Russia Claims The North Pole

[DudeAsInCool]

In a special report, Time Magazine takes a look at Putin's bold move to annex the North Pole:

President Vladimir Putin has long promised to restore Russian greatness and build an "energy empire." But until now, his empire-building had been confined to taking control of corporations operating on his turf, buying into businesses abroad, and blackmailing former Soviet Republics who dared vote against Moscow-backed candidates, moved to join NATO or acted in otherwise uppity ways. But Putin's imperial ambitions have recently added an element of classic 19th century-style territorial expansion: Late last month, Moscow signaled its intentions to annex the entire North Pole, an area twice the size of France with Belgium and Switzerland thrown in — except all of it under water.

The ice-frozen North Pole is currently a no man's land supervised by a U.N. Commission. The five Polar countries — Russia, the U.S., Canada, Norway and Denmark each control only a 200-mile economic zone along their coasts. And none of these economic zones reach the North Pole. Under the current U.N. Maritime convention, one country's zone can be extended only if it can prove that the continental shelf into which it wishes to expand is a natural extension of its own territory, by showing that it shares a similar geological structure.

Read More at Time

[method77]

The title is misleading. Read the whole article and keep the following...

Russia's first attempt to expand beyond its Arctic zone was rebuffed by the U.N. Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, but Moscow hopes that its "latest scientific findings" will produce a different outcome when the Commission next meets, in 2009.

I also think that Time does not like Putin.

[DudeAsInCool]

It's still there ultmate goal, right?

[method77]

Canada has claimed a huge part in the past. Norway, Denmark and the US as well.

[DudeAsInCool]

Canada has claimed a huge part in the past. Norway, Denmark and the US as well.

I'd recommend that Beatking take it, but it's too cold - maybe The Pirate Bay should raise their stake there

[Umma]

Let them have it...

[Kooperman]

I'd recommend that Beatking take it, but it's too cold

DudeAsInTheCooler....

[method77]

:D

[CTC Command]

Putin had best relinquish his foolhardy claims or suffer the consequences--the North Pole belongs to ME.

[DudeAsInCool]

Russian sub plants flag under North Pole

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian explorers dived deep below the North Pole in a submersible on Thursday and planted a national flag on the seabed to stake a symbolic claim to the energy riches of the Arctic.

A mechanical arm dropped a specially made rust-proof titanium flag onto the Arctic seabed at a depth of 4,261 meters (13,980 ft), Itar-Tass news agency quoted expedition officials as saying.

Read More

[bmc]

money well wasted if you ask me

[Shawn]

Agreed.

A titanium flag on the sea floor. That's some science fiction bullshit.