blackangler
04-28-2004, 07:04 PM
Law of the Sea Treaty
If this passes it will affect us!
According to the American Policy Center (AmericanPolicy.org), "any day now this nation could find itself part of an international treaty that abolishes freedom on seven-tenths of the world's surface." That's because the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, a treaty that has remained dead in the water since Bill Clinton's presidency, has re-emerged as a threat to this nation's sovereignty, thanks in large part to Senate Foreign Relations Chair Richard Lugar (R-IN) and his fellow committee members. In February, this committee voted unanimously to bring the treaty to the full Senate for consideration. Thankfully, Sen. Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN), who is responsible for scheduling legislation for votes, hasn't moved on this request... YET.
With no public outcry in opposition, though, the pressures of support from members of the Administration, U.S. Navy officials, environmentalists and oil industry executives could result in a vote ANY DAY for Senate ratification. "Once two-thirds of senators approve," said Tom DeWeese, president of the APC, "America will have yet another U.N. shackle placed about her leg."
This "Law of the Sea Treaty" (LOST) gives the United Nations *control of the sea*. It compromises U.S. national security, siphons U.S. corporate and taxpayer dollars for global interests in the form of new levies, stifles U.S. Development, and gives away hard-earned U.S. technology to even non-friendly nations.
This treaty represents the "largest transfer of sovereignty to a UN body ever," says Brandon Wales, a senior associate with the Center for Security Policy. "This is unprecedented."
If this treaty is ratified, the United States will no longer hold the right to board and search all suspect vessels -- a prohibition that will greatly endanger our nation's security and impede our progress with the war against terrorism. The United States will no longer hold jurisdiction to freely explore the ocean's beds and waters for oil and precious magnesium without first obtaining permission and receiving quota limitations from the International Sea Bed Authority, a U.N. body. The United States will be required to pay a tax on all ocean discoveries to this same UN body, and the U.S. will also have to share its mining and exploration technology with the likes of China and North Korea -- nations that in turn can use this technology against our own military defenses!
- The above article that was forwarded to me by a friend who originally read it at NewsMax.com.
I would like to add that not only would this treaty threaten our [country's] defense and safety but would also threaten other industries such as the following:
THE SALTWATER TRADE - we get many things that we keep in our tanks from the Caribbean such as blue leg hermit crabs, astrea snails, octopus, ricordia, etc.
THE SEAFOOD INDUSTRY - Logically there would be an additional fee by the UN or atleast by the fishermen who must seek their permission/approval to fish in our waters.
THE FISHING SPORT AND HOBBY - Would each individual be required to seek permission to fish in the waters off the coast? What about taking their personal boats on a joy ride?
In order to combat this we must contact our Senate members and tell them what we
If this passes it will affect us!
According to the American Policy Center (AmericanPolicy.org), "any day now this nation could find itself part of an international treaty that abolishes freedom on seven-tenths of the world's surface." That's because the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, a treaty that has remained dead in the water since Bill Clinton's presidency, has re-emerged as a threat to this nation's sovereignty, thanks in large part to Senate Foreign Relations Chair Richard Lugar (R-IN) and his fellow committee members. In February, this committee voted unanimously to bring the treaty to the full Senate for consideration. Thankfully, Sen. Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN), who is responsible for scheduling legislation for votes, hasn't moved on this request... YET.
With no public outcry in opposition, though, the pressures of support from members of the Administration, U.S. Navy officials, environmentalists and oil industry executives could result in a vote ANY DAY for Senate ratification. "Once two-thirds of senators approve," said Tom DeWeese, president of the APC, "America will have yet another U.N. shackle placed about her leg."
This "Law of the Sea Treaty" (LOST) gives the United Nations *control of the sea*. It compromises U.S. national security, siphons U.S. corporate and taxpayer dollars for global interests in the form of new levies, stifles U.S. Development, and gives away hard-earned U.S. technology to even non-friendly nations.
This treaty represents the "largest transfer of sovereignty to a UN body ever," says Brandon Wales, a senior associate with the Center for Security Policy. "This is unprecedented."
If this treaty is ratified, the United States will no longer hold the right to board and search all suspect vessels -- a prohibition that will greatly endanger our nation's security and impede our progress with the war against terrorism. The United States will no longer hold jurisdiction to freely explore the ocean's beds and waters for oil and precious magnesium without first obtaining permission and receiving quota limitations from the International Sea Bed Authority, a U.N. body. The United States will be required to pay a tax on all ocean discoveries to this same UN body, and the U.S. will also have to share its mining and exploration technology with the likes of China and North Korea -- nations that in turn can use this technology against our own military defenses!
- The above article that was forwarded to me by a friend who originally read it at NewsMax.com.
I would like to add that not only would this treaty threaten our [country's] defense and safety but would also threaten other industries such as the following:
THE SALTWATER TRADE - we get many things that we keep in our tanks from the Caribbean such as blue leg hermit crabs, astrea snails, octopus, ricordia, etc.
THE SEAFOOD INDUSTRY - Logically there would be an additional fee by the UN or atleast by the fishermen who must seek their permission/approval to fish in our waters.
THE FISHING SPORT AND HOBBY - Would each individual be required to seek permission to fish in the waters off the coast? What about taking their personal boats on a joy ride?
In order to combat this we must contact our Senate members and tell them what we