BBC ON THIS DAY | 7 | 1985: Gunmen hijack Italian cruise liner About This Site | Text Only 1985: Gunmen hijack Italian cruise liner Palestinian militants have hijacked an Italian cruise liner, the Achille Lauro, in the Mediterranean and threatened to blow it up. The gunmen are demanding the release of 50 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. There are said to be 420 passengers and crew on board the ship including six Britons. Little is yet known about the hijackers but Egyptian and Italian authorities are said to be in communication with the Palestinian Liberation Organisation. Emergency meeting The Naples-based ship was commandeered this afternoon shortly after leaving the port of Alexandria in Egypt on its way to Port Said. Most of the passengers disembarked in Alexandria to go on a sight-seeing tour and were planning to rejoin the cruise further up the Egyptian coast. The Achille Lauro's present position and intended destination is unknown, but the Italian Navy is sending ships and reconnaissance aircraft in an attempt to establish its location. Italian Prime Minister Bettino Craxi is understood to be holding an emergency meeting to discuss options with his foreign and defence ministers. Marine hijackings are uncommon.

In 1961 the passenger liner Santa Maria was taken over by opponents of the Portuguese dictator Antonio Salazar, but it ended peacefully. Notable sea hijacks have also occurred off Singapore, Greece and Cambodia in the 1970s. Experts say a forced boarding of the Achille Lauro could result in heavy hostage casualties. I was there When the Achille Lauro was hijacked in October 1985 I was working as a receptionist at a Cairo Hotel. At around 0200 hours on my late night shift I received a phone call from one of the Egyptian travel agents asking if I have 300 rooms available! I was surprised and answered with hesitance that we do have availability. In three hours around 350 guests arrived in shocked condition. They were passengers of the Achille Lauro that went on a trip to Cairo and were supposed to rejoin the ship at PortSaid. I remember that I had to deal with this situation for three days nonstop. They were the longest three days I worked during my entire career.

Mohamed Samy, Egypt In Context The hijackers were from the Palestinian Liberation Front, a splinter group of Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Liberation Organisation. They shot dead a disabled American tourist, 69 year-old Leon Klinghoffer and had his body thrown overboard with his wheelchair. The crisis ended on 10 October. Egypt gave free passage to the hijackers in exchange for the rest of the hostages. But US Navy jets intercepted a chartered Egypt Air 737 carrying the gunmen and forced it to land in Italy. Four of them were tried in Italy and sentenced to long prison terms. Abu Abbas, the alleged mastermind escaped jail and stands convicted in absentia. He was arrested by US special forces in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, in April 2003 and died in custody in March 2004. A post mortem examination showed he died of heart disease. The Achille Lauro caught fire and sank in 1994.

Palestinian terrorists hijack an Italian cruise ship - Oct 07, 1985 - HISTORY.com Palestinian terrorists hijack an Italian cruise ship Share this: Palestinian terrorists hijack an Italian cruise ship Author Palestinian terrorists hijack an Italian cruise ship URL Publisher A+E Networks Four Palestinian terrorists board the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauroshortly after it leftAlexandria, Egypt, in order to hijack the luxury liner. The well-armed men, who belonged to the Popular Front for the Palestine Liberation Front (PLF), the terrorist wing of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) led by Abu Abbas, easily took control of the vessel since there was no security force on board. Abbas had been responsible for many attacks on Israel and its citizens in the early 1980s. On multiple occasions, he sent men on hang gliders and in hot air balloons on bombing missions to Israel, all of which turned out to be miserable failures. In an attempt to salvage his reputation, Abbas ordered the hijacking of the Achille Lauro. Yet there were no specific goals or demands set forth in the mission. At first, the terrorists demanded that Israel release imprisonedPLF members and sought entry to a Syrian port.

