Hong Kong, Iceland and the Achille Lauro

The latest reports claim that an airplane in Hong Kong is ready to take Edward Snowden to Iceland if political asylum is granted.

Any flight from Hong Kong to Iceland which passes over international airspace is subject to being forced down by US fighter aircraft, as was the case with an Egyptian airliner carrying the Achille Lauro hijackers. Even though the US later apologized and the exercise of military power led to a stand-off with the Italian army over custody of the hijackers at a NATO base, there is no impediment to the US engaging in this conduct again. So flying to Iceland from Hong Kong is hardly in Snowden’s interest. It is impossible to fly to Iceland from Hong Kong without entering international airspace.