Hands off Hans island, defence minister signals to Denmark

[cphdude]

I cant believe this shit is still going on....

From mackeans.ca.....(nobody tell DLL, he doesnt like this conflict....)

July 22, 2005 - 17:26

Hands off Hans island, defence minister signals to Denmark

ALEXANDER PANETTA

OTTAWA (CP) - Canada's defence minister pulled on a pair of hiking boots and trudged on to a tiny barren northern island on a one-man mission to counter Denmark's claim to the frozen rock. The sovereignty exercise on Hans Island happened this week during Bill Graham's trip to Canada's Arctic.

A helicopter set him down on the round, windswept rock about the size of a football field, located between Greenland and Ellesmere Island.

"I wasn't there to make some big dramatic statement," Graham told The Canadian Press.

"My act of going there was totally consistent with the fact that Canada has always regarded this island as a part of Canada. . .

"I was just visiting Hans Island the way I visited other facilities of Canada's."

Of course no other Canadian "facilities" are claimed by Denmark, which sent navy ships to the island in 2002 and 2003 and hoisted a Danish flag.

Canadian soldiers placed a traditional Inuit stone statue (Inukshuk) with a plaque and a Maple Leaf flag on the island last week before Graham's visit.

Ottawa gave no advance notice to the Danish government of Graham's trip, which would have been the diplomatic courtesy had Hans Island been considered foreign soil. But the government did let the Danes know afterward.

Graham acknowledged that his visit could be used to assert Canada's sovereignty over the land. He said aboriginals, military and Rangers' stops on the island also bolster the Canadian argument.

"If there were some form of a dispute which took place before an international tribunal, all forms of activity on the island are a normal part of establishing presence," he said.

Denmark's ambassador to Ottawa, Poul Erik Dam Kristensen, refused to comment on the visit.

Graham wore civilian gear during his one-hour visit Wednesday - a ski jacket, corduroy pants and hiking boots.

Canada has become increasingly vigilant about asserting its sovereign claim to the Arctic because of global warming, and its potential impact on mining and shipping.

More than 360 Canadian Forces sailors and soldiers participated in a northern sovereignty exercise last summer.

Canada's primary military presence in the Arctic are the Rangers - more than 4,000 aboriginals who use traditional survival skills, snowmobiles and vintage rifles to patrol all the way to the magnetic North Pole.

Denmark and Canada remain on solid diplomatic terms. They have avoided settling the dispute through the two available means: negotiation or litigation before the International Court of Justice.

The countries were aware of the potential for discord in 1973 when they drew a border halfway between Canada's Ellesmere Island and the Danish island of Greenland. They agreed at the time that sovereignty over Hans Island and others in the region would be determined later.

Denmark's claim is based on their argument that the island is closer to Greenland than to Ellesmere.

Canada says the Arctic islands were discovered by the British, whose rights Canada inherited following Confederation.

The island was recorded into the Canadian Permanent Committee on Geographic Names on June 22, 1950.

The Conservative party's defence critic was supportive of Graham's visit.

"We will lose our sovereignty in the north if we don't enforce it," said Gordon O'Connor. "Part of enforcing it is regular visits to some of these more remote areas in our archipelago."

He said Canada has done a dismal job laying claim to its territory due to depleted military resources.

Last year, during the northern sovereignty exercise, the military's aging Sea King helicopters repeatedly broke down and one was grounded after its engine caught fire.

O'Connor noted that Canada also has territorial disputes with Russia and the United States. He said the time is now to significantly boost RCMP and military presence in the region.

"As global warming takes effect and the ice starts to melt in the north we're (also) going to have a sovereignty problem with the Northwest Passage," O'Connor said.

"We have to start enforcing our sovereignty up there so that everyone understands the entire archipelago - and all the water in between - is our territory."
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[Hviid]

cphdude> lol ...

It's about damn time Canada for once doesn't coward out on something like this. But anyways, this is a stupid arguement over a stupid island with no natural resources and no beneficials. But still, I get why they are fighting over it. Nothing serious will ever come of this though. Every once in a while you'll see danish and canadian flags on that island. Its just a game. Thats all I see it as .

[cphdude]

A lifetime of state sponsered entertainment...

[Parzival]

I'm glad Denmark doesn't let those canadianstake their islands that easy. Denmark has become the flagship of scadinavia around the world.

[skog]

Originally Posted by Parzival

I'm glad Denmark doesn't let those canadianstake their islands that easy. Denmark has become the flagship of scadinavia around the world.

THIS MEANS WAR!!

[Parzival]

Originally Posted by skog

THIS MEANS WAR!!

You bet it means!

[Kampflamm]

BOYCOTT MOLSON AND LABATT'S BLUE!

[Hviid]

[reykahvick]

Vikings always win. Canadians are so weak, not enough Nationalism.