But when Syria denied the request, the terrorists lost control of the situation. Gathering the American tourists on board, the terrorists randomly chose to kill 69-year-old Leon Klinghoffer. The wheelchair-bound American was shot in the head and thrown overboard. Klinghoffer’s cold-blooded murder backfired on the terrorists. The world’s outrage forced PLO chief Yassir Arafat to cut PLO ties with the terrorists and to demand that Abbas end the situation. On October 9, Abbas contacted the terrorists, ordered them not to kill any more passengers, and arranged for the ship to land in Egypt. Meanwhile, the elite U.S. Navy SEALs were dispatched to raid the Achille Lauro. But by the time they arrived, the terrorists had already gotten off the ship in Egypt and boarded a plane to Libya. The United States then sent out two F-14 fighter jets, which intercepted the plane and forced it to land in Italy. A three-way standoff between the PFLP terrorists, the Americans, and the Italian Army on the runway in Sicily ended with the Italians taking Abbas and the other terrorists into custody.

Despite intense American pressure, the Italians allowed Abbas to leave the country,and then prosecute the four who were on board. All were convicted, but only one received a sentence of 30 years; the others got off with lighter prison terms. Italy tried and convicted Abbasin absentia, but did not seek extradition until 2003. He was captured by U.S. Special Forces in Baghdad that year and died in American custory in 2004. Related Videos Italian Cruise Ship Hijacked Off Egypt by Palestinians : Terrorists Demand Israel Release Prisoners; 400 People Are on Liner - latimes YOU ARE HERE: LAT Home → Collections Italian Cruise Ship Hijacked Off Egypt by Palestinians : Terrorists Demand Israel Release Prisoners; 400 People Are on Liner October 08, 1985 |DON A. SCHANCHE | Times Staff Writer ROME — A group of armed Palestinians hijacked an Italian cruise ship with more than 400 people aboard--most of them crew members--off the Egyptian coast Monday, demanded the release of prisoners held by Israel and threatened to blow up the ship if attacked.

Egyptian authorities notified Italy that the ship was seized by the Palestinians after it left Alexandria en route to the Suez Canal city of Port Said. They said the ship, the liner Achille Lauro, then steamed away from Port Said into the Mediterranean. Italian Foreign Ministry spokesman Francesco Verga said early today that the ship was reported to be heading north, about 40 miles from Port Said. As of early today, Egyptian port officials said they had received some radio communications from the hijackers. PLO Denies Responsibility Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Andreotti called the office of the Palestine Liberation Organization in Rome and was told that the PLO has no knowledge of the hijacking and denied responsibility for it, the spokesman said. A spokesman at the PLO's Tunis headquarters said, "There is no connection between the PLO and this operation." According to news agency reports from Port Said, the hijackers identified themselves as members of a group called the Palestine Liberation Front and were led by a man named Omar. The reports said the commandos, carrying firearms and explosives, have demanded the release of 50 Palestinian prisoners in Israel and threatened to blow up the cruise liner if their demands are not met or if the ship comes under attack.

Israeli short-wave radio monitor Mickey Gourdus told Israel radio that the hijackers have threatened to execute some of the passengers, beginning with the Americans on board, unless Egyptian TV agrees to broadcast their demands. Patrizia Terese, a duty officer at the Foreign Ministry, told the Associated Press that 72 Americans were among 600 passengers who left the ship in Alexandria for a daylong tour on shore and were to have reboarded the ship at Port Said after sightseeing. But when the passengers arrived in Port Said, they were placed on buses and taken back to Cairo, 138 miles southwest of the canal city, and checked into hotels. Some of the American passengers who left the ship land told the ABC News program "Nightline" that there still are Americans on board, wire services reported. Harriet Hauser, of Hollywood, Fla., said in Cairo, "I have two friends that stayed on ship because they had been here before." Another passenger, Matthew Polito of New Jersey, also said he knew of Americans still aboard the ship. An Egyptian security official told United Press International that the seven-man commando team threatened to kill the hostages, one by one, but had set no deadline.

