Argentina threatens to sue banks helping Falklands oil explorers as trade war with Britain escalates
In what amounts to the start of a new trade war between the UK and Argentina, the banks - understood to include the Royal Bank of Scotland, Barclays Capital and Goldman Sachs - have been warned they face criminal and civil action in the Argentine courts.
The threats were made in a series of letters sent to as many as 15 banks by the Argentine embassy in London over the last ten days.
The letter, a copy of which has been seen by The Sunday Telegraph, warns the institutions that even merely writing research notes on exploration companies involved in the Falklands constitutes a violation of the applicable domestic and international rules.
The news - coming a day ahead of the 30th anniversary of Argentinas invasion of the Falklands which sparked the 1982 conflict - is likely to worsen tensions between the two countries. The Argentine government is continuing to push for sovereignty.
The two-page letter, to which a schedule of legal declarations about the Falklands ownership are attached, is intended to warn off the banks from any further involvement in the South Atlantic oil industry.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/9178499/Argentina-threatens-to-sue-banks-helping-Falklands-oil-explorers-as-trade-war-with-Britain-escalates.html
If it works for Iran, it should work for the Falklands.