Who owns Hans Island?

[KrazyHorse]

Given that you ship us weapons-grade Pu from decommissioned warheads so that we can dispose of it nuclear reactors I doubt we'd have much difficulty building one for the purpose.

[Kuciwalker]

Why not just give you the decommissioned warhead, then?

[Winston]

Further follow-up on the Wikipedia entries. It's interesting to note I think, that the English version states that the island "...is thought to be Canadian soil", while the Danish entry states that both Canada and Denmark have claims on it.

The Danish entry also notes that Hans Ø is named after the Greenlandish guide Hans Hendriksen, who participated in an American polar expedition led by Charles Francis Hall in 1871-73.

Finally, it is noted that ownership of Hans Ø could prove important with regards to further territorial claims in the event of the Northwest Passage opening up in the future.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
Why not just give you the decommissioned warhead, then?

Because nuclear warheads have high explosives in them. That stuff's dangerous.

[JimmyCracksCorn]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker


Have you read the thread? The Danes have NO ability to hold the island. They can put a ship there. Canada can blow it out of the water. They might as well send out a rubber ducky.

Have you read the thread? Its irrelevant whether or not Canada can blow Denmark out of the water, its not going to happen. This isn't some civ scenario, its going to be solved diplomatically and in a utilitarian way, and the fact that Canada can't even get a navy ship up there hurts its claim, and thereby its sovereignty.

And as far as being "owned" by Krazyhorse, he believes Canada should fly jet fighters up there and paradrop troops all over the place. Not only is this confrontational (not Canada's thing) but it flies in the face of the Canadian Government's official position that Canada and Denmark have "agreed to disagree". Oh, and he also thinks we should just nuke the place. Do these sound like reasonable arguments to you? Please try understanding the issues before you post, let alone make judgements on who stands correct.

Winston: Thats really interesting. So it appears Canada and Denmark both believe the other country is equally in the wrong. Since I don't speak Danish, I only get Canadian points of view. What does the Danish Government say about all this?

Finally, it is noted that ownership of Hans Ø could prove important with regards to further territorial claims in the event of the Northwest Passage opening up in the future.

Bingo. Thats the core issue I'm trying to get at here.

[Kuciwalker]

Have you read the thread? Its irrelevant whether or not Canada can blow Denmark out of the water, its not going to happen. This isn't some civ scenario, its going to be solved diplomatically and in a utilitarian way, and the fact that Canada can't even get a navy ship up there hurts its claim, and thereby its sovereignty.

No, it doesn't. The only point of having a navy ship there is the fact that the navy ship can do damage to stuff. Since the Canucks can a) get a ship there and b) do lots of damage there, they don't NEED a navy ship. Moreover, I bet the Canucks have better capability to drop troops on the island.

[JimmyCracksCorn]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
Since the Canucks can a) get a ship there and b) do lots of damage there, they don't NEED a navy ship. Moreover, I bet the Canucks have better capability to drop troops on the island.

Ok, so why then has the Canadian Government decided to work on sending up a navy flotilla to establish sovereignty of the region, rather than bomb them and drop troops? Is it because you're just that much smarter than them about international boundary disputes among friendly nations?

No, it doesn't. The only point of having a navy ship there is the fact that the navy ship can do damage to stuff.

Not true. Sending a ship up there is a tour de force and makes a point. No intention of fighting on either side.

[KrazyHorse]

I bet the Canucks have better capability to drop troops on the island.

Yes we do, actually. The west coast of Greenland is pretty barren. The Danes do not maintain the same level of air transport/surveillance/combat capabilities in that region that we do.

In other words, we could invade Greenland any time we wanted to.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by JimmyCracksCorn


Ok, so why then has the Canadian Government decided to work on sending up a navy flotilla to establish sovereignty of the region, rather than bomb them and drop troops? Is it because you're just that much smarter than them about international boundary disputes among friendly nations?

It's a dick waving competition that has no real meaning. It's a waste of the dollars that I still send to the Canadian government (as I'm a Canadian resident).

[KrazyHorse]

The fact is that in that part of the world we have the biggest dick.

If the Danes sent a clown troupe to patrol near the island does that mean that we would have to build our own arctic circus force or else risk losing sovereignty?

[JimmyCracksCorn]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse

I bet the Canucks have better capability to drop troops on the island.

Yes we do, actually. The west coast of Greenland is pretty barren. The Danes do not maintain the same level of air transport/surveillance/combat capabilities in that region that we do.

In other words, we could invade Greenland any time we wanted to.

True, but in what way is that relavent? No one is invading anyone. Its the equivalent of a backyard boundary conflict among neighbors. It doesn't matter which neighbor weighs more, much more comes into play in solving it.

[KrazyHorse]

Yeah. Like the fact that our claim antedates theirs by a century. They're ****ing around for the home audience. It has no bearing on sovereignty. We have both the legal claim and the military force to back it up. Everything else is semantics.

[Winston]

The West Coast of Greenland is not "pretty barren". It's where 95% of the population resides.

[KrazyHorse]

Not at that latitude it isn't.

[KrazyHorse]

You're talking about 1500 km north of Nuuk or so.