Other Egyptian officials said they believe the leader is Omar Mustafa and that the group he heads is opposed to PLO chief Yasser Arafat. Arab specialists said that the Palestine Liberation Front is close to two other radical groups, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine. There were conflicting reports concerning the number of passengers and crew members aboard at the time of the hijacking. Officials of Flotta Achille, the shipping company that owns the Achille Lauro, could not be reached to give the names and nationalities of passengers and crew. But a Naples Port Authority spokesman said that when the ship left Italy, there were 840 passengers aboard including West Germans, Italians, Britons, French, Spaniards and Americans. The Italian Foreign Ministry said that 70 to 80 passengers and 340 crew members were aboard the ship when it was hijacked. In Constant Contact Andreotti spent most of Monday night and early today closeted with Italian Prime Minister Bettino Craxi and Defense Minister Giovanni Spadolini, all of whom were said to be in constant contact with Egyptian Foreign Minister Esmat Abdel Meguid.

The spokesman said that both Italian and Egyptian military aircraft would fly reconnaissance missions over the hijacked cruise liner at first light today. Spadolini placed the Italian armed forces on alert late Monday. The Italian news agency ANSA said that the first signal heard from the ship was an SOS intercepted by a ham radio operator in Goteborg, Sweden, as the Palestinians seized the ship Monday morning. The Foreign Ministry spokesman said that Egyptian authorities told Andreotti that the hijackers have demanded the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. "We don't know which organization these people belong to or which prisoners they want freed," said the spokesman. No immediate reaction was reported from Israel, where government authorities in the past have consistently said they would not deal with terrorists. One Name Mentioned In Egypt, there were reports that the hijackers have specifically demanded the release of an imprisoned Palestinian named Samir Konaitery, responsible for a guerrilla attack in the late 1970s at Nahariya in northern Israel.

END OF A HIJACKING - ISRAEL BITTER AT 'MURDER OF A JEW' - ISRAEL URGES EGYPTIANS TO PROSECUTE HIJACKERS - NYTimes.com END OF A HIJACKING: ISRAEL BITTER AT 'MURDER OF A JEW' END OF A HIJACKING: ISRAEL BITTER AT 'MURDER OF A JEW'; ISRAEL URGES EGYPTIANS TO PROSECUTE HIJACKERS By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN, Special to the New York Times Published: October 10, 1985 JERUSALEM, Oct. 9— Israel today condemned the reported killing of an American tourist aboard the hijacked Italian cruise liner and called on Egypt to prosecute the hijackers.

Uri Savir, a spokesman for Prime Minister Shimon Peres, said the apparent slaying, first disclosed by the Italian Government, was ''another abhorrent act of violence by Palestinian terrorists against innocent people that is tragic, useless and hostile to the peace process and the Palestinians themselves.'' At the same time, the Minister of Communications, Amnon Rubinstein, called on Egypt to try the hijackers, who have identified themselves as members of a dissident Palestinian group called the Palestine Liberation Front. ''Israel will not accept the murder of a Jew because he's a Jew,'' Mr. Rubinstein said, ''even if the murderers enjoy the protection of countries and organizations.'' Effect on Israel Meanwhile, Israeli military analysts and officials indicated today that they felt that the hijacking of the Achille Lauro had serious consequences for Israel, both negative and positive, even though the Cabinet never considered giving in to the hijackers' demand for the release of 50 Palestinians in Israeli prisons.

For one thing, there was concern tonight among Israeli officials that the Palestine Liberation Organization chairman, Yasir Arafat, might be hailed as the savior of the Achille Lauro in a manner that would recall the way Nabih Berri, the leader of the Shiite militia Amal, was portrayed last June while 39 Americans from a T.W.A. airliner were being held hostage in Beirut. As the Israelis see it, Mr. Berri was able to maneuver in the eyes of world opinion from being in league with the hijackers to being a mediator. In the case of the Italian ship, it was Mr. Arafat's associates who persuaded the hijackers to leave the boat, and P.L.O. officials in Tunis quickly described the end of the hijacking as ''a success for P.L.O. diplomacy.'' ''We succeeded,'' the P.L.O. officials said, ''with our mediators and with Egyptian and Italian officials.'' Arafat Accused of Complicity In an effort to prevent the acceptance of such an interpretation, Israeli leaders have accused Mr. Arafat of complicity in the hijacking. They argue that he is denying his role so as not to damage his ties with Italy.

