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A new Titanic recovery expedition is planned. The U.S. is fighting it as a grave

• bell-cot 3y ago
  It would be nice if the article gave some basic background on the salvage rights involved. There are probably thousands of known-location wrecks in international waters, and salvaging wrecks is a centuries-old activity. And what actually motivates the U.S. govt. here? The article mentions "federal law and a pact with Great Britain to treat the sunken Titanic as a memorial to the more than 1,500 people who died." Are the Brit's, or some real diplomats pushing for this? Does the U.S. gov't fight against salvaging otherwise-similar wrecks which aren't famous? Or is this the handywork of "because we can, and we need to look busy" gov't bureaucrats and lawyers? Also - if Uncle Sam's jurisdiction amounts to "outside-the-U.S. activities of U.S. corporations are still subject to U.S. law", then could the company (seemingly based in Georgia-the-state-in-the-U.S.) quietly sell their salvage rights on, to (say) a shell corporation in Georgia-the-nation-in-Asia, and proceed from there?
  • hulitu 3y ago
    > And what actually motivates the U.S. govt. here? There seems to be a military instalation. At least that't what they said when the british wanted to search for the missing Ocean's Gate Titan.
    • MrLeap 3y ago
      ...a military installation in the wreckage of the titanic? That sounds like a dope premise for something.