Russia threatens to seize swathe of Arctic

[rayofreason]

Source: Telegraph

President Dmitry Medvedev said that Russia should unilaterally claim part of the Arctic, stepping up the race for the disputed energy-rich region. "We must finalise and adopt a federal law on the southern border of Russia's Arctic zone," Mr Medvedev told a meeting of the Security Council, in remarks carried by Interfax news agency. "This is our responsibility, and simply our direct duty, to our descendents," he said. "We must surely, and for the long-term future, secure Russia's interests in the Arctic."

Global warming has stepped up the fight for the disputed Arctic, believed to be laden with vast reserves of oil and gas. Russia has pitted itself against Canada, Denmark, Norway and the United States to fight for a greater part of the region, arguing that most of it is Russian territory since an underwater ridge links Siberia to the North Pole's seabed

Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/2976009/Russia-threatens-to-seize-swathe-of-Arctic.html

---

Russia is back to being Russia. All lands are ours! Even underwater!

[DS1]

1. It's like playing CO2 Bonus Round!

Congratulations, you've just uncovered 5 billion more tons of natural gas! Keep playing!

:eyes:

[Duke Newcombe]

2. In Soviet Russia...Northern Lights see YOU!!

Sorry--I couldn't resist.

Here we go again. Because Bush "saw into Pootie's soul", he was asleep at the switch for the re-ascendancy of old school Soviet Russia. Yet another Gordian knot for Barack to untie.

Duke

[no_hypocrisy]

3. Don't worry. Lipstick Sarah's got her gun loaded for Bear. That land's ours!

[AlphaCentauri]

4. I wonder what the US has to dispute of the artic

is there an underwater ridge linking the US to the Artic?

I mean Canada has the right to dispute the Artic but what about Guatemala or Saudi Arabia

[Duke Newcombe]

5. One word: Alaska. n/t

[phantom power]

6. The US is one of five nations with claims to the arctic.

The borders are largely unresolved, because until recently it didn't matter. Now the water is opening up, and the oil supply has plateaued. And the knives are going to come out.

[muriel_volestrangler]

17. Map of the possible Arctic claims by all involved countries:

http://www.dur.ac.uk/ibru/resources/arctic/



(where the 'click on map' link actually goes, from that site: http://www.dur.ac.uk/resources/ibru/arctic.pdf )

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

21. Looks like Canada gets screwed with that scenario. nt

[CitizenPatriot]

7. but I was told by freepers on digg

that Palin negotiated treaties with Russia! How can this be? Must rush Energy Expert Palin, who oversees "20% of energy in America" -- LIE-- and thusly has both foreign policy and homeland security expertise, home to Alaska where she can see Russia. Certainly she can send hand-signals to Putin re her "mission" and how god is on her side? If he can't see that far (only Palin has the eyesight of a aerial hunter, after all) she can text him on her McCain invented Blackberry. Thank goodness Palin's preacher told god to make a way for her to get into power. I'm sure her posturing re war with Russia has scared Putin to death. Just wait till she sees into his soul! He has nothing on her.

[MadinMo]

8. This has got to be cooked up by the Right.....

Its sounds like some dumb scheme they would cook up to rile the McCain/Palin folks into a frenzy.

[truthisfreedom]

9. Heckova job, Palin!

Thanks for staying home to watch our Northern border!

[Winterblues]

10. Didn't Russia plant their flag at the North Pole on the bottom of the ocean?

I think they have staked a claim to that area and I don't recall if the USA refuted that claim or not.

[Buenaventura]

13. the snow queen thought it'd been claimed by a red state

[rayofreason]

18. Actually...

...they faked a submarine trip with politicians and released a film that turned out to have cuts from "Titanic"

http://weblog.greenpeace.org/makingwaves/archives/2007/08/dramatic_though_fake_video_fro.html

[Ganja Ninja]

11. That's our territory

Sara Palin can see it from her house.

[Odin2005]

12. Putin's arrogance is astounding.

He's just as arrogant as the Neo-Con dimwits that thought the Iraqis would greet us with flowers and chocolate when we invaded. :eyes:

[tom_paine]

14. Bush-Putin and sadly likely soon to be McBush-Putin are just doing Hitler-Stalin Redux

that show, like so much else from humanity's charnel house past, has come back for back for a revival, remarketed and rebranded as Mr. Rogers Fascism.

[Zhade]

15. Misleading - "said that Russia should" does not equal "to seize"

NT!

[Crunchy Frog]

16. Yeah, when those lands really belong to us.

[bluedem77]

19. Lost of oil in the Arctic

I would expect the zone to become a point of interest for many nations as oil resources dwindle.

[unkachuck]

20. figures....

"This is our responsibility, and simply our direct duty, to our descendents."

....Medvedev is leaving his grandkids oil reserves and riches, we're leaving ours, debt....