Asked about Mr. Arafat's denial of involvement, Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin told the Israeli radio tonight: ''I believe that Mr. Arafat is one of the greatest liars on earth. He denied in 1970 that he was responsible for the organization called Black September'' although P.L.O. officials later conceded it was a front organization for them. Mr. Rabin was asked if he had detailed evidence linking Mr. Arafat with the takeover the Italian cruise liner. He replied: ''I did not say so. But it looks to me quite stange that even though the ship was near Syria it came back to Egypt in accordance with the demands of Arafat.'' Ties With Italy Israeli military analysts drew another parallel to the T.W.A. hijacking in describing what they said was another negative outcome for Israel. Just as American-Israeli relations were strained during the T.W.A. hijacking when the Lebanese Shiite gunmen who had seized the plane demanded the release of compatriots in Israeli jails, a strain that already existed in Israeli-Italian ties was exacerbated when the Italian ship was seized.

Israeli officials have made no effort to conceal their bitterness over the condemnation by the Italian Prime Minister, Bettino Craxi, of the Israeli air raid on the P.L.O. headquarters in Tunis last week, which the Israelis said was in retaliation for attacks on Israelis. Today there was an indication that the Israelis felt there was a lesson in the Achille Lauro hijacking from which Italy could profit. ''The whole world is standing on its toes watching as the Palestinian terrorists took over the Italian ship,'' Mr. Rabin said. ''Perhaps, perhaps it will teach some lessons to some countries - including those that have been doing the screaming. Nevertheless, it hurts us to see any terrorist attack.'' For his part, Prime Minister Peres said in a speech: ''Those who don't understand why Israel seizes terrorist ships at sea will end up with terrorists seizing their civilian ships on the high seas.'' 'Everyone Is Vulnerable' Moshe Arens, a minister without portfolio, said in an interview on the Israeli radio that the hijacking of the Achille Lauro ''just goes to show that everyone is vulnerable.'' He added that it will be ''interesting'' to see how the Italians react now that they have been a target.

A scheduled visit to Israel by Mr. Craxi in November may have been jeopardized by the events of the last two weeks, some Israeli political commentators believe. Any decision by Egypt to allow the hijackers to go free as part of the deal for their surrender would also be expected to damage relations with Egypt. Those relations have been tense recently and seriously worsened after seven Israeli tourists were killed last week in the Sinai by a man the Israelis say was an Egyptian soldier who was said to have gone berserk. Retaliation Defended An expert on terrorism at Tel Aviv University, Ariel Merari, said that if anything positive resulted from the hijacking from an Israeli point of view, it was that it underscored that ''we are all in this together, that no country -no matter what its ties with the P.L.O. - is immune and that tough retaliations like the Israeli raid on Tunis are justified.'' The hijacking of the ship, Mr. Merari added, ''breaks through another barrier in the field of terrorism.'' ''But, again the terrorists got propaganda without suffering any punishment,'' he added. ''I think this will help support the Israeli point to the Americans and other Western countries that it is not enough to stand fast and refuse terrorist demands.

Terrorists have to be punished. I think the American public is gradually becoming less and less patient with being terrorist targets and not being able to respond.'' Mr. Merari said that in contrast to the T.W.A. hijacking, the propaganda value of the ship takeover was limited for the hijackers because the ship was at sea and communications between the hijackers and the world's news organizations were almost impossible. ''Television did not have access to the ship, and could not transmit the agony of the hostages or the ideology and fervor of their captor,'' Mr. Merari said. ''As a result, most of the coverage of the hijacking concentrated on the event and its evil, rather than any underlying causes. Also, without the media access to the hijackers, less pressure built up on decision makers and they could deal with the affair -whether we are talking about the Americans, Italians or Israelis - with much less emotion.'' What Happened in 1985 inc. Pop Culture, Prices and Events 1985 Calendar 1985 As the spread of aids increases Governments round the world start screening Blood donations for AIDS.

On the technology front the first .com is registered and the first version of Windows is released Ver 1.0 . Terrorists continue to perform acts of terrorism including the hijack of TWA Flight 847 and the Italian Cruise Liner "Achille Lauro ". Famine in Ethiopia is shown more on TV News in July and Live Aid concerts around the world raise many millions to help the starving in Africa and the pop industry in US joins together to sing "We Are The World".

