Obama State Department set to cede oil-rich Alaska islands to Russia

Washington Times ^ | Monday 20th February | admin

[Candor7]

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.

[Drew68]

This myth made it to the Washington Times?

Sadly, the Washington Times is quickly turning into a mirror of Wing Nut Daily. What's next? Pterodactyls in Asia?

[RWB Patriot]

If this is true, I can’t see how dear leader will get away with it.

[Brown Deer]

1867 Treaty Between United States and Russia

It is important to read the 1867 treaty between the United States and Russia, because it is very specific about what territory is (and is not) ceded from Russia to the United States. Popular misimpressions abound.

1. The word "Alaska" does not appear anywhere in the treaty. The United States did not buy "Alaska" from Russia. The term "Alaska" at the time referred to a peninsula at the eastern end of the Aleutian Islands.

2. The part of the treaty that explains what is being ceded is Article I: "His Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias agrees to cede to the United States...all the territory and dominion now possessed by his said Majesty on the continent of America and in the adjacent islands, the same being contained within the geographical limits set forth...." In 1867 Russia possessed very little actual land territory on the American continent, consisting mostly of some coastal and river settlements with about 500 inhabitants. The Russians had not even landed on the Arctic Ocean side of modern-day Alaska. The land that the Russians ceded constitutes only a small part of the land mass that is now known as the State of Alaska. Upon taking over the limited Russian lands in 1867, the United States government expanded its domain greatly by exploration, possession, and annexation of huge areas on the mainland, in the Bering Sea, and in the Arctic Ocean, including several islands.

3. The last clause of Article I states, "...to the meridian of one hundred and ninety-three degrees west longitude [167 degrees east], so as to include in the territory conveyed the whole of the Aleutian islands east of that meridian." The westernmost islands in the Aleutian islands are Bering and Copper (with Sea Lion Rock and Sea Otter Rock nearby Copper). This clause was added in the last phase of negotiations to allow Russia to keep Bering Island. The meridian of 193 degrees west (167 degrees east) runs directly between Bering and Copper Islands.



This maritime boundary line places on the Russian side 8 American Alaskan islands along with their 200-mile seabeds. It amounts to a giveaway of not only the land territory, but also hundreds of thousands of square miles of seabeds to the Russians. (See shaded area of map.) There is no quid pro quo for the American public or the State of Alaska. These seabeds are rich in oil, gas, fisheries, and other resources worth billions of dollars. The oil and gas potential is measured in the billions of barrels. The fisheries are in the hundreds of millions of pounds per year, reflecting that Alaska is the number one fishing state in the nation. The military strategic locations of the Arctic and Bering areas is obvious. Any missiles that might fly toward North America from the Asian mainland would fly over these areas of Alaska, and these islands would be useful for intelligence collection and strategic defense initiative (SDI) installations.

[Brown Deer]

Will this explanation from the State Department, written in 2003 help you believe it is a myth?

Why should it?

[blueyon]

were is the Senate and House standing up to him on this

[Cicero]

Thanks, Brown Deer. Very interesting. Although if those earlier posts are true, it looks as if the effort to give away the islands started under George H. W. Bush.

Still, unless the revised treaty proposed back then by Bush has been ratified, it’s still Obama who appears to be doing the giveaway, without due ratification by the Senate. A treaty is not a treaty until it is ratified.

Is that right?

[thackney]

Although if those earlier posts are true, it looks as if the effort to give away the islands started under George H. W. Bush.

Not hardly.

- - -

Even though Russia had long before be putting equipment and people on these islands?

http://heritage-expeditions.com/destination/wrangel-island/

- - - - - - - - -

Russian settlement began in 1926, followed by military installations at Zvezdnyi on Somnitel’naya Bay, and reindeer herder settlements, later abandoned, but with many artefacts still well preserved

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1023

- - - - - - - -

In 1911 the famous icebreakers, Tamyr and Vaygach, as part of the Russian Arctic Ocean Hydrographic Expedition (1910-15) briefly landed a party on Wrangel Island and claimed it for Russia. In 1914, survivors from the Vilhjalmur Stefansson-led Canadian Arctic Expedition’ s doomed Northern Party camped on Wrangel Island for nine harrowing months. Their ever-controversial leader had abandoned them in September 1913, leaving them for dead aboard their ship, the CGS Karluk, stuck fast in the ice pack.

