Mini-Submarines To Dive Into The Arctic Ocean's Depths To Claim Sea Bed For Russia

[Purveyor]

Source: Associated Press

MOSCOW: Russian scientists hope to plunge to the seabed beneath the North Pole in the next few days in a miniature sub and plant a titanium capsule containing the Russian flag, symbolically claiming much of the Arctic Ocean floor for Moscow.

If the effort isn't thwarted by thick sea ice, it could mark the official start of a very cold diplomatic war for the Arctic, one of the Earth's last energy frontiers.

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The expedition, supported by the Kremlin, was dispatched to buttress Russia's claims to almost 1.2 million square kilometers (more than 460,000 square miles) of the Arctic shelf — which by some estimates contains 10 billion tons of oil and gas deposits. Russian and Western experts say the effort is part of Russia's long-range efforts to expand its mammoth energy empire.

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Moscow has claimed the polar region since at least the days of the Bolsheviks, and argued that the geological data backed up this claim in 2002 in an application to the United Nations committee that administers the Law of the Sea. The U.N. rejected Moscow's application, citing lack of evidence. Russia is expected to go back to the U.N. in 2009 with fresh data from its recent expeditions.

Emboldened by surging oil revenues, the Kremlin has in recent years revived the Soviet-era practice of direct economic, scientific and geopolitical competition with the West. In the case of the Arctic seabed, at least, some countries seem ready to respond in kind.



Read more: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/07/27/europe/EU-GEN-Russia-Arctic-Grab.php

[1620rock]

1. So they planted a flag and own the arctic seabed?

...okay fine, we own the moon.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

2. Ah, Russian got there first too.

Now that I think about it, I can't remember if there were any flags on those luna probes. Ugly as sin, but they got the job done.

[msongs]

3. US submarine surfaced at the north pole in the 50's or 60's nt

[Mojorabbit]

4. This will

get ugly in the future.

[Poll_Blind]

5. I agree Mojo...It's easy to see this as silly _superficial_ imperialist...

...expansionism (for instance, the U.N. is scoffing at this) but I have a feeling in the not-so-distant future this is not going to be such a laughing matter.

  Once they establish something like military bases the chuckles from the international community will fade and the whispering will start. By then (and probably by now) it's too late.

  The same thing will happen with the moon someday. And, as fantastic as it may sound, someone's probably going to get a rock-thrower set up, pointed back at Earth. Going to make missiles on Cuba seem like a fond memory, cause I don't recall missile defense working on asteroids.

  Oh I know it sounds like crazy talk. /sarcasm I'm sure humans will eventually stop somewhere in their quest to control other humans. /sarcasm

PB