Cost of Living 1985 How Much things cost in 1985 Yearly Inflation Rate USA 3.55% Year End Close Dow Jones Industrial Average 1546 Interest Rates Year End Federal Reserve 10.75% Average Cost of new house $89,330 Median Price Of and Existing Home $75,500 Average Income per year $22,100.00 Average Monthly Rent $375.00 Average Price for new car$9,005.00 Below are some Prices for UK guides in Pounds Sterling Average House Price 40,169 2 bedroom condo overlooking lake $59,900 What Events Happened in 1985 United States -- Coldest Winte in Eastern U.S. The Eastern half of North America is hit with an exceptionally cold winter, one of the worst in recorded history. More Information and Timeline for Eastern U.S. Coldest Winter The Eastern halves of the United States and Canada face some of the coldest temperatures ever recorded in the 20th century as an arctic air mass moves through the country.

According to meteorologists the cold wave occurred as a result of a polar vortex moving further south than what was usually observed and being coupled with a high pressure system. The cold snap lasted from January 20th to the 22nd and resulted in record-breaking cold temperatures as far south as Florida. Colombia Volcanic Eruption in the town of Armero in Colombia kills 25,000 U.S. TWA Flight 847 is hijacked by Hezbollah. on June 14th Malta EgyptAir Flight 648 is hijacked and ends in the loss of 56 passengers during the commando raid to rescue them Sudan Operation Moses a secret operation by Israel to airlift thousands of Jewish Ethiopian refugees out of Sudan. Italy The Italian Cruise Liner "Achille Lauro " is hijacked by Palestinian Terrorists Italy The United Kingdom and Spain agree to reopen the border between Gibraltar and Spain. More Information for Gibraltar and Spain Border After sixteen years of being closed under the rule of Francisco Franco in 1969, the border between Gibraltar and Spain was officially reopened during February of 1985.

The border had been closed by Franco after tensions heightened between Spain and Britain over the status of Gibraltar. Spain had previously eased restrictions in 1982, allowing pedestrians to cross over the border but it was still tightly controlled as only Spanish citizens and residents of Gibraltar were allowed to cross. Opening the gates to all travelers in 1985 was a decision made by Spain to garner support for joining the European Community. UK The British Coal Miners Strike ends and coal mines continue to be closed UK Mikhail Gorbachev replaces Konstantin Chernenko as Soviet leader. More Information for Mikhail Gorbachev In March of 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev became the leader of the Soviet Union after the death of former leader Konstantin Chernenko. Gorbachev became a transformative figure in the USSR as he ushered in new domestic and foreign policy reforms in an attempt to salvage the crumbling Communist system. One of the important decisions that he made was agreeing to nuclear disarmament deals with the United States, some of the first steps towards ending the Cold War. By the early 1990’s, his reforms had worked too well and the Soviet Union was dissolved.

He resigned in 1991 as the transition to democracy began. Switzerland Nintendo releases the NES in North American markets during October. More Information for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) was released in North American markets during October of 1985. The revolutionary home gaming system had been previously released in Japan during 1983. The NES was originally launched with seventeen games including “Duck Hunt” and “Ice Climber.” The system did not initially sell much as the market for video games had dropped, but, with Nintendo’s U.S. release of their breakout game “Super Mario Bros.” later that year, the NES soon caught on in the U.S. and was a popular item distributed throughout stores across the country in 1986. World -- Live Aid Live Aid pop concerts in Philadelphia and London raise over 50 million for famine relief in Ethiopia. More Information for the Live Aid Concerts 1. The Live Aid Concerts were held during July of 1985. 2. They were a series of rock concerts held to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia around the world. 3. They took place in cities including London, Philadelphia, Sydney and Moscow. 4.