[Hviid]

Originally Posted by reykahvick

Vikings always win. Canadians are so weak, not enough Nationalism.

I agree with the first 2 things you said, but not the last thing. Canadians are WAAAAAAAY more nationalistic and "proud" than Danes. They're like the americans.

[cphdude]

Latest News - Denmark today handed an official complaint to the canadian ambasedor, saying it was a breach of diplomatic relations, that the canadian deffence minnister viseted the island, without notifying the Danish Embasy in advance...

The Canadian ambassedor in return, said the canedians feel they have broken no rules, diplomatic or otherwise, by letting their defence minnester viseting and island, they considder to be part of canadiam terrertory...Denmark once againg urged the canadians to try and solve the problem with the island, by diplomatic ways... (Sorry about the spelling, my dictionary is busted)

[Morten M]

BOMB CANADA BEFORE THEY BOMB US!

ALLE DANSKE MÆND TIL VÅBEN!
LAD B.S CHRISTIANSEN VÆRE VORES FELTHERRE PÅ FRONTEN

[cphdude]

Originally Posted by Morten M

BOMB CANADA BEFORE THEY BOMB US!

ALLE DANSKE MÆND TIL VÅBEN!
LAD B.S CHRISTIANSEN VÆRE VORES FELTHERRE PÅ FRONTEN

mon ikke amerikanerne vil give en hånd med i denne sag...Vi er jo så gode venner lige nu...

[mlm]

BS alone could do the job

[JARdan]

Originally Posted by Morten M

BOMB CANADA BEFORE THEY BOMB US!

ALLE DANSKE MÆND TIL VÅBEN!
LAD B.S CHRISTIANSEN VÆRE VORES FELTHERRE PÅ FRONTEN

Fuck Denmark. You useless tools.

Hans Island is a barren but potentially valuable piece of land situated between Greenland and Ellesmere Island.
It's about the size of a football field. But it's not what you can see that matters, it's what you can't see.
Could this island be hiding a massive oil deposit? It's certainly possible.


Denmark is asserting its sovereignty over Hans Island based on the territory's proximity to Greenland.
But Denmark is forgetting that the Arctic islands were discovered by the British, not the Danish, and rights to these islands passed to Canada when Canada formally gained independence from Britain.

Let's deal with the issue of proximity to Greenland for a moment.
Since when does an island's proximity to another piece of land determine who owns it? Using this flawed logic, Aruba would belong to Venezuela and St. Pierre and Miquelon would belong to Canada.


It has also been argued that since Hans Island is a "Danish" name, the island must belong to Denmark. An island's etymology certainly does not determine who owns it.

Hans Island has always belonged to Canada.
We will continue to assert our sovereignty over this integral part of our nation.

[mlm]

Originally Posted by JARdan

Fuck Denmark. You useless tools.

Wow, you're really civilized.

Originally Posted by jeicow

Technically though, this would never actually amount to any military action. The proper way to deal with these things is either neogitations (which probably will fail) or a visit to the world court. I'll find the URL later of how they usually award who gets the island.

Yep, that's the only way to do it, and the way it's going to be solved.

If it was up to me though you could take it...Should the ice melt in the future we'll have a lot of other things to worry about than a sailing route very far from here.

[DenverDane]

Originally Posted by mlm

Wow, you're really civilized.

I don't think he got the joke....

[JARdan]

Originally Posted by mlm

Wow, you're really civilized.

Uh, how civilized is this?

Originally Posted by Morten M

BOMB CANADA BEFORE THEY BOMB US!

ALLE DANSKE MÆND TIL VÅBEN!
LAD B.S CHRISTIANSEN VÆRE VORES FELTHERRE PÅ FRONTEN

[Köbtke]

Originally Posted by JARdan

But Denmark is forgetting that the Arctic islands were discovered by the British, not the Danish, and rights to these islands passed to Canada when Canada formally gained independence from Britain.

With that kind of logic, all of the Americas (and Greenland, for that matter), should be passed back to the native people.

Fair enough, if Canada wants to play that card, we'll forfeit Greenland, and Canada will forfeit all of Canada. You can always try knocking on France's or Britain's door and see if they want you back.

(I'm of course not actually advocating this, and I'm fully aware that this is neither desirable nor possible)

[JARdan]

Originally Posted by Köbtke

With that kind of logic, all of the Americas (and Greenland, for that matter), should be passed back to the native people.

Fair enough, if Canada wants to play that card, we'll forfeit Greenland, and Canada will forfeit all of Canada. You can always try knocking on France's or Britain's door and see if they want you back.

(I'm of course not actually advocating this, and I'm fully aware that this is neither desirable nor possible)

I appreciate that, but why did you quote me? It wasn't my remark. I quoted the website. Anyway, Hans Island is part of the Arctic islands, which were all passed down to Canada... so there you go.