Good to know. So, when (for instance) M/V Gatun was boarded, it was done with the permission of Panama? Yes: "The Coast Guard obtained flag-state consent to board the vessel through a maritime agreement between the U.S. and Panama."

I don't believe they consider themselves to be in a State of Armed Conflict. In September 2007, Israel declared Gaza a "hostile entity" and according to the Israeli government's own "legal backgrounder" it considers itself in a state of armed conflict with the Hamas regime that controls Gaza. The rest of that backgrounder seems to suggest that, even if not a signatory of the relevant treaty, Israel is at least attempting to tick off the boxes on the legal checklist. Under the treaty, the actual geographic area under blockade must be declared and from the Israeli government's own information they intercepted the ships outside of that zone on the basis of that flotilla intended to enter the blockade zone. This seems to undermine their own position.

@Chuchundra I don't believe Israel is a signatory of that treaty. Also, from the same: 102 The declaration or establishment of a blockade is prohibited if: (a) it has the sole purpose of starving the civilian population or denying it other objects essential for its survival;or (b) the damage to the civilian population is, or may be expected to be, excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated from the blockade. Relevant, I think.

If Turkey sends along military vessels to protect the next convoy, they are fully entitled to do so by all international laws. Turkish internal politics would come in to play - the civilian government might order this, but would the Turkish military obey?

Not just optimistic; inaccurate. Wrong. Mistaken. In error. I know this is part of a longer series, so perhaps I've missed it, but could you point to someone who was accurate at the time this prediction was made?

This is a surprising interesting CBC documentary on the development of the Canadian accent(s).

The best place to visit in Toronto is Pearson Airport - to board a plane for Vancouver or Montreal.

Rats, it's been removed. Enjoy Dr Tongue's 3d House of Stewardesses instead.

"Garth and Gord and Fiona and Alice" - the classic SCTV sketch about Maritimers heading to the big smoke of Toronto.

The discussion is just overblown. Someone should mention this to Palin. Obama and Clinton left for a "higher calling" that was, at least, tangible. Palin's higher calling remains shrouded in mystery. She could have diffused a lot of criticism with even a "I have to take care of my family"

Just out of curiosity, do you speak Spanish, Brett? I have not been able to find an English version of the Honduran constitution online.

But I don't think the Canadian government should ever interfere to influence an American election. You don't think the Canadian government would issue some sort of statement if the U.S. military deposited a pajama-wearing U.S. President in another country?

Thos AIDS and cancer vaccines aren't coming with Nobama care, bitches. Because what the world needs now is another private-sector solution to erectile dysfunction!

When parents have one child, the balance of power is in their favor. They can double-team the lucky kid, and give each other a break by taking turns. Life is good. I can tell you from direct experience - from today even - that field-testing does not bear this out.

Hmmm... We know that the army is not ready to kill the people of Iran - #Iranelection and... Hojateleslam bin Moslemin Rafsanjani holds the honour of the army of this great nation - #Iranelection - Allah Akbar

Arrogant, and not very informed. The population of Iran is 66 million, for example.

NYT/Richard Cohen: The Iranian police commander, in green uniform, walked up Komak Hospital Alley with arms raised and his small unit at his side. "I swear to God," he shouted at the protesters facing him, "I have children, I have a wife, I don't want to beat people. Please go home." A man at my side threw a rock at him. The commander, unflinching, continued to plead. There were chants of "Join us! Join us!" The unit retreated toward Revolution Street, where vast crowds eddied back and forth confronted by baton-wielding Basij militia and black-clad riot police officers on motorbikes. More anecdotal evidence of some police units wavering at the link. This leads to something I've been pondering and which hopefully someone smarter than me can answer: We know the disposition of the Revolutionary Guards and the Basij militia, but what of the regular army?

Here is a graphic Youtube video showing the last moments of a woman's life. She has been shot by the Basij. Those around her grow increasingly panicked as she slips away. My first thought was this could very easily be the young woman who wrote the blog post referenced here. If we are to follow lastWord's thinking, then I suppose the human race is better off that someone like her has been culled from it's ranks. I tend to feel the opposite.

as it did with the protesters in Tiananmen 10 years earlier That should read 20 years earlier.

No corrections so far. You are quite, and technically, correct about Mousavi. I grant you that. And it's quite likely that in a few hours the protesters will face a line of hard men who will not hesitate to execute their orders. Sometimes "the mob" is ugly. Sometimes very ugly. And sometimes "good intentions" are manipulated for ill ends. Nevertheless what is happening in Iran, as it did with the protesters in Tiananmen 10 years earlier, strikes me as an example of the very best of human nature. You make think these people failures. And for that, I feel sorry for you.

This seems a particularly good answer to lastWord.

Let them die for nothing then, doing otherwise would be interfering with Darwin. This comment was obviously designed to provoke but, that said, I'll succumb and ask: Don't you think this might, possibly, have gotten bigger than Mousavi?

I've never wept at a blog post before, but that young Iranian's is seriously testing my composure.