Obama Giving Oil-Rich Alaskan Islands to Russia

[theDoctorisIn]

There is so much conflicting information because there's a small group of people in Alaska who want the US to take control of those islands - so they twist the facts a little.

I don't know why Russia didn't ratify the treaty, but it doesn't matter in relation to these islands, which the US has never laid claim to.

Why do you think the US felt the need to even write a treaty to begin with if we didn't think we owned the land?

It formalized the international boundaries that had been in place, but not formalized, since 1867.

 

[MeBelle]

There is so much conflicting information because there's a small group of people in Alaska who want the US to take control of those islands - so they twist the facts a little.

I don't know why Russia didn't ratify the treaty, but it doesn't matter in relation to these islands, which the US has never laid claim to.

Why do you think the US felt the need to even write a treaty to begin with if we didn't think we owned the land?

It formalized the international boundaries that had been in place, but not formalized, since 1867.

But Russia didn't ratify the 1991 treaty, so what does that mean?

 

[theDoctorisIn]

Why do you think the US felt the need to even write a treaty to begin with if we didn't think we owned the land?

It formalized the international boundaries that had been in place, but not formalized, since 1867.

But Russia didn't ratify the 1991 treaty, so what does that mean?

It's unclear to me.

But it doesn't give the US claim to islands we've never claimed before, that Russia has been controlling and administering for nearly a century.

 

[Intense]

1990 President George Bush Transmittal
to the U. S. Senate of the Proposed Treaty
on the U.S.-U.S.S.R Maritime Boundary

1990 Bush Transmittal of Treaty to Senate

 

[Intense]

Status of Wrangel and Other Arctic Islands

Fact Sheet
Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs
September 8, 2009

The U.S.-USSR Maritime Boundary Agreement was signed in 1990. 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.

The U.S.-USSR Maritime Boundary Agreement, signed by the United States and the Soviet Union on June 1, 1990, defines our maritime boundary in the Arctic Ocean, Bering Sea, and northern Pacific Ocean. The U.S.-USSR Maritime Boundary Agreement is a treaty that requires ratification by both parties before it formally enters into force. The treaty was made public at the time of its signing. In a separate exchange of diplomatic notes, the two countries agreed to apply the agreement provisionally. The United States Senate gave its advice and consent to ratification of the U.S.-USSR Maritime Boundary Agreement on September 16, 1991.

The Russian Federation informed the United States Government by diplomatic note dated January 13, 1992, that it “continues to perform the rights and fulfill the obligations flowing from the international agreements” signed by the Soviet Union. The United States and the Russian Federation, which is considered to be the sole successor state to the treaty rights and obligations of the former Soviet Union for the purposes of the U.S.-USSR Maritime Boundary Agreement, are applying the treaty on a provisional basis, pending its ratification by the Russian Federation.

The United States regularly holds discussions with Russia on Bering Sea issues, particularly issues related to fisheries management, but these discussions do not affect the placement of the U.S.-Russia boundary or the jurisdiction over any territory or the sovereignty of any territory. The United States has no intention of reopening discussion of the 1990 Maritime Boundary Agreement.

Status of Wrangel and Other Arctic Islands

 

[theDoctorisIn]

1990 President George Bush Transmittal
to the U. S. Senate of the Proposed Treaty
on the U.S.-U.S.S.R Maritime Boundary

1990 Bush Transmittal of Treaty to Senate

Ah. So it was signed by Russia...

 

[Jackson]

1990 President George Bush Transmittal
to the U. S. Senate of the Proposed Treaty
on the U.S.-U.S.S.R Maritime Boundary

1990 Bush Transmittal of Treaty to Senate

Ah. So it was signed by Russia...

So, why is Obama giving it away AGAIN?

 

[theDoctorisIn]

1990 President George Bush Transmittal
to the U. S. Senate of the Proposed Treaty
on the U.S.-U.S.S.R Maritime Boundary

1990 Bush Transmittal of Treaty to Senate

Ah. So it was signed by Russia...

So, why is Obama giving it away AGAIN?

Obama isn't doing ANYTHING about this. I doubt he's even thought about it.

