- Date:
- October 7, 1985
- Participants:
- Palestine Liberation Front
Achille Lauro hijacking
-
What was the Achille Lauro hijacking?
On October 7, 1985, four Palestinian militants associated with the Palestine Liberation Front (PLF) hijacked the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro in the Mediterranean Sea. The ship had 748 passengers and hundreds of crew members on board for a 12-day cruise.
The hijackers demanded that Israel release 50 Palestinian prisoners. After Israel didn't respond, the ship headed to Syria, but authorities denied it permission to dock. The militants then shot and killed Leon Klinghoffer, an elderly American Jewish man in a wheelchair, and threw his body overboard.
The hijackers eventually directed the Achille Lauro back to Port Said and negotiated with Egyptian authorities. They were promised safe passage and immunity in exchange for releasing the hostages. However, U.S. intelligence revealed they were still in the country, and U.S. fighter jets intercepted their plane, forcing it to land in Sicily where the hijackers were arrested by Italian authorities.
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Where and when did the Achille Lauro hijacking take place?
The Achille Lauro hijacking occurred on October 7, 1985, in the Mediterranean Sea. Four Palestinian militants, posing as passengers, commandeered the Italian cruise ship, which had departed from Genoa, Italy, on October 3 for a 12-day cruise. After the ship docked at Alexandria, Egypt, the militants seized control, demanding the release of 50 Palestinian prisoners from Israel. The ship then headed to Tartus, Syria, but was denied permission to dock.
The hijackers later murdered Leon Klinghoffer, an elderly American Jewish man, and threw his body overboard. Negotiations with Egyptian authorities led to the hijackers being granted safe passage in exchange for releasing the hostages. However, U.S. forces intercepted their escape plane, leading to their capture in Sigonella, Sicily.
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Who hijacked the Achille Lauro cruise ship?
In October 1985, four Palestinian militants associated with a faction of the Palestine Liberation Front (PLF) hijacked the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro. The four men, posing as passengers, brandished AK-47 machine guns and demanded the release of 50 Palestinian prisoners from Israel. After being denied docking in Syria and Cyprus, the militants shot Leon Klinghoffer, an elderly American Jewish man, and threw him overboard.
The hijackers then returned to Port Said, Egypt, and negotiated with Egyptian authorities for safe passage and immunity in exchange for releasing the hostages. Although Egypt claimed the hijackers had left the country, U.S. intelligence indicated they were still in hiding. U.S. fighter jets intercepted the plane they planned to escape on, accompanied by PLF leader Mohammed Zaidan, and forced it to land in Sicily where the hijackers were arrested by Italy.
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Why did the hijackers take over the Achille Lauro?
In October 1985, four Palestinian militants hijacked the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro in the Mediterranean Sea. Posing as passengers, the militants, associated with a faction of the Palestine Liberation Front (PLF), brandished AK-47s and seized control of the ship, which had hundreds of passengers and crew aboard. They demanded that Israel release 50 Palestinian prisoners. After being denied docking by Syrian authorities, the militants shot Leon Klinghoffer, an elderly American Jewish man confined to a wheelchair, and threw his body overboard.
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What happened to the passengers and crew during the hijacking?
During the Achille Lauro hijacking in 1985, four Palestinian militants seized control of the Italian cruise ship, which had 748 passengers and several hundred crew members on board. After the ship left Alexandria, Egypt, the militants brandished AK-47s, corralling the crew and the remaining 97 passengers, after 651 passengers disembarked to tour the pyramids, and forced the captain to leave port. The hijackers demanded the release of 50 Palestinian prisoners from Israel. At approximately 3:00 pm on October 8, the militants shot Leon Klinghoffer, an elderly American Jewish man confined to a wheelchair, and threw his body overboard. Eventually, the hijackers surrendered in exchange for safe passage through Egypt and immunity from prosecution.
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What were the international effects and consequences of the Achille Lauro hijacking?
The Achille Lauro hijacking significantly impacted international relations. Aftermath events included the ship being denied docking by Syrian and Cypriot authorities and the pursuit of the hijackers by the United States, which intercepted their escape plane and forced it to land in Italy. This led to a tense standoff between U.S. and Italian forces. The Italian government eventually arrested the hijackers but allowed suspected mastermind Mohammed Zaidan to escape. These events strained diplomatic relations between the involved countries, highlighting the challenges of international cooperation in combating terrorism.
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Achille Lauro hijacking, hijacking of the Italian cruise ship the MS Achille Lauro on Oct. 7, 1985, by four Palestinian militants associated with a faction of the Palestine Liberation Front (PLF).
The Achille Lauro left Genoa, Italy, on October 3 for a 12-day cruise of the Mediterranean Sea. Aboard were 748 passengers and several hundred crew. On October 7 the ship docked at Alexandria, Egypt, and 651 passengers disembarked to tour the pyramids, intending to rendezvous with the ship at Port Said that night. After the sightseers had gone ashore, four men brandishing AK-47 machine guns corralled the crew and the remaining 97 passengers and forced the captain to leave port. They allowed crew members to continue with their duties.
The men—who had been posing as passengers—were members of a PLF faction headed by Mohammed Zaidan (who used the pseudonym Mohammed, or Abu, ʿAbbās) and aligned with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). After commandeering the vessel, they demanded that Israel release 50 Palestinian prisoners. Israel did not respond, and the vessel headed to Tartus, Syria. Syrian authorities, at the request of the U.S. and Italian governments, refused to allow the vessel to dock when it arrived the next day.
At approximately 3:00 pm on October 8, the militants shot Leon Klinghoffer, an elderly American Jewish man confined to a wheelchair, and threw his body overboard. He was thought to have been singled out because of his religion. The hijackers then steered the ship to Cyprus, where they were also denied port. By this time, Yāsir ʿArafāt, chairman of the PLO, had been contacted; he sent Zaidan to Cairo to mediate the situation. Both men denied any involvement in the hijacking.
Stymied, the hijackers directed the Achille Lauro back to Port Said. They established radio contact with Egyptian authorities and began negotiations as they neared the coast on the morning of October 9. In exchange for releasing the hostages, the hijackers demanded safe passage through Egypt and immunity from prosecution. Egypt acceded and at 5 pm the men disappeared into Port Said.
Though Egypt maintained that the hijackers had left the country, U.S. intelligence reports indicated that they remained there in hiding. The plane on which they had planned to escape—accompanied by Zaidan—was located, and U.S. Pres. Ronald Reagan gave the order to intercept it. On the evening of October 10, U.S. fighter jets blockaded the larger passenger craft and forced it to land at a NATO air base in Sigonella, Sicily. Italy had been informed of the maneuver only minutes before, because the United States hoped to gain custody of the hijackers. A tense standoff ensued between U.S. and Italian forces. Eventually Italy arrested the hijackers, though it allowed Zaidan to leave for Yugoslavia despite suspicion of his involvement. It was later confirmed by Israeli intelligence that he had been directing the hijacking via radio.
In 1986 the four hijackers—Youssef Magied al-Molqui, age 23; Ahmad Marrouf al-Assadi, 23; Ibrahim Fatayer Abdelatif, 20; and Bassam al-Askar, 17—were tried in Italy along with 11 accomplices. Nine, including mastermind Zaidan, were tried in absentia. The three eldest hijackers received sentences ranging from 30 to 15 years in prison; al-Askar was convicted in a separate trial. Zaidan, who after his escape had admitted his role in the hijacking, was located in Iraq during the 2003 invasion of the country; he died in custody the next year.
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