Arctic Melting Leaves Countries Sparring

Sept. 18, 2007 — -- The reports from the world's scientists depict the Arctic sea ice cap now shrunk to its smallest size in history — the great melting uncovering vast stretches of the Arctic Ocean and opening up a northwest shipping lane mariners have been dreaming about since Christopher Columbus discovered America.

The reports from the world's diplomats and military planners say there's a new theater of war — at least cold war — where tensions are heating up because the world is.