Editing ARA General Belgrano (section)

===Legal situation===

Neither the United Kingdom nor Argentina declared war during the conflict. Combat was confined to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, and the surrounding area. ''General Belgrano'' was sunk outside the {{convert|200|nmi|km|adj=on}} total exclusion zone around the Falklands, delimited by the UK. Through a message passed via the Swiss Embassy in Buenos Aires to the Argentine government on 23 April, the UK had made clear that it no longer considered the 200-mile (370&nbsp;km) exclusion zone as the limit of its military action. The message read:

{{Blockquote|In announcing the establishment of a Maritime Exclusion Zone around the Falkland Islands, Her Majesty's Government made it clear that this measure was without prejudice to the right of the United Kingdom to take whatever additional measures may be needed in the exercise of its right of self-defence under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. In this connection Her Majesty's Government now wishes to make clear that any approach on the part of Argentine warships, including submarines, naval auxiliaries or military aircraft, which could amount to a threat to interfere with the mission of British Forces in the South Atlantic will encounter the appropriate response. All Argentine aircraft, including civil aircraft engaged in surveillance of these British forces, will be regarded as hostile and are liable to be dealt with accordingly.<ref name=Middlebrook_2009_pp74-75 />}}
Interviews conducted by [[Martin Middlebrook]] for his book ''Argentine Fight for the Falklands'' indicated that Argentine naval officers understood that the intent of the message was to indicate that any ships operating near the exclusion zone could be attacked.<ref>Middlebrook (2009), pp. 115–116</ref> Argentine Rear Admiral Allara, who was in charge of the task force of which ''General Belgrano'' was part, said: "After that message of 23 April, the entire South Atlantic was an operational theatre for both sides. We, as professionals, said it was just too bad that we lost the ''Belgrano''".<ref name="Middlebrook_2009_p116">Middlebrook (2009), p. 116</ref> Captain Bonzo also told Middlebrook that he was not angry about the attack on his ship and that {{blockquote|The limit [exclusion zone] did not exclude danger or risks; it was all the same in or out. I would like to be quite precise that, as far as I was concerned, the 200-mile limit was valid until 1 May, that is while diplomatic negotiations were taking place and/or until a real act of war took place, and that had happened on 1 May.<ref name=Middlebrook_2009_p116 />}}

Admiral [[Sandy Woodward]], who commanded the British task force during the war, wrote in his 1997 book ''One Hundred Days'' that [[HMS Conqueror (S48)|HMS ''Conqueror'']] received a signal changing the rules of engagement and that "The change said quite clearly he may now attack the Belgrano, outside the TEZ".{{sfn|Woodward |2003|p=219 |ps=: At 1330Z she (HMS Conqueror) accessed the satellite and received the signal from Northwood changing her Rules of Engagement. ...The change said quite clearly he may now attack the Belgrano, outside the TEZ}}