CLOAK AND DAGGER

WikiLeaks: Nations Race to Divide Arctic

Governments angle for oil, gas, and gem rights.

The latest WikiLeaks revelations take a turn toward commodities, with U.S. cables suggesting a race by arctic nations to claim the frozen north. With valuable resources—from oil and gas to rubies and fish—in the offing, the U.S., Russia, Canada, Denmark, Sweden, and others have taken steps to claim territory. Russia planted a flag under the north poll in 2007, but it’s the behind-the-scenes posturing that the cables provide: U.S. diplomats questioning Canadian claims, Canada getting its back up about NATO involvement, ambassadors rushing to get American companies lucrative contracts. The race—which has been compared to the frantic rush to colonize Africa and gain its resources in the 19th century—is accelerating, experts say, with the pace of melting ice, which is opening up extraction chances.