just damn...
Posted on 01/13/2009 1:31:00 PM PST by shielagolden
Bush Signs Off on New U.S. Arctic Policy
The White House on Monday released a long-awaited document broadly laying out U.S. policy toward the Arctic, a region whose potential for oil, gas, and mineral exploitation is for the first time being unlocked by a historic ice melt driven by climate change.
The presidential directive was issued with just over a week to go in the Bush administration, but the policy review behind it lasted about two years. The last such review was completed in 1994.
"The United States is an Arctic nation, with varied and compelling interests in the region," the new policy states, including "broad and fundamental national security interests . . . and is prepared to operate either independently or in conjunction with other states to safeguard these interests."
There are eight countries with land above the Arctic Circle: the United States, Canada, Denmark (through Greenland), Norway, Russia, Finland, Iceland, and Sweden. The first five have frontage on the Arctic Ocean, where potential disagreements over economic control of energy deposits would be most likely to play out.
Canada and Russia both have stepped up naval patrol and other military activities along their swaths of the Arctic, and the new U.S. policy envisions that the United States will "assert a more active and influential national presence to protect its Arctic interests and to project sea power throughout the region." It also reiterates the American position that U.S. vessels have the right of international navigation both through the Northwest Passage and through straits along the Northern Sea Route. Those sea lanes are expected to see significantly greater ship traffic as seasonal ice melting continues.
The presidential directive refers to a need to "develop greater capabilities and capacity" to protect U.S. "air, land, and sea borders in the Arctic region." It does not delve into the issue of funding an expansion of the U.S. fleet of ice breakers, as key analysts and, apparently, the U.S. Coast Guard hope to see in the future.
The new policy calls for Senate ratification of the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, the legal framework for activities in much of the Arctic. The United States is not yet a party.
The document also foresees that "energy development in the Arctic region will play an important role in meeting growing global energy demand." Scientists believe that the Arctic holds major deposits of natural gas and oil. Such energy development, the directive states, should proceed "in an environmentally sound manner."
Environmentalists, however, fear that energy operations, combined with increased shipping, fishing, and tourism, all will create ecological problems in a fragile region where, in general, human activity has been light.
"The Arctic has always been important to us," Paula Dobriansky, the outgoing under secretary of state for democracy and global affairs, said in an interview last year. Arctic issues, she said, need to be handled with "a collective approach."
Isn't there any mechanism for this poor, beaten-down,emasculated remnant to be sent home to TX early before he does any more of obambi’s bidding?
All this marxist crap he has been spewing out.....no wonder he can't find time to pardon a couple of rail-roaded American border agents!
Whenever this guy signs anything I get the chills.
Obama will be even worse.
I try to be an optimist, but I’m getting the feeling America as we know it is truly screwed.
That "collective" is being pushed a lot lately.
Lock and load FRiends...
Great, so we will be able to lay claim to more resources that we won’t allow ourselves to produce.
Why is this a good thing? If we let Russia claim them at least they would be produced and put on the global market.
Yes, but you'll be told by those that worship big government politicians he's a real nice honorable guy.
gezzzz
I offer up this thread as still another reason why people, who consistently and constantly proclaim that within a short period of time we are going to wish we had Bush back, are dead flat out incredibly wrong.
Bush is a misguided New World Order wonk, just like his dad.
If the open borders didn’t seem like a clue to you all, you just weren’t tuned in.
Here bush fronts for the LOST treaty, the number one desire of the United Nations, an assured income stream from which to finance it’s real agenda.
This is the last thing a Conservative would advocate.
Is Freedom our desire as a sovereign nation, or do we wish to be lead by a ring in the nose by the United Nations? Touch call huh... evidently for Senior Buuuuuush, esta es.
Call me ignorant....what does this all mean? Why is this a case of national sovereignty in question.
I honestly don’t know so I’m looking for a answer, not a flame.
The worse thing is, you are being an optimist.
If the U.N. gains control of the seas, something it has been desperately seeking for a long time, it will be able to charge taxes on goods shipped on the seas. It will be able to tax energy products taken from the seas. It will be able to give or deny permission for the seas to be used in the manner our Navy has used it for well over 200 years. It will be in a position to control any energy production using currents of the seas, or other methods. It will be able to regulate fishing on the high seas. It will regulate what territorial waters are. There are a host of issues here.
It will put all nations in a subservient position. The United Nations will be the highest authority regarding use of the seas.
Nations that do not comply with it’s directives, will be subject to sanctions.
Our fearless leader not only doesn’t see the problem with this, he didn’t take measures to get us out of this filthy organization when he had the chance. Now he actually advocates for such a plan.
This man needs to step down now. Seriously, he is going to screw our nation into the ground over the next week, so Obama can start off with a clean slate.
The Republicans are now the ones supporting this agenda. It’s sickening.
just damn...
Bush gives the US a final “screw you” before leaving office to fret over his sick legacy.
He was as big a fraud as is Obama. Yep, the torch was passed alright, the torch that burns the US dream to the ground.
I never want to look look at GWB’s sorry socialist NWO behind again.
its is treason.
SOB just had to stick it to us one more time.
May I suggest reading here for starters:
The Top Five Reasons Why Conservatives Should Oppose the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea
http://www.heritage.org/Research/InternationalOrganizations/wm1638.cfm
September 25, 2007
Why Reagan Would Still Reject the Law of the Sea Treaty
http://www.heritage.org/Research/InternationalOrganizations/wm1676.cfm
October 24, 2007
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.