The new British empire? UK plans to annex south Atlantic

The Guardian,U.K ^ | Saturday September 22, 2007 | Owen Bowcott

[sukhoi-30mki]

The new British empire? UK plans to annex south Atlantic

Owen Bowcott Saturday September 22, 2007 The Guardian

Britain is preparing territorial claims on tens of thousands of square miles of the Atlantic Ocean floor around the Falklands, Ascension Island and Rockall in the hope of annexing potentially lucrative gas, mineral and oil fields, the Guardian has learned. The UK claims, to be lodged at the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, exploit a novel legal approach that is transforming the international politics of underwater prospecting.

Britain is accelerating its process of submitting applications to the UN - which is fraught with diplomatic sensitivities, not least with Argentina - before an international deadline for registering interests.

Relying on detailed geological and geophysical surveys by scientists and hydrographers, any state can delineate a new "continental shelf outer limit" that can extend up to 350 miles from its shoreline. Data has been collected for most of Britain's submissions and Chris Carleton, head of the law of the sea division at the UK Hydrographic Office and an international expert on the process, said preliminary talks on Rockall are being held in Reykjavik, Iceland, next week. Mr Carleton believes the Falklands claim has the most potential for acrimonious political fallout. Britain and Argentina fought over the islands 25 years ago, and the value of the oil under the sea in the region is understood to be immense: seismic tests suggest there could be up to 60m barrels under the ocean floor.

Britain has been granted licences for exploratory drilling around the islands within the normal 200-mile exploration limit and any new claim to UNCLCS would extend territorial rights further into the Atlantic.

"It would be beyond the 200-mile limit but less than 350 miles," said Mr Carleton,

[Reily]

Unfortunately the present days Scots are determined to drag the UK into a “socialist utopia”.
You would be hard-pressed to find a place in Scotland where socialism is not advocated with enthusiasm.
Getting back at the English by making the UK more socialistic is not my idea of revenge!

[lowbridge]

I seem to recall your govt starting a war in 1812

Hey, we were only trying to right a wrong and take back what rightfully belonged to us in the first place.

Heh.

[ExpatGator]

You have too little faith in people and the value of liberty. Freedom means one has to take care of oneself. You folks did not give us upstart Americans much of a chance of success either.

[ExpatGator]

Give them their true self-rule. Let their flailing attempts at socialism fail, as it surely will. Then they can join the world as a free country, as they should be.

Granted, the Scots at present are like a retarded stepchild, undisciplined and dependent. That comes with centuries of being made dependent. England’s methods and political system have everything to do with that dependency.

[ExpatGator]

“Perhaps you could make them the 51st state of the union and the first entirely socialist state of the union? :)”

Sorry, that honor is already taken by Massachusetts. ;)

[Starwolf]

‘The British hounded my forefathers through the Highlands and eventually out of our homeland.’

The scots are British - scotland is part of Britain, therefore they must’ve hounded themselves! Which is exactly what they did, clan on clan while the English watched.

your ignorances of history is breathtaking...it rivals that of the liberals running for president. Start with reading about Edwards Longshanks and go from there...

[ExpatGator]

Technically he is correct, as it is all the “British Isles”. Beyond that he is fair game!

Notice he does not capitalize Scotland.

[RedMonqey]

The scots are British - scotland is part of Britain, therefore they must?ve hounded themselves! Which is exactly what they did, clan on clan while the English watched.

I think what britemp means that it was the English you should point the blame at hounding your (mine too)Scots ancestry. And yes some Scot nobles thought themselves as more kin to English Royalty than fellow Scotsmen and sided with the Crown against fellow countrymen.

At least that's what I think he means...

And unless you're an native of the British Isles I'd be a bit more hesitant about lecturing a Brit about his history .

Just my opinion and it's worth every penny ya paid for. ;_)

[Starwolf]

And unless you're an native of the British Isles I'd be a bit more hesitant about lecturing a Brit about his history.

For many Americans you may be right, but some of us have strong family ties to there and in my case an advanced degree in History with a specialization in the Elizabethan times. You should hear my undergraduate lectures on Mary Queen of Scots.

