Political Crossfire Forums

D@N · Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2005 4:14 pm Post subject: Hans Island dispute

Hey everyone, just came back to start this topic, thought it'd make for some good reading :lol:

heres an article for those not informed

Quote: Canada, Denmark dispute ownership of tiny Arctic island
Last Updated Tue, 26 Jul 2005 21:43:15 EDT
CBC News
Defence Minister Bill Graham's recent visit to an Arctic island off the northwest coast of Greenland has set off a diplomatic row.

Last week, Graham walked about on 1.3-square-kilometre Hans Island, claimed by both Canada and Denmark. Graham said Canada has always considered Hans Island its territory.

"Our view is that it's part of Canada and we continue to be there, to go there, the Danes go there as well and we are making sure that the Danes know that this part of the Canadian territory," he said.

Denmark called in the Canadian ambassador to express its displeasure.

Peter Taksoe-Jensen, spokesman for Denmark's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Copenhagen, says for years Canada and Denmark have agreed to disagree over the island and he sees it as a friendly dispute.

"Basically we have reacted because we want to keep the status quo ... if we didn't react to a situation we would risk to have a worse negotiating position."

There is some question about who has sovereignty over the island, about 1,100 kilometres south of the North Pole.

Canada and Denmark agreed in 1973 to create a border through Nares Strait, halfway between Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory, and Canada's Ellesmere Island.

But they were unable to agree which country would have sovereignty over Hans Island and various other Arctic islands in the area. In the end, they decided to work out the question of ownership later.

It's not the first time that Hans Island has been a source of argument between the two countries.

In 1984, Denmark's minister of Greenland affairs raised a Danish flag on the island. He then buried a bottle of brandy at the base of the flagpole and left a note saying "Welcome to the Danish island."

Taksoe-Jensen says Denmark is ready to start negotiations over Hans Island but it's not a top priority. He says there are more important issues to settle between the two countries, including a three-kilometre long boundary line that hasn't been clearly divided in the Davis Strait between Canada and Greenland which could have an impact on fishing rights.

So whats everyones view on this? I think they should just split the island in half, and have a tim hortins on one side, and a danish shop on the other.

superskippy · Joined: 14 Jul 2005 Posts: 7426 Location: Petah Tikva

This is probably one of the few times I really 100% do not give a damn about an issue :lol: From what I understand it's a barren 100 meter wide piece of junk island near the North Pole, why do they even care is Canada really that bored, same goes for Denmark.

anselfir · Joined: 16 Apr 2005 Posts: 22571 Location: ZzZzZzZz

meh, what's the commie position?

i am against the commie position.

anticlimates · Joined: 24 Jan 2005 Posts: 3354 Location: Canada

superskippy wrote: This is probably one of the few times I really 100% do not give a damn about an issue :lol: From what I understand it's a barren 100 meter wide piece of junk island near the North Pole, why do they even care is Canada really that bored, same goes for Denmark.

I realize you don't care....but to answer your question, there's a couple of reasons it's important.

Quote:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050726.wxhans26/BNStory/National/
Although little more than one square kilometre in size, the island has become the subject of a dispute that experts say could rise as global warming begins to melt the polar ice caps and the area becomes increasingly navigable.

It's also significant in regards to fishing rights, native and commercial.

And it's a Canadian soverignty issue....other nations will stake claims in the Arctic if Canada doesn't draw a "line in the sand".

It's interesting because it's likely to escalate. And as the story I linked mentions, it could create a land link between North America and Europe!

D@N · Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2005 4:34 pm Post subject:

oneofthem wrote: meh, what's the commie position?

i am against the commie position.

:lm:

I dunno the communist party position, but it would probably be along the lines of "its a freaking rock, but lets spilt it in half with our Scandinavian comrades"

anticlimates is on the right path. Its not the psychical island that mater's so much as it is the principle of weather or not the Canadian government will stand up and protect is sovereignty claims. As of now there are roughly six territorial claims along the Canadian boarder, with all the others in regards to the Canadian/American boarder. Also this is going along with the new approach to stronger domestic military presence. The Canadian Military is starting to put more resources into the arctic region to deter any other countries or corporations from laying claim to Canadian territory

Snow Patrol · Joined: 30 May 2005 Posts: 2175 Location: Glasgow

D@N wrote: oneofthem wrote: meh, what's the commie position?

i am against the commie position.

:lm:

I dunno the communist party position, but it would probably be along the lines of "its a freaking rock, but lets spilt it in half with our Scandinavian comrades"

anticlimates is on the right path. Its not the psychical island that mater's so much as it is the principle of weather or not the Canadian government will stand up and protect is sovereignty claims. As of now there are roughly six territorial claims along the Canadian boarder, with all the others in regards to the Canadian/American boarder. Also this is going along with the new approach to stronger domestic military presence. The Canadian Military is starting to put more resources into the arctic region to deter any other countries or corporations from laying claim to Canadian territory
Is this a nationalistic communist we have here? :lol:

D@N · Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 5:27 pm Post subject:

not nationalistic, just considerit of the drives and motivation for the claims amd conflicts in this sitiuation

but I still love canada at the end of the day, well at least the peoples of canada.

