Report: Obama Administration Is Giving Away 7 Strategic Islands to Russia

Gateway Pundit ^ | 2/18/12 | Jim Hoff

[mamelukesabre]

This has got to be a hoax.

[gaijin]

Will he also apologize and bow for us having them in the first place?

SO great, now that everyone loves us..!

[Jonty30]

Nothing would surprise me.

Is Obama Sunni or Shiite?

[onona]

WTF ? Is this true ?

[SkyDancer]

So where is the MSM on this?

[proudpapa]

In fairness to Obama, these islands are already “controlled by Russia. Geographically they ar closer to Russia.

And I wouldn’t want our military to go to war tying to defend them.

[Randy Larsen]

The Obama Administration is reportedly giving away Wrangell, Bennett, Jeannette and Henrietta islands in Alaska to Russia. The federal government drew the line to put these seven Alaskan islands on the Russian side
Former senatorial candidate Joe Miller broke this story at World Net Daily:

The Obama administration, despite the nation’s economic woes, effectively killed the job-producing Keystone Pipeline last month. The Arab Spring is turning the oil production of Libya and other Arab nations over to the Muslim Brotherhood. Iraq is distancing itself from the U.S. And everyone recognizes that Iran, whose crude supplies are critical to the European economy, will do anything it can to frustrate America’s strategic interests. In the face of all of this, Obama insists on cutting back U.S. oil potential with outrageous restrictions.

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 Wrangell, Bennett, Jeannette and Henrietta. Wrangell 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.

[Paladin2]

More oil/gas giveaway.

[abclily]

Obama is just being fair and doing the Christian thing by sharing with Russia.

[sushiman]

Apparently this was decided by treaty in 1990 , ratified by the US Senate in 1991, and then signed by Bush # 1 . A transfer wasn’t done then because Russia didn’t ratify the treaty and they still haven’t but the Commie in the WH has decided it is time to enforce it.

[Popman]

It’s about the potential oil rights we are giving up...

Not surprising he we give it away since we have all the energy we need / S

[tom h]

Definitely a hoax. There is zero record that these islands ever belonged to the USA, or were even claimed by the USA. WND is wrong on this one.

[EGPWS]

WND is wrong on this one.

That would be a first...

MS

[nuconvert]

USSR–USA Maritime Boundary Agreement (1990)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USSR%E2%80%93USA_Maritime_Boundary_Agreement

[Strategerist]

Eh, Wrangell Island was claimed by the US in 1881, but that claim was given up long ago (and we weren’t the first to land there.) The island has been controlled by the Soviets/Russians for years.

All of these islands are very obviously on the Russian side of the Bering Strait.

Sort of comforting to see Wing Nut Daily embarrass themselves again - means the world is functioning as it should.

[Strategerist]

Fact Sheet

Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs

Washington, DC

May 20, 2003

Status of Wrangel and Other Arctic Islands

No negotiations regarding the U.S.-Russia maritime boundary have occurred since 1990, when the U.S.-USSR Maritime Boundary Agreement was signed. The negotiations that led to that agreement did not address the status of Wrangel Island, Herald Island, Bennett Island, Jeannette Island, or Henrietta Island, all of which lie off Russia's Arctic coast, or Mednyy (Copper) Island or rocks off the coast of Mednyy Island in the Bering Sea. None of the islands or rocks above were included in the U.S. purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867, and they have never been claimed by the United States, although Americans were involved in the discovery and exploration of some of them.

[panaxanax]

If they’re ‘strategic’ then they’re worth defending.

[hedgetrimmer]

Clinton gave one to Russia as well.

[aomagrat]

At least Russia will develop any oil reserves found there.