You might find it odd that your AFA President is sending you a couple
of pieces on the Law of the Sea Treaty (LOST). However, this is what
national security is all about. We depend on sea commerce for our
commercial well-being. Close to 85% of all our trade (by weight) goes by
sea. [And … you should all know that almost 100% of our high value
commerce goes by air and increasingly by cyberspace through space.]
The
Administration has submitted LOST to the Senate for ratification. I have
seen many, many articles supporting ratification and none urging the Senate to not
ratify it. This surprised me … since President Reagan refused to sign the
Treaty and convinced Prime Minister Thatcher to not support it.
Then
last week, the Wall Street Journal carried an op-ed by former Secretary of
Defense Rumsfeld which argued against ratification.
In
this note, I offer both sides of the issue.
Here
is a piece in The Atlantic in favor: http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/06/-almost-everyone-agrees-the-us-should-ratify-the-law-of-the-sea-treaty/258301/
And
here is the Wall Street Journal piece: http://www.afa.org/EdOp/2012/Why_the_UN_Shouldn't_Own_The_Seas.pdf.
For
your consideration.
Mike
PS
– it’s not “lost” on me of the irony of the abbreviation of the treaty.
Michael
M. Dunn
President/CEO
Air Force Association
President/CEO
Air Force Association
"The only thing more expensive than a
first-rate Air Force is … a second-rate Air Force." -- Senate
staff member
Posts
3 comments:
MIKE et al = IMHO "Law of the Sea" COULD BE a 'back door way' to control future U.S. military use of space. ** "Sea Law is basis for SPACE Law"! Ask a scholar at McGill University in Canada - the world's foremost authorities on SPACE LAW! ** Barring a quick response from academ,ic scholars [lawyers do take their own time, after all] = Contact LAWYERS in blue uniform @ both HQ NORAD / HQ SpaceCOM! ** REASON FOR URGENCY = Just recall the 'stacked [!!] ratification hearings' before US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on "New START" arms control new paper! JOHN KERRY [D.-MA] allowed NO OPPOSITION TESTIMONY! ** The sole 'straight thinker' allowed on Capital Hill was Dr. KEITH PAYNE before the Senate Armed Services Committee, at urgings of Sen. JOHN McCAIN [R.-AZ]!! Then and now!-30-
I find it unfortunate that the AFA has not identified and addressed the fact that the "character" of international airspace is defined by the "character" of the land over which it is located. As such, there are aspects of the LOST that will establish new controls and restrictions on international airspace.
Over the years congress has honed its skills, to its shame, playing the game of "kicking the can."
In this case it should use the skills while being led down the "Primrose Path."
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