Posted on 04/16/2012 9:50:48 AM PDT by Mr Apple
Part of Obama’s apparent war against U.S. energy independence includes a foreign-aid program that directly threatens my state’s sovereign territory. Obama’s State Department is giving away seven strategic, resource-laden Alaskan islands to the Russians. Yes, to the Putin regime in the Kremlin.
The seven endangered islands in the Arctic Ocean and Bering Sea include one the size of Rhode Island and Delaware combined. The Russians are also to get the tens of thousands of square miles of oil-rich seabeds surrounding the islands. The Department of Interior estimates billions of barrels of oil are at stake.
The State Department has undertaken the giveaway in the guise of a maritime boundary agreement between Alaska and Siberia. Astoundingly, our federal government itself drew the line to put these seven Alaskan islands on the Russian side. But as an executive agreement, it could be reversed with the stroke of a pen by President Obama or Secretary Clinton.
The agreement was negotiated in total secrecy. The state of Alaska was not allowed to participate in the negotiations, nor was the public given any opportunity for comment. This is despite the fact the Alaska Legislature has passed resolutions of opposition – but the State Department doesn’t seem to care.
The imperiled Arctic Ocean islands include Wrangel, Bennett, Jeannette and Henrietta. Wrangel became American in 1881 with the landing of the U.S. Revenue Marine ship Thomas Corwin. The landing party included the famed naturalist John Muir. It is 3,000 square miles in size.
Northwest of Wrangel are the DeLong Islands, named for George Washington DeLong, the captain of USS Jeannette. Also in 1881, he discovered and claimed these three islands for the United States. He named them for the voyage co-sponsor, New York City newspaper publisher James Gordon Bennett. The ship’s crew received a hero’s welcome back in Washington, and Congress awarded them gold medals.
In the Bering Sea at the far west end of the Aleutian chain are Copper Island, Sea Lion Rock and Sea Otter Rock. They were ceded to the U.S. in Seward’s 1867 treaty with Russia.
Now is the time for the Obama administration to stand up for U.S. and Alaskan rights and invaluable resources. The State Department’s maritime agreement is a loser – it gives us nothing in return for giving up Alaska’s sovereign territory and invaluable resources. We won the Cold War and should start acting like it.
The Obama administration must stop the giveaway immediately.
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Author’s addendum, Feb. 17, 2012: This is not a new issue. In fact the Bush and Clinton administrations are directly at fault for the same inaction. A maritime agreement negotiated by the U.S. State Department set the Russian boundary on the other side of the disputed islands, but no treaty has ratified this action. Consequently, it is within the president’s power to stop this giveaway. The Alaska delegation’s failure to put pressure on the administration is inexplicable. State Department Watch, an organization that assisted with this article, has confronted each administration and is currently confronting the Obama administration — and has been met by silence. I’m hoping this piece will help reinvigorate efforts to stop this handover.
That’s all he can do for now.
After the election he’ll have more flexibility....
I can not find a direct link to this Miller piece, but I am sure the facts presented here are correct. Apparently Obama or Clinton can Stop this giveaway! Can anyone help me find a direct link please?
I hate to be a grump, but this is a February article, it has been discussed multiple times since February, and in fact has been discussed periodically over the past 8 years I’ve been here at FR, and apparently before that.
If you look at the islands in question, it will become clear why we agreed that they should be Russian, and why so few people are worked up over this.
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Exclusive: Joe Miller sounds alarm over deal to put land in hands of Putin's Kremlin
Published: 02/16/2012
Obama's giveaway: Oil-rich islands to Russia
By Joe Miller (WND)
Please provide reference to discussion approving this—especially Palin’s opinion on the matter. Thanks.
The problem is that these islands are over the International Date Line, in the Arctic Sea, above Siberia. As you know, I am not the biggest fan of Russia, but these islands were never claimed by the US at any time. In fact, these islands have Russian military outposts on them.
Has any other president in modern history or for that fact the history of the U.S. given away land that was founded by us to foreign countries? I mean I am sure there has to be some. But if these islands have vast amounts of oil and natural gas sitting underneath them then this would seem a little criminal to do this without Congressional approval or some type of oversight.
When you see this on the map it sure appears that they are out of our territory & thus is it a giveaway? I think not. However, Big Ears is always there to give away to the commies/Mooslims, anti-Americans.
That’s all he can do for now.
After the election he’ll have more flexibility....
Yup.. after the election he might just try to give them Alaska.
“This is not a new issue. In fact the Bush and Clinton administrations are directly at fault for the same inaction.”
And now they are saying this Giveaway of the American Heartland to Russia was Bush’s Fault.
That’s a bunch of BS as George Bush would never have gone along with a plot to cede the American Heartland to the “former” USSR.
Here we go again........This first got its start back when, 2002?
He’s going for all the freezer money before he’s kicked out of offce?.
2) The U.S. has never actually claimed the islands. Russia claimed the islands back under the Tzars.
3) The treaty on the maritime border was negotiated in 1990 and ratified by the Senate and signed by President Bush in 1991.
A map of the islands:
This story (including variations) has been posted on Free Republic about 10 times in the last 3 months. It is hardly breaking news.
Right, I did the same all the islands look like they are closer to Russia than Alaska.
I’m not agreeing nor disagreeing with you — just wondering why you’d rely on factcheck.org for “facts.”
I have to apologize for this duplicate posting, but I did do a Search here a few minutes ago -under various Search topics but nothing came up. By posting this piece again perhaps socialist democrat Obama and Clinton will get the word and Stop this outrageous giveaway. Btw, I don't understand why previous posters here gave the green light to this giveaway? Maybe some new issues have come to light since Miller's latest publishing (and Author’s addendum, Feb. 17, 2012 )of this article was just two months ago on 2/16/12
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