There are also different views of that time period among historians, however, several things are commonly agreed to...the Scots historically had their own king and were conquered (repeatedly) by the English. Eventually the Scottish nobility were co-opted by the English and via that, became part of the United Kingdom, winning peace without major bloodshed..

In Europe today, with the fundamental loss of sovereignty that the EU represents, the concept of a Free Scotland is almost silly.

[Windcatcher]

From the article:

"Britain is preparing territorial claims on tens of thousands of square miles of the Atlantic Ocean floor around the Falklands, Ascension Island and Rockall in the hope of annexing potentially lucrative gas, mineral and oil fields, the Guardian has learned. The UK claims, to be lodged at the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, exploit a novel legal approach that is transforming the international politics of underwater prospecting.

Picture of Rockall:



Maybe it's just me, but to me this claim isn't just "thin", it's anorexic.

[Mangani]

Well said britemp. The sooner the Scottish stop leeching off the English taxpayer the better.

[uksupport1]

The Scots are the most left-wing PC people in the UK. As Britemp said, the Tories would comfortably win most elections if it weren’t for our Scottish voters.

As for Ireland: you want Scotland to be absorbed into a European super-state with the EU flag flying more often than the Saltire?

[Starwolf]

Wait until you get a kilt check done by a buxom lassie...

Proper procedure is well described here: http://www.mdrfwench.org/kilt.htm

[Rikstir]

I reckon it was the ‘English’ that hounded your forefathers through the highlands. Just a suggestion, as we Brits weren’t really invented yet. It kind of makes sense for such a small island to be united under one banner. Scotlands economy would struggle if they got independence, and for one thing their children wouldn’t be able to have free university education. Its thanks to the taxpayers from England that they can afford such a luxury. One of the perks of being part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Hey, for an Englishman like me, the idea of not having to prop up the scottish economy with my money sounds good. Perhaps I could send my children to Uni for free, instead of the fortune its cost at the moment.

[fieldmarshaldj]

I’m 1/4th Scot, and I don’t think I’d have the courage to wear a kilt (authentically or otherwise). :-P

[Starwolf]

I’ve gotten considerable comment on mine over the years.

I always wear it to mess nights where at least someone will be sent to the grog blow over an insensitive comment or two. As a field marshall, I assume you would appreciate that

[RedMonqey]

iFor many Americans you may be right, but some of us have strong family ties to there and in my case an advanced degree in History with a specialization in the Elizabethan times.

Speaking as an fellow American I can attest to your statement about the ignorance of our own history and to find someone who can debate British History, much less a distinct period of British history is rare indeed.

You are indeed a unique person.

[the scotsman]

1—The Scots ARE British!.England/the English does not mean Britain/the British.

The Scots,Welsh and Northern Irish are all British.

2—Yoke?...Scotland JOINED the UK in 1707, unlike the Irish and Welsh who were there as victims of earlier English conquest.

Though repeatedly occupied, Scotland was never permanently conquered by England and had always expelled the English after bloody struggles from 1018 to 1640.Hence the invitation to join 1707 which saved England more bloodshed from another invasion of Scotland(and vice versa).

If you mean yoke in a political sense, then you have the right to refer to it in that term(though I would disagree), but to refer to it in a historical sense is simply incorrect and bad history.

3—Sadly, the worst PC excesses are in Scotland, thanks to our uber-socialist viewpoint and politicians.

[the scotsman]

Utter crap.

And I say that as a staunch British Unionist who wishes Scotland to remain IN the UK...

Scotland COULD go it alone, the question is whether it would be better off alone or as part of the UK.To suggest it would be some dirtpoor country is utter bilge.

Have you actually ever been here?....

Scotland does and would have large natural resources,added to its manufacturing and business infrastructure.And independent Scotland would do well,however I and many believe that it better off using those resources as part of the greater UK/British state.

And I will treat the ‘quality Scots’ remark with the utter contempt such an idiotic remark deserves...

[the scotsman]

Mate, what do you think its like for Conservatives here who can see the damage ‘West of Scotland’, Tommy Sheridan type socialism has done?.

Could do without referring to us as Jockland though.Never sure whether that is affectionate or contempt.

I thought you liked Scotland and hoped we might change our politics and be part of the UK.