Harper Vows Military Defence of Arctic Waters--Toronto Star

[Gloria]

From the new World Media Watch up now at http://www.zianet.com/insightanalytical
Tomorrow at Buzzflash.com


4//The Toronto Star, Canada Aug. 13, 2006. 04:14 PM

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&pubid=968163964505&cid=1155470046623&col=968705899037&call_page=TS_News&call_pageid=968332188492&call_pagepath=News/News



HARPER VOWS MILITARY DEFENCE OF ARCTIC WATERS

Dene Moore, Canadian Press



IQALUIT, Nunavut — The world has taken notice of the vast economic potential of the Far North and it is urgent that Canada demonstrate its sovereignty over the rich waters off its Arctic coast, says Prime Minister Stephen Harper.



Harper returned Sunday from a short stay in the northernmost community in the world, the remote military outpost in Alert, Nunavut, on the northern tip of Ellesmere Island.



Alert, along with Arctic waters 200 nautical miles off the northern shore, are Canadian, the prime minister said, and the Canadian military will defend that claim.



"The economics and the strategic value of northern resource development are growing more attractive and critical to our nation," Harper said during a speech in front of the Nunavut legislature on Saturday, the first day of his first visit to the northern territories.



"And trust me, it's not only Canadians who are noticing. It's no exaggeration to say that the need to assert our sovereignty and take action to protect our territorial integrity in the Arctic has never been more urgent."

MORE

including remarks about American intrusions into the area

[davepc]

1. As the polar ice sheets recede

and the northwest passage becomes a commercially viable shipping option, Canada is going to need to possess the naval and air ability to patrol and regulate it, especially since they consider the area to be Canadian territory while the US, EU, and Japan consider it international waters.

[saigon68]

22. harper wants monopoly on Killling Baby Harp Seals

After all the guys ponding their heads into pulp, with aluminum bats, need to make a "living"

Whatever the FUCK that emans.

[davepc]

23. uhm. ok.

[Roland99]

2. "There is also major potential for oil and gas in the Arctic offshore."

There ya have it.

[Miss Chybil]

7. I'm sure there will be plenty an oil exec ready to make sure NOBODY

gets it. We can't have the oil prices going down now, can we?

[daleo]

3. Harper went up north as an excuse to miss the Toronto AIDS conference

That's all there is to it.

[Lisa]

10. agreed -- since when has he been devoted to northern issues?

His sudden decision to start playing "Lady Franklin" looks pretty suspicious. Plus, many northern residents are more concerned about social/environmental issues like the impact of global warming, than they are about planting flags all over the place.

[Spazito]

4. LOL, gosh, what a tough guy....he believes the north is ....

sovereign, it's the rest of Canada he wants to give to the US, aka softwood lumber, etc.

[AlwaysQuestion]

5. Canada is dead meat

Pure folly to spend a dime on Canadian defence. If some nation decides to invade Canada, the U.S. will pick up the gauntlet to defend us for nothing. Wellll, not exactly for nothing. All the resources we have are all the resources the U.S. wants for itself, so of course, the U.S. will protect its own interests, as it has done all over the globe. Also, as a gateway to the U.S., the U.S. needs to "defend" Canada, so I say let them go at it. But let them pay for it too. Don't insist on running the show AND then gallingly insist that we help pay for it.

If any of Canada's people get protection, it will be by sheer happenstance. On the other hand, if we should be invaded by the U.S. itself, well, we Canucks couldn't muster up the financial or human resources to defend ourselves successfully. The time for thinking about our own defence has long, long gone. We should have been working on this from the get-go of becoming a nation. On the other hand, we could make some kind of a pact with Russia. That might make things a little more interesting. Yeah, let's work on that. :thumbsup: ;)

Ultimately the U.S. will own Canada lock, stock and barrel. Of course, given the U.S.'s foreign policy, we might all be looking at all out nuclear war in which case there will be no one left to covet any of the world's natural resources. Or, with the NW passage becoming disturbingly warm, we've got ourselves a problem which far outweighs our need to spend money for sovereign defence. Whichever way it goes, Canada is dead meat, so as we await our fate, let's use our financial resources for making life as pleasant as we can for the vast majority of our residents.

[mitchtv]

6. a dozen Senators, appropriate reps,and we could have how many

more stars (maple shaped)? I shamefully don't know with provinces and territories.


Hopefully California could slip out in the confusion.

[FormerDem06]

8. i don't mean for this to sound alarmist, but I'm guessing....

China or Russia will be in NW Canada by 2030. Most likely it will be China, because their thirst for more oil is currently even greater than that of the US.

Cuba is allowing them to explore slant drilling US oil reserves off of Florida currently from Cuban waters. They are currently blocking any and all action in the UN on Darfur, because they have a contract with the Islamic gov't for oil.

In my opinion it's going to get ugly quick. They are growing too fast to put the brakes on now.

[IChing]

11. Newslink please, on your hyperbole statement

"Cuba is allowing them to explore slant drilling US oil reserves off of Florida currently from Cuban waters. They are currently blocking any and all action in the UN on Darfur, because they have a contract with the Islamic gov't for oil."

[TheWatcher]

19. Don't worry he doesn't have one

But this is some of the more entertaining spew he's come up with.

He ought to be a fiction writer instead of wasting his time trying to convince us he has any actual information.

