Russia Flags North Pole Claim ...

Hmm.

We wonder how well this will go down?


Okay, we agree;you're right.

That really was a corny, photo-op-intro if ever there was one.

All the same, when viewed in the context of the following Russia related report, our opening question could scarcely be considered less than a serious query.

Russians plant flag on Arctic seabed

By Douglas Birch, Associated Press Writer

MOSCOW - Two deep-diving Russian mini-submarines descended more than 2 1/2 miles under North Pole ice to stake a flag on the ocean floor Thursday, part of a quest to bolster Russian claims to much of the Arctic's oil-and-mineral wealth.

Uh, oh.

Anyone else hereabouts sense signs of a distinct (if so far, still distant) chill in the air?

Could there be another kind of cold war coming?



Think on this.

The stakes involved could hardly be any higher - and there's always plenty of 'pro' players (poker faced or not), seeking a slice of some action in this sort of super-big-bucks game.

Witness a quick clip & paste from the BBC site.

Several countries with territories bordering the Arctic - including Russia, the US, Canada and Denmark - have launched competing claims to the region.

The competition has intensified as melting polar ice caps have opened up the possibility of new shipping routes in the region.

Read the rest of the relevant Russian/Polar report right here.

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