I'm pretty sure that "international incidents" tend to be the result of, rather than the cause of, international tensions. If one or the other countries wants t

I'm pretty sure that "international incidents" tend to be the result of, rather than the cause of, international tensions. If one or the other countries wants there to be an international incident, then there will be one. Usually something ordinary-ish that can be expanded into one will be promoted into an incident. If they're lucky, something that needs no exaggeration will happen at a convenient time. In either case, the real cause of tension is something else. On the other hand, if neither country wants there to be incidents, than any potential incidents will be ignored and hushed up. Nobody will make any noise or volunteer any information about it. If a reporter happens to get information about it independently, it will be minimized and dismissed. Maybe the American pilot gets a slap on the wrist, the French pilot curses Americans a few times in his local bar, and everyone forgets about it soon after.