Obama administration decides to enter Arctic cold war

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The seventh ministerial meeting of the Arctic Council in May looked set be a mundane affair, with its focus on signing a new search-and-rescue agreement and handover of the chairmanship to Sweden.

But the atmosphere in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, was electrified by the first visit to such a forum by the United States, courtesy of the secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, secretary of the interior Ken Salazar, and a host of other heavy-hitters.

The message was clear: the US is putting itself at the centre of the debate about the future of the far north at a time when a new oil and mineral "cold rush" is under way as global warming makes extraction more easy. And being the US, the soft diplomacy was backed up with a bit of symbolic hardware. A few weeks earlier two nuclear-powered submarines were sent to patrol 150 miles north of Prudhoe Bay, Alaska.

...

The US navy move comes as Russia is said to have increased missile testing in the region and Norway has moved its main military base to the far north.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/06/us-russia-political-tensions-arctic

[Ban Hammer 13,491]

"Arctic cold war"

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

The seventh ministerial meeting of the Arctic Council in May looked set be a mundane affair, with its focus on signing a new search-and-rescue agreement and handover of the chairmanship to Sweden.

But the atmosphere in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, was electrified by the first visit to such a forum by the United States, courtesy of the secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, secretary of the interior Ken Salazar, and a host of other heavy-hitters.

The message was clear: the US is putting itself at the centre of the debate about the future of the far north at a time when a new oil and mineral "cold rush" is under way as global warming makes extraction more easy. And being the US, the soft diplomacy was backed up with a bit of symbolic hardware. A few weeks earlier two nuclear-powered submarines were sent to patrol 150 miles north of Prudhoe Bay, Alaska.

...

The US navy move comes as Russia is said to have increased missile testing in the region and Norway has moved its main military base to the far north.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/06/us-russia-political-tensions-arctic

Russia teamed up with BP to go ahead and start drilling in the Arctic. Nice move seeing how there is no way to clean up a spill if and when it happens. If you think the Gulf was a bad one, wait until they screw up here where there's no way to get a spill prevention team (boats) in without an ice breaker...which the US is terribly short on btw.

BP who's about as adept at preventing oil spills as Mickey Mouse would be is the main player in this seeing how Tsar Putin contracted them out to do the initial test drills in the Arctic Ocean. What it does mean though is more oil for Alaska = more $$$$ for Alaskans. Yay. I have probably 30 years left tops before I'm dead and buried so I could give a rats ####### if they have a spill up here or not....just show me the $$$$$$ !

[mawilson 2,133]

I have probably 30 years left tops before I'm dead and buried so I could give a rats ####### if they have a spill up here or not....just show me the $$$$$$ !

You're a wonderful human being.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

You're a wonderful human being.

"Don't blame the playa, blame the game". In other words, blame big oil, Obama, the Russians...whoever.

[slim 1,530]

So this wasn't done under the "previous administration?"

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So this wasn't done under the "previous administration?"

Read the words. Then understand them. Then ask questions.

The

seventh ministerial meeting of the Arctic Council in May

looked set be a mundane affair, with its focus on signing a new search-and-rescue agreement and handover of the chairmanship to Sweden.

But the atmosphere in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, was electrified by

the first visit to such a forum by the United States

, courtesy of the secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, secretary of the interior Ken Salazar, and a host of other heavy-hitters.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

So lets see now... Obama is pro big oil, anti environment, and pro war. On the other side of the coin he is pro Dream Act and pro ** sexual. Hmmm...

[^_^ 5,021]

So lets see now... Obama is pro big oil, anti environment, and pro war. On the other side of the coin he is pro Dream Act and pro ** sexual. Hmmm...

He is yet to come out and unequivocally support gay marriage. His gay donors are pissed at him about it.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

He is yet to come out and unequivocally support gay marriage. His gay donors are pissed at him about it.

So are you saying Obama didn't support the yes vote in New York in regards to gay marriage ?

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So are you saying Obama didn't support the yes vote in New York in regards to gay marriage ?

His statements on that were kind of weasely. He didn't actually say he supports gay marriage which really pissed off the homosexuals on the lefty blogs I frequent. But he said enough to also piss off the homophobes.

[Ban Hammer 13,491]

He is yet to come out and unequivocally support gay marriage. His gay donors are pissed at him about it.

pun intended?

His statements on that were kind of weasely. He didn't actually say he supports gay marriage which really pissed off the homosexuals on the lefty blogs I frequent. But he said enough to also piss off the homophobes.

hmmmm....aj frequents lefty blogs...

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hmmmm....aj frequents lefty blogs...

shocker, i know! it's fun being the "corporatist" on those forums.

Edited July 6, 2011 by \

[Zero Sum 305]

During campaign season he clearly stated he was not in favor of gay marriage.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/29/obama-new-york-gay-marriage_n_886944.html

Obama: New York Gay Marriage Legalization 'A Good Thing'

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama says gays are our friends and neighbors and should be treated like every other American. The president, who supports civil unions...

The president defended his record, including repealing the prohibition on openly gay people serving in the military.