NOTHING is being "given away".

I don't understand what you're not getting about this.

 

[Unkotare]

Russia have always controlled those islands, and the US never has.

The treaty signed in 1991 just made that official.

Those Islands were not included in the sale of Alaska to the US from Russia in 1867.

This is a non-story.

Russia is rather fond of taking land that it not theirs and holding onto it desperately.

 

[Meister]

Curses.

What's next. The Panama canal?

Oh wait..that was given away too..

Oh noesssss!

That was by Carter, wasn't it? Hmmm, I'm seeing a pattern here......

 

[rdean]

Obama’s giveaway: Oil-rich islands to Russia

Please read. Discuss.

You can believe everything a site says that has this picture on their front page:

Discuss.

I went to the link again, and to the website. That picture is not there now,

You're right. I just went and checked and it's gone. But the link still exists. If the picture was taken down from the site, it wouldn't show up here. Right click on the picture, look at "properties" and it will tell you where the picture came from.
Or if you have current windows, open in a new tab. From there you can see the address.

 

[rdean]

As the Financial Times reported:
The revival of US production has been made possible by a rush of small and mid-sized companies into onshore regions such as the Bakken shale in North Dakota, the Permian Basin in west Texas and the Eagle Ford shale in south Texas.
North Dakota’s production has doubled since 2008, reaching 355,000 b/d in November. Extraction of oil reserves in these regions was thought to be uneconomic, but has been made commercially viable by the transfer of techniques successfully used to extract shale gas; in particular, long horizontal wells and “fracking”, pumping water under high pressure to crack the rock and enable the oil to flow.
Dave Hager, vice-president for exploration and production at Devon Energy, one of the companies pioneering the development of the new onshore fields, said new technology had transformed production economics at its mixed gas and oilfields in north Texas.
Like it or not, Obama actually campaigned on opening up oil production in the Bakken shale, so he is delivering on a campaign promise there.

Oil prices soar in spite of sharp increase in U.S. production under Obama

The problem here is speculation. Republicans like the American people being raped by big business. Even more than an "ultra sound probe". Like the Koch Brothers. Republican idolize these guys. They filled four supertankers with oil and parked them in the Gulf of Mexico hoping they could drive the price of oil up so they could soak the American people even more. And it worked. They fucked us "good". Republicans loved every minute of it. Go ahead. Ask for links. I dare you. Why don't you try instead to prove me wrong. You can't. Republican heroes screw their base. And the base loves it. Go figure.

Even funnier, the number one export from the United States is gasoline. And these yokels think drilling for more will, will, what is it they think it will do?

 

[Meister]

How about....wait for it..........drill and not export?

 

[theDoctorisIn]

How about....wait for it..........drill and not export?

How would you stop oil companies from exporting the oil?

 

[rdean]

How about....wait for it..........drill and not export?

How would you stop oil companies from exporting the oil?

Shhh, leave the fool alone. He thinks he came up with a "wonderful, new plan" no one thought of before.

I figured it out when it became known his favorite color is "snow".

 

[Conservative]

God God... this is a non-issue. Obama gave nothing away. The maritime border was singed by Russia and the US. It was already the freaking line, the new agreement that Russia didn't sign, was simply a reaffirmation of the one the USSR DID sign.

NON STORY.

USSR

The Russia – United States maritime boundary de facto follows the June 1, 1990 USA/USSR Maritime Boundary Agreement [1] (since Russia declared itself to be the successor of the Soviet Union),[2] but it has yet to be approved by the Russian parliament. The United States Senate gave its advice and consent to ratification as early as on September 16, 1991 and has no intentions to reopen the issue.[2] In its turn, the US–USSR agreement is the confirmation of the earlier United States – Russia Convention of March 18 (O.S.)/March 30 (N.S.), 1867.[1] This sea border is also known as the Baker-Shevardnadze line or Baker-Shevardnadze agreement, after the officials who signed the deal, the Soviet foreign minister Eduard Shevardnadze and the US Secretary of State James Baker.[3]

The Russia – United States Maritime Boundary agreement is considered confirmation of the earlier Baker-Shevardnadze agreement, which WAS signed by both countries.

