Big Trouble for Law of the Sea; The treaty that seemed ready to coast to passage in the Senate may be sunk as opponents reveal it is a U.N. boondoggle that only can benefit America's enemies

* Regulate 70 percent of the surface area of the earth.

* Impose global taxes on sovereign nations.

* Impose quotas for production of underseas oil and mining.

* Benefit the protected nickelmining industry of France.

* Regulate or control oceanographic exploration and research.

* Regulate or even prohibit U.S. intelligence collection and submarine transit in territorial waters.

* Force the United States to transfer military technology that would assist countries such as China in developing antisubmarine warfare capabilities and conducting submarine-launched cruise-missile attacks.

* Ban the United States and its allies from conducting maritime interdiction of weapons proliferators.

* Impose its authority through an already functioning global court.

Source: Senate Environment and Public Works Committee documents

J. Michael Waller is a senior writer for Insight magazine.

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