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2006-01-27 Great White North

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Posted by Steve 2006-01-27 07:56|| || Front Page|| [11137 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 The BBC's Lee Carter in Toronto says Canada has only recently woken up to the fact that, with global warming being blamed for melting ice in the Arctic, the so-far-mythical northwest passage, which could link the Atlantic and the Pacific, may in fact become a reality.

This is what they're betting on?

Posted by tu3031 2006-01-27 08:33|| 2006-01-27 08:33|| Front Page Top

#2 The Beast aka The Devils Own Sub or Hawkbill checks out the NW Passage.

Posted by 6 2006-01-27 08:44|| 2006-01-27 08:44|| Front Page Top

#3 #6 wots the code?

Posted by RD 2006-01-27 09:07|| 2006-01-27 09:07|| Front Page Top

#4 The BBC's Lee Carter in Toronto says Canada has only recently woken up to the fact that, with global warming being blamed for melting ice in the Arctic, the so-far-mythical northwest passage, which could link the Atlantic and the Pacific, may in fact become a reality.

*sigh*

I wonder if anyone's pointed out to them that even at the largest temperature increase predicted, the Arctic will still be below freezing.

Posted by Robert Crawford">Robert Crawford 2006-01-27 09:39|| http://www.kloognome.com/]">[http://www.kloognome.com/] 2006-01-27 09:39|| Front Page Top

#5 I suppose it's a reasonable tradeoff. We don't put up too much of a stink about their claims to the Arctic, and they'll do the same for us regarding the Straits of Hormuz.

Posted by Perfessor 2006-01-27 09:48|| 2006-01-27 09:48|| Front Page Top

#6 "The United States defends its sovereignty,...

Not true where Mexico is concerned.

Posted by Bomb-a-rama 2006-01-27 09:56|| 2006-01-27 09:56|| Front Page Top

#7 Hawkbill is SSN 666 RD

Posted by 6 2006-01-27 10:04|| 2006-01-27 10:04|| Front Page Top

#8 "This is our Line of Death, eh? Do not cross our Line of Death."

Posted by BH 2006-01-27 10:06|| 2006-01-27 10:06|| Front Page Top

#9 LOL, BH.

Best (underated) comedy ever! "Steamroller, eh?"

Hey, Harper! All your ice floes are belong to US!

Posted by JDB 2006-01-27 10:44|| 2006-01-27 10:44|| Front Page Top

#10 It is just too damn cold up there for US to really care about it....

Posted by mmurray821 2006-01-27 11:07|| 2006-01-27 11:07|| Front Page Top

#11 I think there is an interesting and deliberate political dance being started here. I think that the Americans would rather see the North West Passage being in Canadian waters because it gives them more influence than if it were international waters. (Do the Americans really want Russian and Chinese warships freely bobbing around up there?) And there is no better way for the US to put pressure on Canada to actually beef up its military than by "taking away" our True North.

Note, too, that the NORAD agreement is up for renewal. This time though it is to be signed with no renewal date. There is also negociation to include naval defenses of North America and not just air defense.

So what is in the best strategic interest of the US? International waters to the north of Canada or joint defense of a major shipping lane and potentially massive natural resource?

Posted by Canuck 2006-01-27 11:08|| 2006-01-27 11:08|| Front Page Top

#12 I like your analysis Canuck, and I like Mr. Harper's reminder to the citizens that Canada is a sovereign nation, and as such is required to define and muster some defense of its borders.

A defense that might even require some amount of pointy and projectile-flinging objects, persons trained in the use of said objects, and vaguely menacing floating personnel containers, perhaps also appointed with pointy and projectile-flinging objects.

Welcome back to the Anglosphere, cousins! We've missed you.

Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious 2006-01-27 11:18|| 2006-01-27 11:18|| Front Page Top

#13 Welcome back to the Anglosphere, cousins! We've missed you.

I'd wait for a little more evidence before I went that far.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2006-01-27 11:31|| 2006-01-27 11:31|| Front Page Top

#14 I thought the devilfish, AKA Hawkbill, was decommissioned back in the late 90s.

Posted by 49 Pan">49 Pan 2006-01-27 11:45|| 2006-01-27 11:45|| Front Page Top

#15 OOPS I was wrong, decommisioned March 2000.