Canada_Rocks · Joined: 07 Jan 2005 Posts: 9012 Location: Vancouver

Hans island is home to a special breed of wild horse.

As I said in the other thread pertaining to this topic that went down hills fast:

Denmark!!! Give me a break.

The_Right_Honourable · Joined: 31 Jan 2005 Posts: 682 Location: UK (mostly)

Canada_rocks wrote: Hans island is home to a special breed of wild horse.

As I said in the other thread pertaining to this topic that went down hills fast:

Denmark!!! Give me a break.

Break in the freaking leg more like! Obviously the island should belong to Denmark! Its not like being born there makes me biased or anything.^^

But anyway Canada is bloody huge and Denmark is TINY, it need all the damn islands it can get! Canada is just being greedy. :lol:

thundertaker · Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2005 5:43 pm Post subject:

My sympathies lie more with Canada. Besides, Canada's claim is a lot stronger. It seems to me that Denmark's claim on the island is via Greenland, but they are virtually independent nowadays....

superskippy · Joined: 14 Jul 2005 Posts: 7426 Location: Petah Tikva

But anyway Canada is bloody huge and Denmark is TINY

Actually discounting Russia, Denmark is the largest Nation in Europe and I think the Middle East and Africa, everyone always forgets... they own GREENLAND! Greenland is the 14th largest Geographical Landmass owned by any nation in the world. Including Greenland and the Faroe Islands Denmark is the 11th Largest Nation on the face of the planet.

thundertaker · Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2005 6:59 pm Post subject:

superskippy wrote: But anyway Canada is bloody huge and Denmark is TINY

Actually discounting Russia, Denmark is the largest Nation in Europe and I think the Middle East and Africa, everyone always forgets... they own GREENLAND! Greenland is the 14th largest Geographical Landmass owned by any nation in the world. Including Greenland and the Faroe Islands Denmark is the 11th Largest Nation on the face of the planet.

But Greenland is autononimous. It's a country in it's own right. It's a bit like counting all these countries that still have Elizabeth II as head of state as part of Britian.....

ToonArmyIsComing · Joined: 15 Feb 2005 Posts: 5888 Location: Ontario

I am amused by this whole thing. Just getting to this island safely requires so much preparation. :shock:

superskippy · Joined: 14 Jul 2005 Posts: 7426 Location: Petah Tikva

thundertaker wrote: superskippy wrote: But anyway Canada is bloody huge and Denmark is TINY

Actually discounting Russia, Denmark is the largest Nation in Europe and I think the Middle East and Africa, everyone always forgets... they own GREENLAND! Greenland is the 14th largest Geographical Landmass owned by any nation in the world. Including Greenland and the Faroe Islands Denmark is the 11th Largest Nation on the face of the planet.

But Greenland is autononimous. It's a country in it's own right. It's a bit like counting all these countries that still have Elizabeth II as head of state as part of Britian.....

Greenland is a selfgoverning overseas territory, much like the Europeon Colonies of old but Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, ever since it was declared so in 1979. It is indisputablly territory of Denmark.

Canada_Rocks · Joined: 07 Jan 2005 Posts: 9012 Location: Vancouver

I say we send all our pedifiles there, dump toxic waste, piss in tghe watering holes, then give it to Denmark

ToonArmyIsComing · Joined: 15 Feb 2005 Posts: 5888 Location: Ontario

Canada_rocks wrote: I say we send all our pedifiles there, dump toxic waste, piss in tghe watering holes, then give it to Denmark

I might be wrong, but I don't think this island could accomodate more than 10 people living on it!!!

Canada_Rocks · Joined: 07 Jan 2005 Posts: 9012 Location: Vancouver

ToonArmyIsComing wrote: Canada_rocks wrote: I say we send all our pedifiles there, dump toxic waste, piss in tghe watering holes, then give it to Denmark

I might be wrong, but I don't think this island could accomodate more than 10 people living on it!!!

Fine, we will send 10 of the worst peds we got :lol:

ToonArmyIsComing · Joined: 15 Feb 2005 Posts: 5888 Location: Ontario

Canada_rocks wrote: ToonArmyIsComing wrote: Canada_rocks wrote: I say we send all our pedifiles there, dump toxic waste, piss in tghe watering holes, then give it to Denmark

I might be wrong, but I don't think this island could accomodate more than 10 people living on it!!!

Fine, we will send 10 of the worst peds we got :lol:

Hmmmm .... well, at least that way they will contribute to Canada!

Duchifas · Joined: 22 Jun 2004 Posts: 9950

I personally think that the island belongs to the Palestinians.

But that's just me.

ToonArmyIsComing · Joined: 15 Feb 2005 Posts: 5888 Location: Ontario

Duchifas wrote: I personally think that the island belongs to the Palestinians.

But that's just me.

Thread #564928734 where Duchifas has brought the Palestinian vs. Israeli conflict into unrelated matters! Keep up the good work sir! :tu: