re: #108 Jay C

OK, it’s our Secretary of State, so I’ll choose some diplomatic language wrt to this statement: Is this idiot Pompeo a fucking moron - or a TOTAL fucking moron??
I’m no expert on maritime law, but even a glance at a Wikipedia map of the Northwest Passage shows that the bulk of the route passes between indisputably *Canadian* territory. Now I’m not sure of all the ramifications of exactly where and how the waterways/sealanes run wrt the landmasses, and who has sovereignty/jurisdiction over wherever, but one thing, even to this layman, seems fairly obvious. Dismissing Canadian interests re the Northwest Passage as “illegitimate” is imbecilic. Though about par for the Trump Administration….

While Canada classifies the ‘thru Canada” passage as internal waters, most international maritime nations see it as an “international strait” with the right of “transit passage”. In the international view, Canada retains the right to enact fishing, environmental regulations and lawful fiscal & smuggling control. The way I picture the international view is similar to commercial air transit.
So, “some dispute” would be a reasonable view, but “illegitimate” is woefully ignorant.