Posted by 49 Pan">49 Pan 2006-01-27 11:46|| 2006-01-27 11:46|| Front Page Top

#16 It was. I just wanted an excuse to post a picture of Satans Sub.

Posted by 6 2006-01-27 12:05|| 2006-01-27 12:05|| Front Page Top

#17 Do the Americans really want Russian and Chinese warships freely bobbing around up there?

Already had Chinese 'civilian' ships there; it'd be just a minor escalation.

Posted by Pappy 2006-01-27 12:07|| 2006-01-27 12:07|| Front Page Top

#18 Underground listening posts? I wonder what those will be like.

Clive, do you hear something - sort of a scratching noise, he?

It's an ice mole, eh. Now pass me another Molson's, eh.

Posted by WhitecollarRedneck 2006-01-27 12:45|| 2006-01-27 12:45|| Front Page Top

#19 PM Harper imposter dupes French President Chirac:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/cpress/20060127/ca_pr_on_me/brite_harper_chirac_1

Posted by Flomotch Thaiper2166 2006-01-27 12:49|| 2006-01-27 12:49|| Front Page Top

#20 Thus Article 16(4) of the Geneva
Convention provided that:
There shall be no suspension of the innocent passage of foreign ships through straits which are used in international navigation between one part of the high seas and another part of the high seas or the territorial sea of a foreign State.

Posted by phil_b">phil_b 2006-01-27 16:57|| http://autonomousoperation.blogspot.com/]">[http://autonomousoperation.blogspot.com/] 2006-01-27 16:57|| Front Page Top

#21 FT2166, that was worth a post.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2006-01-27 17:21|| 2006-01-27 17:21|| Front Page Top

#22 we better watch out, they might send us a really nasty letter.

Posted by 2b 2006-01-27 17:30|| 2006-01-27 17:30|| Front Page Top

#23 Gosh Phil details, details. You know Canada would never stop anyone from entering or exiting their waterway, or country for that matter, two days ago when there was a shootout at the border the guards ran.

Posted by 49 Pan">49 Pan 2006-01-27 18:06|| 2006-01-27 18:06|| Front Page Top

#24 I say good thing he is asserting his "Canada first" mind set. I have no problem with that. Canada is not 52nd a US state like many wish it was.

All my lefty Canadian pals are frothed up because he said "God Bless Canada". He is a "radical fundementalist" they think. They are young and beleive the Liberal party propaganda.

Message to PM elect Harper. Don't take lessons from us. We haven't got that down yet.

Posted by Sock Puppet O´ Doom 2006-01-27 18:06|| 2006-01-27 18:06|| Front Page Top

#25 BH - #8 - ROFL!

Agreed, JDB. Perfection.

Posted by .com 2006-01-27 19:34|| 2006-01-27 19:34|| Front Page Top

#26 Hey, Harper! All your ice floes are belong to US!

That's okay, you can have the ice floes. We'll keep the parts that are more permanent, like the islands and such.

Posted by Rafael 2006-01-27 20:35|| 2006-01-27 20:35|| Front Page Top

#27 Doesn't Greenland contest some of this area as well?

Posted by Sock Puppet O´ Doom 2006-01-27 22:07|| 2006-01-27 22:07|| Front Page Top

#28 I'd like to see one historical source that says this region is contested, i.e., show me one historically alternate name for the Queen Elizabeth Islands, in Russian, Chinese, Danish, or whatever.

All this "contested" bullshit is just coming out of the woodwork now. This isn't Antarctica. Land claims have been settled a long time ago, +/- Hans Island.

Posted by Rafael 2006-01-27 22:59|| 2006-01-27 22:59|| Front Page Top

23:47 Shieldwolf
23:43 Shieldwolf
23:42 Frank G
23:39 11A5S
23:36 Pappy
23:33 Bomb-a-rama
23:31 D. Adams
23:19 .com
23:18 .com
23:17 Rafael
23:16 Frank G
23:08 Frank G
23:00 Angie Schultz
22:59 Rafael
22:55 Hupomoger Clans9827
22:54 RD
22:46 Hupomoger Clans9827
22:41 D. Adams
22:31 Hupomoger Clans9827
22:30 Alaska Paul
22:27 Asymmetrical Triangulation
22:21 Alaska Paul
22:20 3dc
22:14 Sock Puppet O´ Doom