The Russians are coming! The Russians are coming!

And, no, we’re not talking about Canadian director Norman Jewison’s 1966 movie about a Soviet submarine accidentally running aground off the coast of New England.

We’re talking, instead, about Russia’s intentional plan to send two army brigades to the High Arctic this summer — at least 5,000 soldiers — to supposedly protect its vested interests in the contested, mineral-laden wasteland.

And it is Canada’s plan to lay out an unwelcome mat.

As Canada’s combat role in Afghanistan comes to an end, Canada’s Defence Minister Peter MacKay announced our quid-pro-quo to the Russian invasion of the Arctic will be an enhanced one-month-long Canadian military exercise involving 1,000 of our soldiers.

This is a must-do.

Five against one may seem unfair, but we see the other way around, particularly since our Far North sovereignty exercise has been an annual event since Prime Minister Stephen Harper mandated a strong Canadian footprint along our most inhospitable coastline.

In other words, what’s ours is ours, and the message is clear: We won’t back down.

Unfortunately for Canada, however, the United Nations supposedly will rule on the legal claims of Canada, and other polar countries, over who actually holds title to the offshore Arctic territory that supposedly holds 25 percent of the world’s untapped oil and gas deposits.

The fact Canada rightfully sees the U.N. as a joke doesn’t help the Canadian cause.

But no one is surrendering yet — not the Russians, and certainly not Canada.

August in the Arctic could be the hottest ever.

— The Ottawa Sun, July 5

Copy the Story Link

« Previous

COMMENTARY: Would flat tax benefit U.S.?

Next »

Couple followed woman to return her debit card