On October 7, 1985, the tranquil waters of the Mediterranean became the backdrop for one of the most notorious terrorist incidents of the 20th century. The Italian cruise ship MS Achille Lauro fell victim to a brazen hijacking by four armed militants, an event that would culminate in murder, spark international outrage, and test diplomatic relations between allied nations.
The Voyage Begins
The Achille Lauro had departed from Genoa, Italy, on October 3, embarking on a scheduled 12-day Mediterranean cruise. The vessel carried 748 passengers and several hundred crew members, all anticipating a peaceful journey through historic waters. On October 7, the ship made port at Alexandria, Egypt, where 651 passengers disembarked for a day excursion to the iconic pyramids. These tourists planned to rejoin the ship later that evening at Port Said, where the Achille Lauro would dock next.
This routine stop left 97 passengers and the crew aboard the vessel. It was during this vulnerable window that the attackers made their move.
The Hijacking Unfolds
Four men who had been posing as ordinary passengers suddenly revealed their true intentions. Brandishing AK-47 machine guns, they seized control of the ship, corralling the remaining passengers and crew members. Under gunpoint, they compelled the captain to depart from Alexandria immediately, taking command of the vessel while permitting crew members to continue their duties to maintain the ship's operations.
The hijackers were members of a faction within the Palestine Liberation Front (PLF), a group aligned with the larger Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). The faction was led by Mohammed Zaidan, who operated under the pseudonym Mohammed Abbas, or Abu Abbas. Their objective was clear: they demanded that Israel release 50 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Israel's government chose not to respond to these demands. With their primary objective unmet, the hijackers redirected the vessel toward Tartus, Syria, hoping to find safe harbor there. However, both the United States and Italian governments quickly intervened, requesting that Syrian authorities deny the ship entry. Syria complied, refusing to allow the Achille Lauro to dock when it arrived on October 8.
A Tragic Murder
The situation took a dark and tragic turn on the afternoon of October 8. At approximately 3:00 PM, the militants committed an act of brutality that would define the hijacking in public memory. They singled out Leon Klinghoffer, a 69-year-old American Jewish man who was confined to a wheelchair. The hijackers shot him at point-blank range and then callously threw his body overboard into the Mediterranean Sea.
Klinghoffer, a retired businessman from New York, was traveling with his wife Marilyn. His murder was widely interpreted as a hate crime, with his Jewish faith being the apparent reason for his selection. This cold-blooded killing transformed the incident from a political hostage situation into an act of terrorism that demanded international condemnation.
Diplomatic Maneuvering
Following the murder, the hijackers attempted to steer the ship toward Cyprus, but they were again denied port access. By this time, the crisis had attracted global attention, and Yasir Arafat, chairman of the PLO, had been contacted regarding the situation. Arafat dispatched Mohammed Zaidan to Cairo to negotiate and mediate the crisis. Both Arafat and Zaidan publicly denied any prior knowledge of or involvement in the hijacking, attempting to distance the PLO from the incident.
With their options dwindling and no country willing to offer sanctuary, the hijackers directed the Achille Lauro back toward Port Said, Egypt. On the morning of October 9, they established radio contact with Egyptian authorities and began negotiations for the release of the remaining hostages.
Egyptian authorities agreed to the hijackers' demands in exchange for freeing the hostages. The terms included safe passage through Egypt and immunity from prosecution. At 5:00 PM on October 9, the four militants disappeared into Port Said, seemingly escaping justice.
International Intervention
However, the resolution was not as straightforward as it appeared. While Egypt maintained that the hijackers had left the country, U.S. intelligence indicated otherwise. American surveillance had located the escape plane—an EgyptAir commercial flight—that the hijackers planned to use, accompanied by Mohammed Zaidan.
President Ronald Reagan, determined that the perpetrators would not escape punishment, authorized a bold military intervention. On the evening of October 10, U.S. Navy F-14 fighter jets from the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga intercepted the Egyptian passenger plane in international airspace over the Mediterranean. The fighters forced the larger aircraft to divert from its intended course and land at a NATO air base in Sigonella, Sicily.
The operation was conducted with minimal advance notice to Italian authorities. The United States had informed Italy only minutes before the interception, hoping to gain immediate custody of the hijackers to prosecute them under American law. This unilateral action created immediate tension between the two allied nations.
A Diplomatic Standoff
What followed was a tense standoff between U.S. and Italian military forces at the Sigonella air base. American special operations personnel surrounded the Egyptian aircraft, while Italian military police and Carabinieri encircled the Americans. For several hours, it remained unclear whether the United States would attempt to forcibly extract the hijackers or whether Italy would assert its jurisdictional authority.
The situation was resolved through diplomatic channels. Italy argued that since the Achille Lauro was an Italian-flagged vessel and the hijacking had occurred in international waters, Italian jurisdiction took precedence. Eventually, a compromise was reached: Italy would arrest and prosecute the four hijackers, while the United States would be granted access to evidence and testimony.
In a controversial decision that drew criticism from Washington, Italian authorities allowed Mohammed Zaidan to leave the country despite strong suspicions of his involvement in planning and directing the operation. Zaidan departed for Yugoslavia, avoiding arrest. Later, Israeli intelligence would confirm that Zaidan had been in radio communication with the hijackers throughout the incident, actively directing their actions from afar.
Aftermath and Legacy
The four hijackers were subsequently tried and convicted in Italian courts, receiving sentences for their crimes. The incident had lasting repercussions on multiple fronts:
1. International Counterterrorism: The bold U.S. interception set a precedent for international counterterrorism operations, demonstrating a willingness to use military force to apprehend terrorists.
2. Diplomatic Relations: The Sigonella standoff strained U.S.-Italian relations temporarily but also highlighted the complexities of international law and jurisdiction in terrorism cases.
3. Maritime Security: The hijacking prompted cruise lines and maritime operators worldwide to reassess security protocols, leading to enhanced screening procedures and security measures on passenger vessels.
4. Palestinian Politics: The incident embarrassed the PLO and complicated its efforts to gain international legitimacy. While Arafat denied involvement, the connection to a PLO-affiliated group damaged the organization's diplomatic standing.
5. Legal Precedents: The case raised important questions about extraterritorial jurisdiction, the prosecution of international terrorists, and the balance between national sovereignty and global security.
Leon Klinghoffer's murder became a symbol of terrorist brutality. His wife Marilyn later filed a civil lawsuit against the PLO, which resulted in a settlement. The Klinghoffer family also established a foundation to combat terrorism and promote understanding.
The Achille Lauro itself continued to operate for another decade until it sank off the coast of Somalia in 1994 following a fire. But the name of the ship remains indelibly linked to the 1985 hijacking and the tragic death of an innocent man whose only crime was his faith.
Conclusion
The hijacking of the Achille Lauro stands as a stark reminder of how terrorism can transform ordinary circumstances into international crises. The incident demonstrated the challenges of responding to maritime terrorism, the complexities of international diplomacy, and the sometimes conflicting interests of allied nations. Most importantly, it highlighted the human cost of political violence, forever memorialized in the murder of Leon Klinghoffer—a tragedy that continues to resonate in discussions about terrorism, security, and international law.