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Russia is building a military base on disputed islands seized from Japan during World War II
Business Insider ^ | 10/22/2015 | Jack Stubbs

Posted on 10/22/2015 8:13:07 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

Russia plans to build a military base on the Kuril islands, a group of Pacific islands it seized from Japan at the end of World War Two, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Thursday, according to the Interfax news agency.

The move is likely to worsen already frayed relations with Tokyo which lays claim to the Southern Kuril, known in Japan as the Northern Territories.

The dispute is so acrimonious that Moscow and Tokyo have still not signed a formal peace treaty after the war.

Russia is also building or plans to build a series of new Arctic military bases, including on Wrangel Island, Kotelny Island and at Cape Schmidt, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was quoted as saying on Thursday by the Interfax news agency.

(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Japan; News/Current Events; Russia
KEYWORDS: japan; militarybase; russia
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1 posted on 10/22/2015 8:13:07 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

To the Victor goes the Spoils...


2 posted on 10/22/2015 8:14:48 AM PDT by 100American (Knowledge is knowing how, Wisdom is knowing when)
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To: 100American

Is Russia borrowing money from China or Iran ?


3 posted on 10/22/2015 8:18:12 AM PDT by butlerweave
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To: butlerweave

Not that I have ever seen, their economy is heavy in Oil and other commodities and their Military Industries have many client states, more than Chine I am sure...

But people who live in Glass houses should not throw stones, we are by far the largest producer, seller and purchaser of arms and weapons in the World...


4 posted on 10/22/2015 8:25:37 AM PDT by 100American (Knowledge is knowing how, Wisdom is knowing when)
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To: SeekAndFind

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrangel_Island

“Wrangel Island is a breeding ground for polar bears (having the highest density of dens in the world), ...”

_____________

... But, I thought that polar bears only existed on floating icebergs,

and then they just go off and die because of global warming......


5 posted on 10/22/2015 8:35:52 AM PDT by fishtank (The denial of original sin is the root of liberalism.)
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To: SeekAndFind

I’m sitting here wishing that the Defense Ministry of Japan would respond with “All your base are belong to us!”.


6 posted on 10/22/2015 8:46:46 AM PDT by Riley (The Fourth Estate is the Fifth Column.)
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To: 100American

If history has one easy lesson to understand it is: If you cannot defend it you cannot keep it.


7 posted on 10/22/2015 8:51:10 AM PDT by FreedomNotSafety
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To: SeekAndFind
a group of Pacific islands it seized from Japan at the end of World War Two,

In 1875, Japain got the Kurils and Russia got Sakhalin. In 1905, Japan took Sakhalin (in a treaty, they gave a little more than half of it back.) In 1945, Russia took back the rest of Sakhalin, and the Kurils. So no one has clean hands here. If they ever decide to enter into a treaty ending World War II, they can finalize the border then.

8 posted on 10/22/2015 9:06:46 AM PDT by PAR35
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To: FreedomNotSafety

If you cannot defend it you cannot keep it.

Exactly! Their Pacific fleet is based out of Vladivostok. Wouldn’t be too difficult to contain them and then take these bases is necessary.

Their Atlantic fleet can be bottled up with a carrier group, air power out of Norway, Iceland and the UK, and a few subs.

Their Black Sea fleet can easily be stopped before coming through the Dardanelles.


9 posted on 10/22/2015 9:15:33 AM PDT by rfreedom4u (Rick Chollett for President!)
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To: SeekAndFind

Putin's always trying to find a way to help. Maybe there's some kind of contribution that he can make to the Sea of Okhotsk. It looks like a good place from which to shoot down commercial airliners flying into or out of Japan.

10 posted on 10/22/2015 9:33:58 AM PDT by Tau Food (Never give a sword to a man who can't dance.)
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To: fishtank

Wrangel Island was actually discovered by Americans but abandoned to the new Soviet Union after Lenin consolidated power in the 1920s.


11 posted on 10/22/2015 9:36:56 AM PDT by Vigilanteman (ObaMao: Fake America, Fake Messiah, Fake Black man. How many fakes can you fit into one Zer0?)
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To: PAR35
Your short version is basically correct except that Japan always considered the extreme southern Kurils (Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan and the Habomai Isles) as part of Hokkaido province.

They weren't included in the 1875 treaty.

Japan has repeatedly offered to give up their claims to southern Sakhalin (what they call Karafuto) and the Kurils (Chishima Reito) in return for the three named islands and the Habomai group which were part of Hokkaido. They have even offered to give the current Russian residents there Japanese citizenship.

Russia, of course, rejects the offer and continues to insist that their claim on the northern Kurils and southern Sakhalin remains valid until such time as Russia accepts.

America's position has gone from indifference in the closing days of World War II to actively supporting the Japanese position currently.

12 posted on 10/22/2015 9:46:14 AM PDT by Vigilanteman (ObaMao: Fake America, Fake Messiah, Fake Black man. How many fakes can you fit into one Zer0?)
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To: PAR35
To post #12, I'll add that maps and atlases sold in Japan still show the four named islands as part of Hokkaido while the remaining Kurils and southern Sakhalin are usually a neutral color (such as white) with the notation that they are still part of a boundary dispute with Russia.
13 posted on 10/22/2015 9:49:14 AM PDT by Vigilanteman (ObaMao: Fake America, Fake Messiah, Fake Black man. How many fakes can you fit into one Zer0?)
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To: SeekAndFind

They have no fear.........and for good reason.


14 posted on 10/22/2015 9:54:09 AM PDT by ALASKA (Disgusted.....)
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To: PAR35
Here is an official map of Hokkaido showing the Subprefectural boundries.

The four disputed islands and groups in powder blue in the northeast are part of the Subprefecture of Nemuro which, under Hokkaido's local system of government, would be greater than a country seat but less than a state capitol.

15 posted on 10/22/2015 10:00:42 AM PDT by Vigilanteman (ObaMao: Fake America, Fake Messiah, Fake Black man. How many fakes can you fit into one Zer0?)
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To: SeekAndFind
More:


16 posted on 10/22/2015 10:24:36 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
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To: All; NormsRevenge; Tolerance Sucks Rocks; Smokin' Joe; thackney; TigersEye; Marine_Uncle; ...

I don''t see a good location for an air strip.

Global warming might help .

17 posted on 10/22/2015 10:30:23 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
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To: fishtank
Wrangel Island:


18 posted on 10/22/2015 10:37:43 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
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To: rfreedom4u

They are Japan’s prized islands. If Japan cannot defend them they cannot keep them.


19 posted on 10/22/2015 10:38:36 AM PDT by FreedomNotSafety
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
A new airport has been opened on Iturup.

Russia beefs up Kurils military base despite Japan tensions
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34604146


20 posted on 10/22/2015 10:40:22 AM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
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