re: "We were all fooled by the “floating hotel” cover story, weren’t we?"

Murdoc at Murdoc Online ("my quasi-journalistic weblog with military news commanding the greater part of my attention") asks a more-or-less rhetorical question.

Money quote(s):

"It was sold by the Ukraine to China on the condition that it never be used as a warship."

I'm shocked, SHOCKED, to learn that China is welching on the terms of the deal. You could knock me over with a fender.

Pray they do not alter it any further.