You have to admire the courage of the Argentinians, pitting the Belgrano against what they'd know were local enemy nuclear submarines. The sinking has been a hot topic here ever since, with both arguments, pro and con over the sinking. Of course, the loss of life was deeply regreted by most thinking people, but also, it helped to ensure that the Argentinian fleet remained in harbour during the crucial period, when the land forces were being deployed. And of course, 30 years on and the Malvina's/Falklands remain disputed; and as one famous Argentinian described the war: "two bald men fighting over a comb".
Probably the best description of the Falklands War I've ever read. It's sad that the Belgrano was sunk, since so many men were killed aboard it and there were plans to preserve it, but at the same time, nobody can blame the British government for ordering the sinking. Being an enemy warship, it doesn't make any difference where it was or where it was heading. The Argentinians started the war in violation of international law, and regardless of what you have to say about the outcome, it doesn't change the fact that the Belgrano was a warship doing its duty, just like the HMS Conqueror.
The fact that Thatcher was grilled so endlessly about the sinking seems really idiotic to me, but this is the age we live in...