Argentina: CIA Files Reveal That The Argentina Military Junta Planned to Massacre Britissh Families and US Embassy Workers

CIA files reveal Argentina 'planned massacre of British families and US embassy workers' By Rebecca RobinsonElle Griffiths, 17 hours ago Argentina had schemes to "disappear" hundreds of British nationals the day before the Falklands War erupted, according to startling CIA files that have come to light. Dictator General Leopoldo Galtieri put forward plans to potentially slaughter 500 Britons and more than 100 US embassy personnel, using a terror organization as camouflage. The papers, labeled "Contingency plans for violence against US and British citizens", were discovered by Falklands historian Ricky D. Phillips and trace back to April 12, 1982 - merely days following Argentina's invasion of the territories. READ MORE:Donald Trump's health condition can lead to amputation, warns expert READ MORE:Trump hides from cameras for second day amid health rumors as he sneaks out for golf trip The files were declassified in 2018 but remained hidden from public view until now, as Mr. Phillips stumbled upon them during research for an upcoming publication. He explained: "I was researching my new book and suddenly found this incredible CIA file that nobody knew about." "It showed the Argentines formulated a military run plan to snatch and 'disappear' hundreds of people in one fell swoop and to blame it on an Argentine terrorist organization called Montoneros. "This would have been Argentina's equivalent to Adolf Hitler's Kristallnacht, where the Nazis rounded up thousands of Jews and sent them to concentration camps to be killed." The document states: "As of the early evening of 11 April 1982 the 601st Intelligence Battalion, the operational arm of the Argentine Army Intelligence Service was making contingency plans to 'disappear' US citizens in Argentina if the US government adopts the British position in regard to the dispute in the Falkland Islands. "In the terminology used by the 601st battalion 'disappeared' does not mean 'put in jail'. 'Disappeared' probably means 'killed'. [redacted name] did not provide any information on the identities or numbers of persons who would be 'disappeared'. "However... it referred to intelligence and security personnel at the US embassy in Buenos Aires. "Also on the early evening of 11 April, teams from the 601st battalion were moving into position to be ready to take immediate action to 'disappear' 500 British subjects in Argentina as soon as hostilities begin." The Falklands War was a ten-week conflict between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British overseas territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. For all the latest news straight to your inbox, sign up for our FREE newsletters here. Argentina, which had long claimed sovereignty over the islands (known in Argentina as Las Malvinas), invaded them on April 2, 1982, in an attempt to assert control. The Argentine military junta, facing internal unrest and economic problems, believed that reclaiming the islands would boost national pride and unite the country. In response, the British government, led by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, dispatched a naval task force to retake the islands. After several weeks of fighting on land, sea, and in the air, British forces successfully reclaimed the Falklands in mid-June. Around 900 people were killed during the conflict, most of them Argentine. The war ended with a British victory, but it left a lasting impact on both countries: it led to the fall of the Argentine military dictatorship and significantly strengthened Thatcher’s domestic standing in the UK. The sovereignty dispute over the islands continues to this day. For the latest local news and features on Irish America, visit our homepage here.