Sean Penn: Prince William is provoking Argentina

Topics: Celebrity ,; Royals

Sean Penn looks on during a press conference at the presidency building after meeting with Uruguay's President Jose Mujica in Montevideo, Uruguay, Feb. 14, 2012.

(Credit: Matilde Campodonico/AP)

(CBS/AP) MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay - Sean Penn is speaking up again about the Falklands, blasting the deployment of Britain's Prince William to the islands. In return, the British media are coming out against the Oscar-winning actor for speaking his mind.

Penn is accusing British media of pushing for war instead of diplomacy to resolve the United Kingdom's dispute with Argentina over the islands both countries claim in the far South Atlantic.

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"It's unthinkable that the United Kingdom can make a conscious decision to deploy a prince within the military to the Malvinas, knowing the great emotional sensitivity both of mothers and fathers in the United Kingdom and in Argentina who lost sons and daughters in a war over islands with a population of so few," Penn said.

Britain denies it is militarizing the dispute, and notes that William is serving simply as a search-and-rescue helicopter pilot. Penn called it a provocation nonetheless.

"There are many places to deploy a prince," he said. "It's not necessary when the deployment of a prince is generally accompanied by a warship, to send them into seas of such spilled blood."

Britain says it will never negotiate with Argentina as long as the Falklanders want to be British. It has sent Prince William on a six-week air force mission to the islands, along with its most powerful destroyer, the HMS Dauntless. The British government also hasn't denied reports that it sent a nuclear submarine, possibly with nuclear missiles, to the disputed southern seas.

London's conservative Daily Mail quoted a member of parliament, Patrick Mercer, as saying Penn should stay out of the Falklands dispute.

"What on earth has this got to do with Sean Penn? He's neither British nor Argentine and seems to know nothing about the situation," Mercer said. "A good number of his movies have been turkeys, so I suppose we shouldn't expect much better coming out of his mouth."

Penn, who runs a Haiti relief organization and was named "ambassador at large" by Haiti's government, made his comments after meeting with President Jose Mujica of Uruguay, which contributes to the U.N. peacekeeping force in Haiti.

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by pbaird2 March 21, 2012 9:59 AM EDT: Senn Penn, private citizen, has a right to voice his opinions but a response from the British is not required to defend their position. If the US government were to make such comments then the the British government might feel compelled to answer.; Reply to this comment


by swampy991 February 29, 2012 1:56 PM EST: Sean who? And why would anyone give a hoot what an actor (hasbeen or not) thinks about any international situation? Who cares? You may as well ask your paper boy's opinion.; Reply to this comment


by michael-d-d February 15, 2012 5:04 PM EST: While undoubtedly a fine talented actor, I don't see anything in Mr. Penn's background which would incline me to listed to him on anything other than acting and associated arts. Politically... null.; Reply to this comment