‘Doing the work of the free world’

Abstract

Haig returned to London with no worthwhile Argentine offer to make to the British. Reagan’s National Security Adviser, Judge Clark, wondered if his mission should be called off. But Haig persevered. The British offered no proposals of their own for a negotiated settlement. He continued to worry away at the ideas of Argentine withdrawal and an interim administration, followed by negotiations to resolve the dispute. Pym suggested that the trauma of invasion might have changed the attitude of the islanders. Mrs Thatcher pointed out that they would hardly be softening in a pro-Argentine direction.¹ To keep the negotiations alive, Haig continued to suggest to both sides that the other might be more flexible than was in fact the case. Mrs Thatcher told Parliament on 14 April that she had made clear to Haig that Argentine withdrawal must come first, that British sovereignty over the islands was not affected by the invasion and their future would be decided as the islanders wished.