Achille Lauro hijacking

The Achille Lauro Hijacking

In October 7, 1985,^[1] Arab "Palestinian" terrorists from the 'Palestine Liberation Front hijacked the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro in the Mediterranean Sea. The attackers held hundreds of passengers hostage and demanded the release of Palestinian terrorists held by Israel.

During the hijacking, the racist Arab terrorists, cold-hraredly murdered Leon Klinghoffer, a wheelchair-bound American Jew, and threw his body overboard. The murder shocked the United States and intensified international condemnation of terrorism.^[2][3] They murdered Leon "not for any known crime but, rather, for the obvious crime of being Jewish."^[4][5]

The Reagan administration adopted a hardline stance against the hijackers. U.S. Ambassador Nicholas Veliotes argued that the terrorists had to be prosecuted and opposed efforts by Egyptian officials and others to negotiate immunity or safe passage.

After negotiations ended the hijackers surrendered and boarded an Egyptian airliner. President Ronald Reagan ordered U.S. military aircraft to intercept the plane and force it to land in Sicily. American officials sought to ensure the hijackers faced prosecution rather than escape under diplomatic arrangements.

The incident became a defining example of Reagan-era anti-terrorism policy, emphasizing military resolve, refusal to negotiate with terrorists, and accountability for attacks against Americans. The hijacking also highlighted tensions between the United States and allied governments over how to respond to international terrorism.