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| Great White North | |
| Russia defends North Pole flag-planting | |
| 2007-08-09 | |
| The United States and Canada have scoffed at a Russian submarine expedition that planted a Russian flag on the seabed under the North Pole. Coming home to a hero's welcome Tuesday, the famous polar scientist who led the risky voyage did not mince words in responding. "I don't give a damn what all these foreign politicians there are saying about this," Artur Chilingarov told a throng of well-wishers. "If someone doesn't like this, let them go down themselves ... and then try to put something there. Russia must win. Russia has what it takes to win. The Arctic has always been Russian." Thursday's dive by two small submarines was partly a scientific expedition. But it could mark the start of a fierce legal scramble for control of the seabed — and what could be vast energy reserves beneath — among nations that border the Arctic, including Russia, the U.S., Canada, Norway and Denmark, through its territory Greenland.
But in Russia, the tone of state-run television reports have been triumphant since the submarines planted the titanium flag on the Arctic Ocean floor. Chilingarov, who became a Soviet hero in the 1980s after successfully leading an expedition aboard a research vessel that was trapped for a time in Antarctic sea ice, was shown brandishing the Russian tricolor and spraying champagne from a huge bottle. President Vladimir Putin quickly telephoned the crew to offer his congratulations. Officials said the expedition was more about gathering evidence for the case Russia hopes to make for ownership of the Lomonosov Ridge, a 1,240-mile underwater mountain range that crosses the polar region. A U.N. commission, which has rejected Moscow's claims in the past, will ultimately make the decision. Canada answered the Russian move with a clear message, highlighting plans to spend up to $7.12 billion to build and operate eight patrol ships to help protect its sovereignty in the Arctic. | |
| Posted by:lotp |
| #12 Is this the same Canada who couldn't deliver rescue and security troops to Indonesia during the Tsunami because it didn't have the transport logistics to do it? Yep. The same Canada that had a Chinese ship make an unannounced port visit in their northern territory. No response, 'cause there was nothing to respond with. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2007-08-09 21:40 |
| #11 The confusion is to be expected: Santa wears red, Rudolph's nose is red, and Mrs. Claus is a Marxist. No, wait, that's Nancy Pelosi. |
| Posted by: Darrell 2007-08-09 20:54 |
| #10 Yesterdays news Boeing Delivers Canada's First C-17 |
| Posted by: Skunky Glins5285 2007-08-09 20:53 |
| #9 Needed: 1 (1) flag 1 (1) large weight 1 (1) rowboat |
| Posted by: mojo 2007-08-09 16:49 |
| #8 "If someone doesn't like this, let them go down themselves ... and then try to put something there. I say do it. Go down, rip theirs out, put up one of ours. And send the one we ripped out back to Putty. He can put it in his museum next to his Super Bowl ring... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2007-08-09 15:55 |
| #7 One of the first Canadian craft actively patrolling today. :) |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2007-08-09 14:37 |
| #6 Boy, is Santa Claus going to be upset when he sees you've cluttered up his front yard! Coal in your stockings come December! |
| Posted by: Mike 2007-08-09 13:41 |
| #5 Canada answered the Russian move with a clear message, highlighting plans to spend up to $7.12 billion to build and operate eight patrol ships to help protect its sovereignty in the Arctic. Is this the same Canada who couldn't deliver rescue and security troops to Indonesia during the Tsunami because it didn't have the transport logistics to do it? Now they are going to spend billions on patrol boats to keep the Russkies honest in the artic? |
| Posted by: Jack is Back! 2007-08-09 12:13 |
| #4 Methinks all sorts of Commie Chinese flags will begin sprouting up all over the soon to be ex-Russian Far East. |
| Posted by: ed 2007-08-09 07:19 |
| #3 The moon - ours to mine. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2007-08-09 02:25 |
| #2 "Russia has/will do what it takes to win". AMERICAN THINKER > article premises that Russia is becoming belligerent due its own awareness of its SSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHH declining power??? OTOH, lest we fergit, CHINA has already declared the Pacific and 1/2 of CONUS as future Chicom territory, so when the Motherly Russ Airborne invades Amer to save Amer cities from Americans, they'll be invading China. *EAST-ASIA INTEL > China has formally requested that the Pacific be evenly divided between it + USA. So, iff the Chicoms ever do take over the USA one day, the Pacific will be divided bwtn China + China. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2007-08-09 00:43 |
| #1 You should have seen us 40 years ago Russia. Before it all melted and made everybody flood and stuff. At least we have the Moon. |
| Posted by: newc 2007-08-09 00:29 |