Not content with that fiasco, Stefansson landed an “occupation” party of five on Wrangel Island in 1921, apparently to assist Canada and Britain in the so-called “northward course of empire”. In another epic arctic drama, his experiment ended in tragedy, leaving a brave young Inuit woman, Ada Blackjack, the sole survivor. In spite of this abject failure, another group of Inuit were installed in 1923, but these hapless souls were eventually evicted in 1926 by Russia, setting off yet another dispute that would simmer for years after.

http://monolith.com.au/wrangel/

[thackney]

Your map was not part of the treaty.

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=llsl&fileName=015/llsl015.db&recNum=574

It does not match the description of text, including Western southern boundary midway between Attou Island and Copper Island of the Kormandorski couplet.

How does the treaty show Copper Island to be in the US when the treaty clearly drew the line midway between Copper and Attou?

The same happens at the North. Read the text of what you posted. It is true. But the map is something made up.

[Brown Deer]

Your map was not part of the treaty.

That's right it isn't! but it matches up with your map.

It does not match the description of text...

It most certainly does match the description below it!

How does the treaty show Copper Island to be in the US when the treaty clearly drew the line midway between Copper and Attou?

The meridian of 193 degrees west (167 degrees east) runs directly between Bering and Copper Islands. Why have you displayed maps without the proper markings?

[Brown Deer]

Copper Island

Bering Island

MAP

[Brown Deer]

But the map is something made up.

Really? How so?

Google Map

Just a myth?

[LucyT]

.

Thanks, y’all. ... Appreciate the pings.

.

[snowsislander]

were is the Senate and House standing up to him on this

I believe that Senator Jesse Helms was the last senator who brought up the issue.

I don't remember any house members bringing this subject up. If I were searching for such, I would start with the Alaska delegation, particularly back in the 1990s when this issue had a bit of political traction. (There were a few senators, notably Senator Richard Lugar and Senator Ted Stevens who were vehemently in favor of the USSR's position.)

Two pages of interest might be these:

  Resolutions of Alaska and California Legislatures Against the Giveaway

  Organization Resolutions Against the Giveaway (this includes resolutions from the VFW, the American Legion, and the Daughters of the American Revolution.)

[thackney]

Read the treaty.

We can start from the south.

It say between Attou and Copper.

How can Copper be included?.

Can you show me a single map of Alaska that extends past Attou?

[GOPJ]

Obama State Department set to cede oil-rich Alaska islands to Russia...

I'm sooooooooooo surprised. /s

[Brown Deer]

But the map is something made up.

So the map included in The Agreement Between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics On the Maritime Boundary, with Annex, Signed at Washington, June 1, 1990 is something made up?

[Brown Deer]

[Candor7]

Territorial Claims are based on clear principles of International Law. Many of these principles have been codified into treaties and provide a good overview of several of the legal theories involved, such as contiguity. http://untreaty.un.org/ilc/texts/instruments/english/conventions/8_1_1958_territorial_sea.pdf The US having claim to the DeLong Islands allows them to extend their exploration rights of the sea bed there. The CHinese are using the same argument with the Spratly Islands.

Of course Obama would not want to promote the Oil Companies claims in otherwise Russian waters, as the Russians have been doing to Canada and the USA.Obama is an idiot and has ideological issues with extending US hegemony internationally. Obama would rather apologize for our nations former conduct, and instead seeks historical "justice" for the so called "down trodden." This makes Obama weak and a prime target for the Russians, China, and many other nations. Joe Miller is the Alaskan politician ( Republican) who is raising the stink about Obama and his abandonment of the DeLong Islands claim. I believe Joe Miller when he says that Obama is not acting in the bests interests of our country.

[Brown Deer]

Obama is not acting in the bests interests of our country.

Anyone who doesn't believe that is just like 0bama, a...

[mickie]

This is outrageous! Thanks for posting.
Will call my Congressmann and Senator on Monday.
BTTT.