The concerts attracted close to 200,000 people and by using satellite link-ups and TV broadcasts around the world, they attracted an estimated one billion viewers in 110 countries who watched the concerts performed live. 5. The concerts were organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure and they raised over $125 million in relief money for Africa. 6. Notable acts included B.B. King, Bob Dylan, Cher, David Bowie, Duran Duran, Elton John, Hall & Oates, Lionel Richie, Madonna, Paul McCartney, Queen, Run-DMC, and U2. Mexico 8.1 Richter scale earthquake strikes Mexico City. More than 9,000 people are killed, UK Rioting breaks out at housing estates in Brixton, London and Liverpool Lebanon Terry Anderson kidnapped in Beirut, Lebanon UK Boris Becker becomes youngest winner at 17 to win the men's Wimbledon championships UK 500 Hippy travellers clash with police on June 1st on their way to the ancient stone circle of Stonehenge Japan -- Japanese astronauts The first group of Japanese astronauts are selected. More Information for Japan's Astronauts.

The first group of Japanese astronauts are chosen during August of 1985. Mamoru Mohri, Chiaki Mukai, and Takao Doi became Japan’s first astronauts after being carefully selected by the National Space Development Agency (NASDA) of Japan. The two men, Mamoru Mohri and Tako Doi, and one woman, Chiaki Mukai, were chosen as candidates for participation in future NASA space shuttle missions and all three went on to participate in two future missions each. Mamoru Mohri became the first Japanese astronaut in space in 1992 and Takao Doi went on to be the first Japanese astronaut to conduct a space walk, while Chiaki Mukai was the first Japanese woman in space and also became the first Japanese astronaut to conduct two flights. U.S. A joint American-French expedition locates the wreck of the RMS Titanic. U.S. President Reagan announces Strategic Defense Weapons ( SDI ) will not impact arms talks U.S. The Unabomber kills his first victim U.S. New York Stock Exchange Closes For The day For Hurricane Gloria U.S.

Philadelphia Police drop a bomb containing C-4 and Tovex from a helicopter onto MOVE's residence on May 13th which causes an uncontrolled fire and as a result, 53 houses destroyed U.S. Insurance companies begin screening for Aids for life insurance causing outcry by civil liberties groups. United States -- "The Color Purple" Movie The popular film "The Color Purple" premieres. More Information and Timeline for The Color Purple film. The classic film “The Color Purple" has its premiere on December 16, 1985 in New York City. The film stars Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, Danny Glover, Margaret Avery, and several other notable actors. It was based on the novel by the same name by Alice Walker and was directed by legendary film maker Stephen Spielberg. The film was nominated for eleven Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Actress but it did not win one category. Despite not winning an Academy Award, “The Color Purple” was the fourth highest-grossing film in 1985.

UK Clive Sinclair launches the Sinclair C5 electric tricycle with a maximum speed of 15mph Japan Boeing 747 Flight 123 crashes into Mount Osutaka, Japan U.S. Mafia Boss Paul Castellano is shot on orders of John J. Gotti Belgium Crowd Violence Erupts during the European Cup Final at Heysel Stadium in Brussels causing a wall to collapse killing 39 football fans. UK Following Heysel Stadium Disaster English Soccer Clubs banned From European Competition United States -- New Coke Coca-Cola Company introduces New Coke. More Information for New Coke. In April of 1985, Coca-Cola introduced “New Coke” in what many observers declared to be the worst marketing blunder in history. At the time, Coca-Cola was a 99 year old company looking for a way to update itself and they chose to do so by changing the original formula of their iconic soft drink. They created a sweeter version that had been preferred in taste tests, but fans of the brand protested the decision in an overwhelmingly negative response. Within three months Coca-Cola announced it would return to the old formula and tried to re-brand the drink as Coca-Cola “Classic” and New Coke quickly disappeared.

Lebanon A massive car bomb in Beirut, Lebanon leaves 175 injured and 45 people dead South Africa Michael Jordan is named as the NBA's "Rookie of the Year." More Information for Michael Jordan Rookie of the Year In May of 1985, legendary basketball player Michael Jordan was given the NBA’s “Rookie of the Year” award during his inaugural season Jordan had been drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 1984 and played exceptionally well in his first season, soon becoming one of the fan-favorite players. He helped the Bull get into the playoffs for the first time in a few years and set several team records that season. Jordan would evolve into one of the most well-known, highest paid and accomplished basketball players of all time and is still considered by many to be the best and most competitive player to ever play the sport professionally. Technology The Food and Drug Administration approves a blood test for AIDS, The first .Com domain name, symbolics.com, is registered by the Symbolics corporation. However, .edu domains, for educational institutions, still predominate over the commercial .com ones Microsoft Corporation releases the first version of Windows, Windows 1.0.