Besides, Fox and WorldNetDaily could really use some new blood.

[FormerDem06]

26. Spew?

Thank you for your kind words. I am new here, and I welcome the kindness that is shown to me by such veteran posters as yourself.
While I am boycotting the Democratic Party in NC until Jim Black resigns, I am still a national democrat and vote with them on every issue.

Will you please tell me what other "spew" I have come up with since you are so familiar with my 60 other posts to date?


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21143-2004Dec22.html
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/01/21/darfur10050.htm

[FormerDem06]

25. A couple o' news links.....

http://www.americanfreepress.net/html/china_starts_oil_drilling.html
http://www.sptimes.com/2006/05/08/Worldandnation/Cuba_seeks_oil_near_K.shtml

[LynnTheDem]

21. Bullshit; if anyone tries it'll be the USA.

And good luck. Canadians will make it 3 for 3.

[Spazito]

9. I don't believe Canada is dead meat at all...

Harper, on the other hand, is. He will be gone in the next election, imo. The Libs will win a minority government. As to our defense, we don't need a defense once harper is gone, imo, and our foreign policies return to some sanity and balance.

As to the US invading, well, they tried that twice before, and were handed their asses, not to mention our burning down the White House.

Canada will NOT be owned lock, stock and barrel by the US, they can't afford us with their massive debt, China will own them instead and we will have a very robust trading partnership with China.

[AlwaysQuestion]

12. Oh, Canada - Quelle Dommage

Spazito, damn glad you've put that in writing, particularly the part where you say Harper will be defeated at the next go-around. Sir, you'd better be right, else Y O U are dead meat--even if, singlehandedly, you must deliver his head up for a good boar-type bar-b-q. Did I remember to say that I find him despicable?

Of course, I hope you're also right about not having to fear an invasion from the U.S.. But c'mon, let's be realistic here. You say we handed the Americans their asses back during the war of 1812-14, but you neglected to acknowledge that the Brits were leading the charge. And just how d'ya think we can count on the Mother country to join forces with us to defeat the Americans when we know very well where the Brits' fearless leader beds down these days?

And do you really think that we will ever, ever see the day, for instance, when we tell the U.S. not to trespass through the NW Passage without our expressed permission--notwithstanding Harper's plan to DEFEND that area. What a bloody joke that man is!!!. And I wonder what that Admin would do if we decided to sell all our oil to China when now it's flowing like a rushing river into the U.S. Thanks to Klein and his ilk Canada is aiding and abetting global warming for short-term profit. And while the U.S. greedily gloms onto our oil, they put the brakes on our softwood lumber, trying their damndest to ruin our lumber industry. The U.S. is completely out of step with the WTO who have repeatedly sided with Canada. And much of the punitive tax the U.S. slaps on our sw lumber goes to the private lumber producers in the States. My point is that the U.S. will get its way one one way or t'other. Should their present methods of holding Canada in check fail, they would most assuredly make plans to take us over once and for all.

It seems to me that we live under the illusion that we are our own bosses. Should Canada step too far out of line, we'll feel the swift kick of the American boot---much like the neocons give to their own citizens (e.g., take a look at the American inner cities--the direct result of punitive domestic policy.) I'm afraid the American administration (not to be confused with the American people) wouldn't hesitate to squish us flat if the circumstances ever become right for them.


But to end this on an upbeat note, I give you http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/29/AR2005122901412_pf.html

And now let's all stand and sing, O Canada...................

[Spazito]

13. LOL, that is one heck of a righteous rant!

I don't agree with all of what you are saying as you know from my previous post but I will give you kudos for your response.

[AlwaysQuestion]

15. Spazito says, "I disagree."

I know, I know, but where is the evidence that my rant was self-righteous? C'mon, give me a clue.

[iverglas]

17. we don't need subs

We gots polar bears.

http://www.dogsofpeace.net/other_dogs_of_peace.htm


http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/polar%20Bear


Just to head off any misunderstanding, that was "righteous rant", a much better thing than "self-righteous rant". ;)

[Spazito]

18. It was in NO way an insult, I promise you....

I very much enjoyed reading your post and saw it as "righteous" meaning it was heartfelt and done with humour.

[AlwaysQuestion]

20. Touchy poster jumps gun

Yes, Spazito, I think I jumped the gun. Hell, the skin's so thin it was beginning to peel. ;-)

And Iverglass, polar bears do trump subs

I can move on but only if we can all agree that Harper's gotta go?

[krispos42]

24. Oh, we can't afford to invade Canada...

... but we'll just support a separtist movement in Quebec and maybe cause a Canadian civil war. We, of course, will back whoever gives us the oil.

Because it is far cheaper to spend a hundred billion dollars a year to try to leverage influence with the Middle East than invest in clean coal technology. Because that would be government research competing with private research, and we can't have that under the Bush Administration! No, sir! :sarcasm:

[hedgehog]

14. It seems to me that we're both becoming colonies again

At least my utility bill goes each month to a British firm and my local grocery store was Dutch owned. Home rule doesn't mean much when the money is going overseas.

[AlwaysQuestion]

16. No argument there.

Yep, when once the shaft was given primarily to the people of third world countries, now the rest of us are beginning to get an idea what getting the shaft feels like. Only winners are the multi-nationals and their major shareholders. Hell, even "trickle"-down economics has lost its "trickle." I often wonder why the hell I was to a peon born.