As Argentina continues the socialist led downward spiral into third world status its desperate government is trying anything to keep power. A war that could gain them significant economic spoils is just the thing Christian Fernandez de Kirchner needs to keep the masses in line and saving her failing country. This suit is just the latest in a long line of maneuvers she has made designed to start a war with Britain:

Argentina declared British oil exploration off the Falklands “illegal” on Monday and immediately set about suing five companies for pursuing activities around the contested islands.

Britain responded almost immediately, saying the islanders were entitled to develop their own natural resources and it was Buenos Aires that was breaking the law with its campaign of harassment and intimidation.

“These latest attempts to damage the economic livelihoods of the Falkland Islands people regrettably reflect a pattern of behavior by the Argentine government,” a Foreign Office spokeswoman said.

“From harassing Falklands shipping to threatening the islanders’ air links with Chile, Argentina’s efforts to intimidate the Falklands are illegal, unbecoming and wholly counter-productive.”

Argentina last month pressed Britain in a diplomatic note to let it launch direct flights to the islands.

Three decades after the Falklands War, the promise of oil reserves is inflaming tensions between Britain and Argentina while also boosting the economic hopes of the islanders — estimated to number just 3,140.

Britain has ruled the archipelago — 8,000 miles (12,900 kilometers) from its own shores and less than 300 miles off the southern coast of Argentina — since 1833 as a self-governing overseas territory.

Argentina says it acquired the windswept islands, which it calls the Malvinas, from Spain in 1816.

On April 2, 1982, Argentine forces invaded and occupied the Falkland Islands and South Georgia, a smaller island governed by Britain further out in the South Atlantic.

Britain dispatched a naval task force and regained control of the islands when the Argentine forces surrendered on June 14, but not before 649 Argentine and 255 British servicemen had died.

The renewed war of words over the Falklands has intensified around the 30th anniversary of the bloody 74-day conflict.

Argentine President Cristina Kirchner on Monday declared the British oil hunting activity “illegal and clandestine” and accused the firms of operating “in the sovereign area of the Argentine nation.”

Her government said the classification formally paved the way for criminal proceedings to begin.

“The declaration of clandestineness clears the way for the immediate launch of civil and criminal action against these businesses,” said a foreign ministry statement that spoke of seeking fines and penalties.

There are four things at play you need to know. The first is that the people of the Falklands don’t want Argentina there so handing the island over amounts to the British betraying their own citizens. Not going to happen.

The second is that England is militarily weak and it is likely that when this war starts Argentina will have Bolivian, Venezuelan and other Latin American communist allies supporting them. Without support – specifically American military support – Britain cannot hope to defend the Falklands thanks to decades of allowing the left to weaken their military capabilities.

The British media and government severely underestimate the threat of Argentinian military and have completely discounted the idea of a joint attack by Argentina and her communist allies.

President Obama has as much as said he supports the Argentinian push to claim the Falklands. This means that Britain can expect no military support from the U.S. and as our elections loom Argentina may have a small window of opportunity to launch an attack.