Switzerland is the first country to bring into law catalytic converters must be fitted to private cars Compact Discs are introduced to American Consumers The space shuttle Atlantis is launched UK Starts screening Blood donations for AIDS British Scientists discover a hole in the earths Ozone Layer 1985 Mens and Womens Fashion Clothes Part of our Collection of Clothing From The 1980's 1985 Childrens Toys Part of our toy collection From The 1980's Popular Culture 1985 Various artists, including Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, Cyndi Lauper, Willie Nelson, Lionel Richie, Smokey Robinson, Kenny Rogers, Diana Ross, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner and Stevie Wonder, record the song "We Are The World" as USA for Africa. to raise money for famine relief Michael Jackson Buys ATV Music and every Beatles Song for $47 million dollars Coca-Cola Company introduces New Coke in April ( 6 months later they returned to the original formula ) Popular Films U.S. Jets Intercept Plane With Ship Hijackers; All 4 Seized : Italy Holds Terrorists at Base in Sicily - latimes U.S.

Jets Intercept Plane With Ship Hijackers; All 4 Seized : Italy Holds Terrorists at Base in Sicily October 11, 1985 |JACK NELSON | Times Washington Bureau Chief WASHINGTON — In a stunning turn of events in the night skies over the Mediterranean late Thursday, U.S. Navy F-14 fighters intercepted an Egyptian airliner carrying the four Palestinian terrorists who hijacked an Italian cruise liner and murdered an elderly American tourist, then forced the plane to fly to a U.S. naval base in Sicily, the White House announced. There, the terrorists were surrounded by a combined force of U.S. and Italian troops and taken into custody by Italian authorities for trial in Italy or possible extradition to the United States. "This action affirms our determination to see that terrorists are apprehended, prosecuted and punished," White House spokesman Larry Speakes declared in releasing details of the dramatic episode.

"This operation was conducted without firing a shot," he noted, adding that President Reagan--who had approved the bold maneuver step by step throughout the day Thursday--was "extremely pleased with the successful mission." "We have been assured by the government of Italy that the terrorists will be subject to full due process of law," Speakes said. "For our part, we intend to pursue prompt extradition to the United States of those involved in the crime. Details of the interception were spelled out by the White House hours after the office of Italian Prime Minister Bettino Craxi announced in Rome that a chartered Egyptair 737 carrying the four hijackers had landed at Sigonella airfield near Catania, on the Italian island of Sicily, at 12:30 a.m. (Italian time) today, accompanied by four U.S. military escort jets. While there were indications in Rome that the Italian government may decide to prosecute the hijackers itself, Justice Department officials said this country would rely on a recently passed federal law against taking U.S. citizens hostage in seeking extradition of the four Palestinian terrorists.

The terrorists, thought to be from a radical splinter group of the Palestine Liberation Organization called the Palestine Liberation Front, seized the liner Achille Lauro off the coast of Alexandria, Egypt, last Monday, murdered retired New York businessman Leon Klinghoffer, 69, and dumped his body into the sea before negotiating a surrender to Egyptian authorities outside Port Said on Wednesday. Reagan Approved Plans Speakes said the Administration, surmising that the terrorists might attempt to leave Egypt by air, began laying contingency plans for a possible interception and gained approval to act from Reagan during a presidential speaking trip to Chicago on Thursday. Using this country's extensive electronic and other intelligence capabilities in the Mediterranean, the White House learned that the hijackers left Al Maza airport outside Cairo at 1:15 p.m. PDT aboard the Egyptian chartered jet. The U.S. 6th Fleet then scrambled four F-14s from the aircraft carrier Saratoga, along with an aerial tanker and other support planes, to intercept it in international airspace above the eastern Mediterranean. Aboard the Egyptian plane when it was forced to land in Sicily were the four terrorists, two other Palestinians, four Egyptian security personnel and the flight crew.

