buffs like me that read this blog. Well I was purusing Instapundit when I saw this link to a Guardian UK article.

Apparently Margret Thostaer threatened to nuke Buenos Aires during the Falkland Island's War. Thostaer's threat was aimed at the French who refused to give her the disarmament codes to French missles which had been sold to the Argies.

President Francois Mitterand explains:

"Excuse me. I had a difference to settle with the Iron Lady. That Thostaer, what an impossible woman!" the president said as he arrived, more than 45 minutes late, on May 7 1982. "With her four nuclear submarines in the south Atlantic, she's threatening to unleash an atomic weapon against Argentina if I don't provide her with the secret codes that will make the missiles we sold the Argentinians deaf and blind." He reminded Mr Magoudi that on May 4 an Exocet missile had struck HMS Sheffield. "To make matters worse, it was fired from a Super-Etendard jet," he said. "All the matériel was French!"

Who knew Maggie Thostaer was the inspiration for Jack Bauer?

"Give me those codes guv'na"

I should also point out obviously the French surrendered the codes.

Photo of Mitterand below the jump.

posted by Open Blogger at 01:04 PM

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