Russian sub reaches Arctic seabed in North Pole bid (dives and Plants flag)

[rodeodance]

Source: Reuters




Russian sub reaches Arctic seabed in North Pole bid

By Guy Faulconbridge 1 hour, 8 minutes ago

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia staked a symbolic claim to the resource-rich Arctic on Thursday when a submersible dived beneath the ice directly under the North Pole and planted a Russian flag on the seabed.

The rust-proof titanium flag was planted on the seabed 4,261 meters (13,980 ft) under the surface of the Arctic Ocean, Itar-Tass news agency quoted Vladimir Strugatsky, vice president of Russia's polar exploration association, as saying from a support vessel.

Russia wants to extend the territory in the Arctic it controls right up to the North Pole. The region is believed to hold vast untapped oil and gas reserves.

Under international law, the five states with territory inside the Arctic Circle -- Canada, Norway, Russia, the United States and Denmark via its control of Greenland -- have a 320 km (200 mile) economic zone around the north of their coastline.

But Russia is claiming a larger slice extending as far as the pole because, Moscow says, the Arctic seabed and Siberia are linked by one continental shelf.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070802/ts_nm/russia_arctic_dc;_ylt=AvfqUAyZtPdLm9iq0VyxGLqs0NUE

[DRoseDARs]

1. 3 seconds on Google is all one needs to completely disprove Russia's territorial claims...

Is it too much to ask of the Russians that they NOT be so Goddamn pathetic? I mean Jesus fucking Christ, following their mind-numbingly retarded logic about territory connected by continental shelves, the river nation of Gambia in Africa should just go ahead and claim the coastlines of pretty much the entire fucking planet ... including Russia's.

So yeah, Russia, shut the fuck up. Seriously.

[Felix Mala]

2. The insanity is they want oil rights under the polar ice cap!

Good thing fossil fuel fed global warming is melting the ice cap, otherwise they wouldn't be able to reach all that oil.

[soothsayer]

3. weird, I thought it was illegal to go to the north pole because the military controlled it

how did the ruskies sneak in?

[yava]

6. from St Petersbug (Stalingrad)

Putin is a native. He dug a tunnel :)

[Benhurst]

4. Fools! Don't they know all that territory belongs to BushAmerica?

[whistle]

5. Certainly more valuable than the moon and the icepack which floats

...above the North Pole

[Norrin Radd]

7. Yeah? well I claim all of outer space, so there!