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7th October 1985, the Achille Lauro Hijacking by the PLF and what later became the Sigonella standoff

On October 7, 1985, the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro was hijacked by four members of the Palestinian Liberation Front (PLF) while sailing off the coast of Egypt. The hijackers, led by Youssef al-Molqi, demanded the release of 50 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, threatening to eliminate hostages if their demands were not accepted. The situation quickly escalated when the hijackers singled out an American passenger, Leon Klinghoffer, a disabled Jewish man, and executed him in cold blood before throwing his body overboard. This brutal murder shocked the world and placed immense pressure on both the Italian and U.S. governments to respond swiftly to the crisis.

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October 9-10, 1985 –The hijackers originally intended to sail to the Syrian port of Tartus, but Syrian authorities refused them entry. After hours of tense negotiations and with nowhere to go, the hijackers agreed to surrender in exchange for safe passage to Tunisia. Following diplomatic negotiations, Egypt arranged for safe passage for the hijackers and their leader, Abu Abbas, under the condition that they would surrender peacefully. They boarded an EgyptAir commercial flight headed for Tunisia, believing they had secured their escape. However, the U.S., informed of their location, tracked the plane. President Reagan, enraged by Klinghoffer’s murder, authorized the U.S. Navy to intercept the flight. American intelligence confirmed the presence of the hijackers on the plane​(SAFETY4SEA)​(Italian Military History).

October 11, 1985 – In a dramatic mid-air interception, U.S. Navy F-14 Tomcats forced the EgyptAir flight carrying the hijackers to land at the Sigonella NATO base in Sicily. The base was jointly operated by the U.S. and Italy, and the Americans expected to take immediate custody of the terrorists. When the EgyptAir flight was brought to a stand on a Sigonella runway, U.S. Delta Force commandos and SEAL Team Six encircled the plane, preparing to arrest the terrorists. However, Italian Prime Minister Bettino Craxi, asserting Italian sovereignty over the base, sent Italian military and police units to block the Americans. Craxi firmly believed that Italy had jurisdiction over the incident since the Achille Lauro was an Italian ship, and insisted that the terrorists be tried in Italian courts. The situation escalated to a dangerous impasse, with armed U.S. and Italian forces facing off at the airfield. However, Italian Prime Minister Bettino Craxi, asserting Italian sovereignty over the base, refused to allow the Americans to arrest the hijackers. Italian military forces surrounded the U.S. special forces in a tense standoff at Sigonella, which lasted throughout the night​(SAFETY4SEA)​(Italian Military History).

October 12, 1985 – After hours of high-level negotiations between U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Italian Prime Minister Craxi, the Americans reluctantly backed down. The Italian authorities arrested the hijackers, while Abu Abbas, the mastermind behind the operation, was allowed to leave Italy, leading to further tensions between Italy, the U.S., and Israel. Italy asserted its legal rights over the case, as the Achille Lauro was an Italian ship, but the diplomatic fallout would strain U.S.-Italian relations for years​(SAFETY4SEA)​(Italian Military History)

In his public remarks, Reagan expressed frustration over the situation, emphasizing the need for justice for the murder of an American citizen. He stated that while there had been confusion over the fate of the hijackers, he believed they should be handed over to a competent authority that would prosecute them for their crimes. The incident highlighted Reagan’s strong stance on terrorism and the need for a firm response to violent acts against American citizens. Craxi, on the other hand, was equally firm in his stance during a press conference, emphasizing the importance of upholding international law and Italy’s sovereignty. He also revealed to the world, for the first time, the murder of Leon Klinghoffer, which had previously been undisclosed by the ship’s captain. This decision to stand up to the U.S. was both politically bold and diplomatically risky, as it could have jeopardized Italy’s relationship with its NATO ally.

Diplomatic tensions reached a peak when Craxi refused Reagan’s demands to extradite the hijackers to the United States. Reagan, unwilling to back down, engaged in direct talks with Craxi, but the Italian prime minister stood firm. Craxi’s government, navigating a delicate balance between maintaining Italy’s sovereignty and its relationship with Arab nations, was unwilling to hand over the terrorists to the U.S., much to Reagan’s frustration. The standoff lasted for hours, but eventually, the U.S. forces were ordered to stand down, and the hijackers were taken into Italian custody. This diplomatic victory for Italy, however, strained U.S.-Italian relations.

The standoff at Sigonella, and the diplomatic exchanges between Reagan and Craxi, reflected the complexities of Cold War-era geopolitics. Italy’s refusal to comply with U.S. demands highlighted the delicate balance of international alliances, especially in the context of NATO. Italy’s handling of the situation was seen as a defence of its legal system and national sovereignty, while for the U.S., it demonstrated the limitations of military power in addressing international terrorism.

Read More:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crisis_of_Sigonella

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_Liberation_Front

Read More about Islamist Decades of Militia guerrilla in the Middle East, how, PLO, PLF, later Hamas and Hezbollah Hijacked the region and the 1979 Iran Khomeini Revolution completely destabilised the Middle East region.

“The PLO began their militancy campaign from its inception with an attack on Israel’s National Water Carrier in January 1965.[26] The group used guerrilla tactics to attack Israel from their bases in Jordan (including the West Bank), Lebanon, Egypt (Gaza Strip), and Syria.[29]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestine_Liberation_Organization

https://www.youtube.com/@TheHistoryGuyChannel

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