Same boundary line.

 

[Full-Auto]

Obama’s giveaway: Oil-rich islands to Russia

Please read. Discuss.

WTF? Take away rights and give away lands.

The liberals must love this guy.

 

[Conservative]

I dislike almost everything Obama has done, but even I think this is a dipshit non-story.

 

[freedombecki]

Status of Wrangel and Other Arctic Islands

Fact Sheet
Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs
September 8, 2009

The U.S.-USSR Maritime Boundary Agreement was signed in 1990. 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.

The U.S.-USSR Maritime Boundary Agreement, signed by the United States and the Soviet Union on June 1, 1990, defines our maritime boundary in the Arctic Ocean, Bering Sea, and northern Pacific Ocean. The U.S.-USSR Maritime Boundary Agreement is a treaty that requires ratification by both parties before it formally enters into force. The treaty was made public at the time of its signing. In a separate exchange of diplomatic notes, the two countries agreed to apply the agreement provisionally. The United States Senate gave its advice and consent to ratification of the U.S.-USSR Maritime Boundary Agreement on September 16, 1991.

The Russian Federation informed the United States Government by diplomatic note dated January 13, 1992, that it “continues to perform the rights and fulfill the obligations flowing from the international agreements” signed by the Soviet Union. The United States and the Russian Federation, which is considered to be the sole successor state to the treaty rights and obligations of the former Soviet Union for the purposes of the U.S.-USSR Maritime Boundary Agreement, are applying the treaty on a provisional basis, pending its ratification by the Russian Federation.

The United States regularly holds discussions with Russia on Bering Sea issues, particularly issues related to fisheries management, but these discussions do not affect the placement of the U.S.-Russia boundary or the jurisdiction over any territory or the sovereignty of any territory. The United States has no intention of reopening discussion of the 1990 Maritime Boundary Agreement.

Status of Wrangel and Other Arctic Islands

Thank you for sharing this State Department information, Intense. Some people in Alaska think that treaty was not signed, as I did comprehensive reading last night to see what was going on when some vehemently denied the charges I related from the article. That land was included in Seward's purchase of 1867.

At my request to them, the editors at WND clarified some statements as I requested last night after I sent them an email, or routinely, I'm not certain. I'm still baffled why a Yale Law graduate, Alaskan citizen and denizen of Alaskan state sovereignty thinks the treaty was not signed when the Obama State Department is making the claim the treaty was ratified when it was not and is holding meetings based on this notion without inviting Alaska's participation to these closed-door secret state department meetings on giving away lands that are part and parcel of Seward's purchase in 1867. Dr. Miller has nothing to gain by lying over this important point of his state's sovereignty being excommunicated by the current and past administrations who want to give away Alaska's richest oil deposits when we need them in America.

The author Joe Miller, was the 2010 Republican nominee for the U. S. Senate from Alaska. He is a West Point graduate and decorated combat veteran from the first Gulf War. He is a former judge who graduated from Yale's Law School and earned an advanced economics degree from the University of Alaska. He is presently chairman of "Restoring Liberty Alaska PAC and "Restoring Liberty Action Committee." Judge Miller's case does not let anyone off the hook. His words to this effect are:

"This is not a new issue. In fact the Bush and Clinton administration are directly at fault for the same inaction. A maritime agreement negotiated by the U.S. State Department set the Russian boundary on the other side of the disputed islands, but no treaty has ratified this action. Consequently, it is within the president's power to stop this giveaway. The Alaskan delegation's failure to put pressure on the administration is inexplicable. State Department Watch, an organization that assisted with this article has confronted each administration and is currently confronting the Obama administration--and has been met by silence. I'm hoping this piece will help reinvigorate efforts to stop this handover."

 

[Two Thumbs]

Curses.

What's next. The Panama canal?

Oh wait..that was given away too..

Oh noesssss!

That was by Carter, wasn't it? Hmmm, I'm seeing a pattern here......

Our ownership of the canal expired. We only got to keep it for 99 years, I think.