From: utzoo!decvax!cca!JPM@MIT-AI@sri-unix
Newsgroups: net.space
Title: Space Law
Article-I.D.: sri-unix.2372
Posted: Sat Jul 31 17:03:08 1982
Received: Sun Aug  1 03:28:06 1982

From: Jim McGrath (The Moderator) <JPM at MIT-AI> <CSD.MCGRATH at SU-SCORE>
	Paul Dietz <DIETZ at USC-ECL>

	But the US has signed a treaty REQUIRING us the return
	defectors.  Article VIII of the 1967 Space Treaty states "A
	State ... shall retain jurisidiction and control over such
	object [spacecraft] and over any personnel thereof"; Article
	IV of the Rescue Agreement, which enjoins signers to return
	personnel, willing or not; Article XII of the Moon Treaty says
	that "States...  shall retain jurisdiction and control over
	their personnel."

There is NOTHING wrong with these provisions - indeed, they should be
DESIRED by us (and are).  Under them American citizens must be under
the jurisdiction and control of Americans.  Otherwise the Soviets
could enforce THEIR laws against our personal and control their
actions if in Soviet territory.  Of course this means we cannot meddle
in Soviet affairs (something THEY wanted), but it protects OUR people
- which is the first priority.

I have no problems about these provisions - our citizens will have a
reasonable degree of self government.  It is not good for the Soviet
citizens, but what can you do?  The ultimate answer is to allow
individuals in space to form their own independent governments - but
that is not possible in the short term.

Jim

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