Russia to claim North Pole as theirs - Can they do that? Why didn't we think of it?

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.suntimes.com/news/world/487926,CST-NWS-sub28.article

July 28, 2007
BY DOUGLAS BIRCH

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.

Sea ice threatens to thwart the expedition, an engineer with Russia's premier polar research institute said Friday. But if the effort succeeds, it could mark the official start of a very cold diplomatic war for the Arctic, one of the Earth's last energy frontiers. snip

The expedition, supported by the Kremlin, was dispatched to buttress Russia's claims to more than 460,000 square miles of the Arctic shelf -- an area that by some estimates contains 10 billion tons of oil and gas deposits. Experts say the effort is part of Russia's long-range efforts to expand its energy empire.

[Az]

1. As long as the world runs on oil where there is oil there will be conflict

Get off the oil. Its gonna be the death of us one way or the other.

[woodsprite]

2. Gee, wouldn't that have been much easier than starting

a friggin' war with Iraq? That could have been designated Cheney's 'undisclosed location'.

[NNN0LHI]

3. All we would have had to have done is plant a little flag and it was all ours

Who would have complained? The polar bears?

Don

[Frustratedlady]

4. Maybe they'll take better care of it than we would?

Our record isn't very good in that regard.

[NNN0LHI]

5. Russia about to take possession of 10 billion tons of oil and gas deposits

All without a shot fired.

Don

[Help me help Earth]

6. We get Antartica.

Our policy is nobody owns that continent, but if anyone makes a serious attempt to claim it, it becomes US property.

[Hubert Flottz]

7. Bill-O' will be heartbroken if the Russians proceed with this attack

on Santa's digs.

[Maeve]

10. There ya go! It's another assault on Christmas!

Damn Russkies...
:hangover:

[Hubert Flottz]

14. I'd hate to be watching FOX Snooze the night that the Russians

tell Bill that there really ain't a Santa up there at the North Pole! Bill O' will go all ballistic on the Russians!

Anyone goofy enough to still believe BushCo's tall tales, will never admit to themselves that there ain't really a Santa Clause.

Mark My Word...The war on Christmas is about to escalate into the big one, Armageddon Jr.!

[1620rock]

12. The planted a flag?...okay fine, we own the moon then.

[alphafemale]

13. Yeah "I've got your war on Christmas right here, Falafal Boy." nt

[Tripper11]

8. Isn't Canada's Stephen Harper vying for some of that property as well?

Actually, this is what I had read a shor time ago; "Prime Minister Stephen Harper has announced plans to build six to eight ice-breaking patrol ships to prevent trespass of Canada’s Northern Territories and to reaffirm its claim to the disputed Arctic."

So this could get ugly...for us(Canada anyway) when we practically have no navy. Sounds like the beginnings of a real brouhaha!

[alfredo]

9. This is why bush and others not doing anything about global warming.

They want the arctic to thaw to make it more accessible for drilling rigs and tankers.

[WinkyDink]

11. I guess Cheeeeney is gnashing his fangs over not thinking of this one.