The giveaway of 8 strategic Alaskan islands and vast oil-rich seabeds to the Russians by the U. S. State Department has been confirmed by Alaska’s Attorney General Gregg D. Renkes.

            “Now that he has acknowledged this multi-billion dollar rip-off of the Alaskan and American public, we urge him to take seriously the Alaska Legislature’s call on him to fight it,” stated Carl Olson, Chairman of State Department Watch..

            Attorney General Renkes issued a cease-and-desist warning in July against State Department Watch from publicizing the giveaway in mailings to the Alaskan public.  His office had asserted, “It also appears that the claims in your mailing may be deceptive, such as your claim that eight strategically and economically vital Alaskan islands are being given away.”

            Following a legal review his office retracted the cease-and-desist warning in a letter of September 29, stating “there did not appear to be a consumer protection violation.”

The Alaska Legislature is adamant about stopping the giveaway.  Under the sponsorship of Representative John Coghill Jr. (R-Fairbanks) the Legislature passed House Joint Resolution 27 with nearly virtually unanimous votes in both houses.  At stake in the Arctic Ocean are Wrangell, Herald, Bennett, Jeannette, and Henrietta Islands, and Copper Island, Sea Lion Rock, and Sea Otter Rock at the western end of the Aleutian Chain.   Along with the islands go the 200-mile exclusive economic zones in the ocean with their oil, fishery, and other resources.

The resolution complained that the State Department negotiated its agreement with the Soviet Union in total secrecy.  No representative of Alaska was allowed in the negotiations, and no public input was sought in this historic concession to the Russians.  No quid-pro-quo has been identified.  The consent of the State of Alaska was not sought for this giveaway of Alaskan territory and property to a foreign government.  State Department Watch’s chairman Olson and Vice Chairman Mark Seidenberg testified to the legislature on this issue.

The legislature also asked the Governor, Attorney General, the Congressman, and two U. S. Senators to intercede to stop the giveaway.  However, for years U. S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Ted Stevens and Congressman Don Young have strongly backed the giveaway.

In the current election for Senate, both candidates Lisa Murkowski and Tony Knowles have done flip-flops.  When she was in the state legislature, Ms. Murkowski voted for HJR 27, but in Washington has done nothing to stop the giveaway.  When he was governor in 1999, Mr. Knowles signed HJR 27, but did nothing to stop the giveaway.