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| NORTHCOM eyes more northern border patrols |
| 2008-05-14 |
| As the Arctic ice cap shrinks, the Pentagon is eyeing the expanding navigable waters as possible entry points for security threats that must be monitored more closely, the chief of the U.S. Northern Command told The Associated Press. Air Force Gen. Gene Renuart also said in an interview that defense officials are working with the Federal Aviation Administration and Canadian authorities to determine how unmanned aircraft can be used to monitor the northern border without interfering with busy commercial air traffic routes. For much of the last 18 months, the military has been more visibly focused on the country's southern border — dispatching National Guard troops to help patrol there while additional border guards were trained. But Renuart said there will be increased military activity along the expansive northern boundary and beyond, including efforts to use more high-tech sensors and cameras like those developed for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. "The Arctic is a new area that is important to us because of the changes in ice flows," said Renuart. The shift, he said, means that Northern Command will beef up its maritime surveillance. Renuart's comments came as Defense Secretary Robert Gates was traveling Monday to Colorado Springs, Colo., for the 50th anniversary of NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command. Scientists have said the ice in the north shrank to a record low last summer, a change many attribute to global warming. And as the ice opened up, traffic in the Arctic region grew, particularly along the northwest passage. "Last year, during the summer months, where the ice had retreated we began to see some tourist ships, cruises, in the region," Renuart said during the interview on Friday. For ships headed from the Pacific to Europe, traveling through the northwest passage saves time and valuable energy costs. That traffic increase has coincided with greater international interest in potential energy resources in the Arctic, prompting more exploration. "All of this has implications that there could be security concerns," Renuart said. The U.S. and Canada have already said there are plans to use unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) along the more than 5,000-mile long northern border. The military has chosen a base in Grand Forks to base the Predator drones for that mission, largely due to its central location. Renuart said the effort has been slowed a bit as officials try to resolve air traffic congestion issues, and train UAV operators on how to fly the drones in the north's more heavily wooded terrain. |
| Posted by:lotp |
| #11 ION RUSSIA > UKRAINE has formally banned MOSCOW'S MAYOR for arguing that RUSSIA SHOULD TAKE OVER AND ANNEX UKR's SEVASTOPOL NAVAL BASE FOR RUSS BLACK SEA FLEET. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2008-05-14 22:06 |
| #10 KOMMERSANT > TERRORISTS PLOTTED TO EXPLODE RF CONSULATE IN IRAN'S RESHT. FARS News Agency > Iran Minister argues was a wilful US intent by proxy to divide/split Iran from her neighbors??? |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2008-05-14 22:03 |
| #9 US CENTCOM might want to consider more all-around, as per below: RIAN > IRAN SAYS IT INTERCEPTED A TERRORIST ATTACK AGZ THE RUSSIAN CONSULATE, in city of Rasht near Caspian Sea. IRAN IS CHARGING THAT TERRORIST GROUP HAS US LINKS??? IOW, IRAN is ACCUSING THE US OF A DIRECT PROXY ATTACK AGZ RUSS CONSULATE = SOVEREIGN RUSS [Diplomatic]TERRITORY. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2008-05-14 21:59 |
| #8 Blame Canada! /obligitory-southpark |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2008-05-14 18:13 |
| #7 What I find absolutely knee-slapping is the fact that the US has today labeled the polar bear as "threatened" ... not because it is actually threatened, but because SOME models say it COULD be threatened around the year 2050. So we have embarked on a path of protecting species that are not under threat (current polar bear populations are at record numbers, by the way) and whose populations are at all time record highs now, because of what some study says what MIGHT happen 40 years from now. Polar bears survived the last interglacial just fine ... and that interglacial was much warmer than this one has been. The North pole would have been ice-free every summer in the last interglacial. How do these morons get elected? Ah, right, the morons who vote for them. |
| Posted by: crosspatch 2008-05-14 16:39 |
| #6 The russians seem keen to plant flags in recent years. |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2008-05-14 16:33 |
| #5 Thanks, x-patch. Whaddya wanna bet the red line on the second graph continues UP? That'd put **evil grin** |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2008-05-14 16:31 |
| #4 "As the Arctic ice cap shrinks," Uhm, don't look now, fellas, but the Northern ice cap has practically recovered. Check out this image. You might need to click on it to blow it up to full size. Check out the far right of the graph. See where sea ice drops to a near record low? And see how this year it goes right back to where it was from about 1996 to 2004? Wanna see something even neater? Check out the global sea ice chart. 2008 has shown the largest increase in sea ice recorded. |
| Posted by: crosspatch 2008-05-14 15:31 |
| #3 But has anyone considered the walk south after landing anywhere up there? The situation would be more of establishing monitoring stations, outposts or supply depots in the northern areas. A couple of years ago, a Chinese oceanographic vessel made a port visit to a village on Hudson Bay. The Chinese didn't notify the Canadian government. That's the reason for concern. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2008-05-14 12:03 |
| #2 According to Ezekiel 38 and other prophecies, a great horde of fully armed troops invades from the north on war horses and using mules for merchandise. "Babylon" invades "Israel", then God avenges his people by sending destroyers against "Babylon". Identification depends upon your interpretation of allegorical passages, but some of these are not just historical references to ancient battles, as they are apocalyptic with a future fulfillment. I guess I'd rather be safe than sorry by including the US as both representive of the people of God and Babylon, rather than just a past battle in geographic Israel. However, you don't need to fill up horses with $14 UAV fuel, especially it it is scarce! |
| Posted by: Thealing Borgia6122 2008-05-14 10:31 |
| #1 Ok, fine. But has anyone considered the walk south after landing anywhere up there? By the time any jihadi made it to an "urban centre" they would have become Canadian. |
| Posted by: Excalibur 2008-05-14 09:26 |
