The conflict with Libya back under the Reagan era was partly a dispute over how much of the Mediterranean is sovereign Libyan waters. Look at the map of Libya – quaddaphy’s claim was that the entire gulf of sidra/sitre is Libyan waters – that you should draw a line from the Northern part – Roughly from Tripoli to Benghazi and that is Libya’s international Border and that if you cross that line you’re in Libya territorial waters and need pemission.
View Larger Map
Reagan’s position was that territorial waters follow the shoreline, not imaginary lines – but is that true? Is part of Chesapeake Bay international waters? Long Island Sound? Hudson Bay? Lake Erie?
All of the shore around the Gulf of Sidra is Libyan territory – other than perhaps fishing, there is no reason for a ship to enter the gulf other than to go to or from a Libyan port. What’s the difference?
In Alaska, you have the Aleutian Islands sticking out into the ocean. Does each island have its own territorial waters? What if nobody lives on the island? What if the island is below water at high tide?
France still owns two small islands off the coast of Canada – does that mean they have fishing rights and oil rights inside Canada’s territorial zone?
Such are the things that great wars can be fought over
