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Alaskan Foriegn Policy

September 14, 2017

Sarah Palin was Right! We CAN see Russia from Our House Sarah was hammered for failing to make the point that Alaska, far more than any other state, has role in international affairs. Sarah Palin rightfully claimed foreign policy experience can't be avoided being governor of Alaska. Palin’s failed to make the point that geographically Alaska faces issues innate to foreign affairs. Lets take a closer look. What foreign affairs does a governor of Alaska, Democrat or Republican, really face?

We know that Russia is proximate to Alaska but it goes beyond that. The strategic importance of Alaska and national defense was driven home in World War II when Alaska became the only state in our lifetime to have actually ever been invaded by an enemy. The reaction to that event initiated the construction of three military bases that became the first outpost to the cold war Soviet threat. There is no denying Alaska is strategically the most important state in this country’s defense. The military expansion in Alaska drove the population expansion of Alaska and its largest city. Today the military is Alaska’s largest city Anchorage’s single largest employer. The US Senate understands the importance of Alaska’s interest in matters of foreign affairs. For the last 20 years Alaskan senators have held a position on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Currently Senator Lisa Murkowski sits on the Committee and the sub committee on East Asian affairs. Senator Stevens long held a position of power in the sub committee on defense appropriations.

Under appreciated by the nation is the fact Alaska has as much coastline as the rest of the United States put together resulting in the generation of coastal issues as far ranging as dealing with foreign off shore fish trawlers, with foreign owned cruise ships, the Coast Guard and Homeland Security, and to monitoring the North Pacific trade route that passes through Alaskan waters. Recently Alaska has become the center of issues concerning the opening of the Northwest Passage through the Arctic Ocean and the resulting repercussions of the increase in ships within Alaskan ports & waterways. What of Alaska’s neighbors? The proximity to Russia and former USSR created ALCOM or the unified Alaska Command of which 3700 members of the Alaska National Guard are under the command of Alaska’s governor. Alaskans have spent a generation of living next to the authoritarian state of Russia. Yes Soviet airplanes consistently flew into Alaskan air space testing our nation’s response. Even today Russian Nationalist talk seriously about reclaiming Alaska like it was lost to them in a shady game of poker. Recent long-range missile test being conducted by the rogue nuclear threat nation of North Korea can only threaten one state- Alaska.

Even dealing with our ally Canada has been contentious at times. Issues include Canadian mines that pollute Alaskan rivers, the gas pipeline negotiations, border crossings, and fish disputes. In 1997 Canadian fisherman blockaded the Alaska State ferry and held it hostage for three days while the Canadian government refuse to intervene. The United States has gone to war over issues less provocation than that before.

A fact that many people don't realize by looking at a two dimensional map is that Alaska is actually the half way point of a flight from Dallas Texas to Hong Kong, China. If the pilot were taking the most direct route possible and had to land at the half point, they would directly over Anchorage. A quick look at 3D globe also confirms that the shortest shipping lane from Asia to North America is to Alaska. The southern terminal of the Alaska State Ferry, Prince Rupert, has the only rail connection in the north coast and is developing to be the main entrance point for shipments from Asia. Anchorage is currently the third busiest international cargo airport in the world due to its geographic advantages. It's easy to Illustrate the point that Alaska is involved in many issues that require foreign service expertise.

Anyone in the position of being Alaska’s governor must deal with matters of foreign affairs on a regular basis. In fact it would be difficult for the governors any of the other 49 states to claim they face more foreign affairs issues than the governor of Alaska.