Sinking Prestige

Sinking Prestige A self-inflicted disaster

No single episode in the 74-day Falklands war so upset world opinion as the seemingly heartless British sinking of the Argentine cruiser General Belgrano, in which a total of 321 Argentine sailors perished.

For Britain, the episode was a monumental public relations disaster. Ironically, TIME learned last week, the damage to British prestige was largely self-inflicted--a direct result of the Ministry of Defense's penchant for supersecrecy. Soon after the Belgrano was hit, London sent a top-secret communication to the Argentine high command in Buenos Aires assuring it that the Belgrano's two escort vessels would have free passage to begin rescue operations.

Despite the signal, the Argentines allowed a fatal day to pass before returning to the scene. A high Argentine naval official says that the destroyers were too far away, and the seas too rough, to permit a speedy rescue--explanations the British dismiss. For reasons unknown, the British Defense Ministry decided to keep silent about the secret message. Said a British intelligence source last week: "Those bloody fools threw away an ace card to satisfy their appetite for secrecy. As a result we were denounced as killers."

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