International incident

An international incident is a seemingly relatively small or limited action or clash that results in a wider dispute between two or more nation-states. International incidents can arise from unanticipated actions involving citizens, government officials, or armed units of one or more nation-states, or out of a deliberate but small provocative actions by espionage agents of one nation-state, or by terrorists, against another nation-state.

An international incident usually arises during a time of relative peace between nation-states, and in general is, on the surface, an unexpected event. Conflicts that grow out of a series of escallating skirmishes between nation-states generally are not considered international incidents; however, terrorist actions can and often do become international incidents. However, historical views of past international incidents often reveal the incident was the flashpoint of a simmering conflict between nation-states, or organizations opposing nation-states.

Wars have often been provoked by international incidents, and diplomatic efforts to prevent international incidents from growing into full-scale armed conflicts often have been unsuccessful.

The term is also applied to various incidents that can disrupt international commerce, and to celebrities or other well-known people who commit gaffes or otherwise act inappropriately, causing the press and sometimes governments to criticize their actions.

The International Court of Justice keeps a list of legal disputes between nation-states, many of which result from international incidents. The Royal Mail of the United Kingdom keeps a list on its website of current international incidents that might disrupt mail service. The incidents listed may or may not conform to the definitions given above.

Examples of international incidents

18th century

• Battle of Jumonville Glen
• Hanging of Joshua Huddy
• XYZ affair

19th century

• Caroline Affair, which had a great effect on the development of international law
• Trent affair

Early 20th century

• Assassination in Sarajevo
• Tampico Affair
• Zimmermann Telegram
• USS Panay incident
• Gleiwitz incident

Cold War era

Lavon Affair Hungarian Revolution of 1956 U-2 Crisis of 1960 Erection of Berlin Wall

Gulf of Tonkin Incident USS Liberty incident USS Pueblo incident Korean Air Flight 007

The sinking of the Rainbow Warrior 1986 Berlin discotheque bombing Iraqi missile attack on USS Stark (FFG-31)

Post-Cold War

• Pan Am Flight 103
• Ehime Maru and USS Greeneville collision
• Hainan Island incident
• The 2006 execution in Texas of Mexican national Jesus Ledesma Aguilar
• 2007 Iranian seizure of Royal Navy personnel
• ¿Por qué no te callas?, response given by King Juan Carlos I of Spain to Hugo Chávez, president of Venezuela, at the 2007 Ibero-American Summit (Santiago, Chile)
• ROKS Cheonan sinking
• Gaza flotilla raid
• 2010 Israel–Lebanon border clash
• On-air remarks by New Zealand broadcaster Paul Henry in 2010
• Shelling of Yeonpyeong

See also

• Diplomacy
• Espionage
• War
• Terrorism

External links

• List of cases brought before the International Court of Justice since 1946
• Royal Mail International Incident list

Notes