Italian authorities are investigating the two unidentified Palestinians; the Egyptians were allowed to fly home. Earlier, Egyptian authorities had identified the hijackers as Alaa Abdullah Kheshen, 19; Majid Youssef Malaki, 23; Mahmoud Ali Abdullah, 23, and Abdel Latif Ibrahim Fatayer, 20. All were described as students. Algiers Flight Plan A White House source said the airliner had filed a flight plan for Algiers, but changed the route to arrive instead at Tunis, Tunisia, where the PLO maintains its headquarters. Administration officials said the plane was refused permission to land in both Tunis and Athens and then--in the words of Secretary of Defense Caspar W. Weinberger, who gave details of the military operation in a briefing after midnight this morning--"accepted the inevitable" and agreed to obey the instructions from U.S. interceptors. Speakes said contingency plans had been made in case the Egyptian jet ignored orders to land in Sicily but he refused to discuss what the F-14 pilots would have been ordered to do. The use of U.S.

warplanes to seize hijackers who had slain an American was the Reagan Administration's first successful application of military force against terrorists after five years of frustration in which officials frequently vowed "swift and effective retribution" but found no circumstance that would allow its use. A Satisfying Mission Satisfying as the mission was, its feasibility depended so much on special circumstances--including favorable geography, the presence of strong U.S. intelligence assets and the terrorists' lack of a sympathetic host--that it does not necessarily provide a pattern for future action in such situations. The White House nonetheless used the occasion to declare that it would not hesitate to again use this country's military might where feasible. October 07, 1985 : Palestinian terrorists hijack an Italian cruise ship Introduction Four Palestinian terrorists board the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauroshortly after it leftAlexandria, Egypt, in order to hijack the luxury liner. The well-armed men, who belonged to the Popular Front for the Palestine Liberation Front (PLF), the terrorist wing of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) led by Abu Abbas, easily took control of the vessel since there was no security force on board.

Abbas had been responsible for many attacks on Israel and its citizens in the early 1980s. On multiple occasions, he sent men on hang gliders and in hot air balloons on bombing missions to Israel, all of which turned out to be miserable failures. In an attempt to salvage his reputation, Abbas ordered the hijacking of the Achille Lauro. Yet there were no specific goals or demands set forth in the mission. At first, the terrorists demanded that Israel release imprisonedPLF members and sought entry to a Syrian port. But when Syria denied the request, the terrorists lost control of the situation. Gathering the American tourists on board, the terrorists randomly chose to kill 69-year-old Leon Klinghoffer. The wheelchair-bound American was shot in the head and thrown overboard. Klinghoffer’s cold-blooded murder backfired on the terrorists. The world’s outrage forced PLO chief Yassir Arafat to cut PLO ties with the terrorists and to demand that Abbas end the situation. On October 9, Abbas contacted the terrorists, ordered them not to kill any more passengers, and arranged for the ship to land in Egypt. Meanwhile, the elite U.S.

Navy SEALs were dispatched to raid the Achille Lauro. But by the time they arrived, the terrorists had already gotten off the ship in Egypt and boarded a plane to Libya. The United States then sent out two F-14 fighter jets, which intercepted the plane and forced it to land in Italy. A three-way standoff between the PFLP terrorists, the Americans, and the Italian Army on the runway in Sicily ended with the Italians taking Abbas and the other terrorists into custody. Despite intense American pressure, the Italians allowed Abbas to leave the country,and then prosecute the four who were on board. All were convicted, but only one received a sentence of 30 years; the others got off with lighter prison terms. Italy tried and convicted Abbasin absentia, but did not seek extradition until 2003. He was captured by U.S. Special Forces in Baghdad that year and died in American custory in 2004.

Article Details: October 07, 1985 : Palestinian terrorists hijack an Italian cruise ship Author October 07, 1985 : Palestinian terrorists hijack an Italian cruise ship URL HOSTAGE'S DEATH - 'A SHOT TO FOREHEAD' - NYTimes.com HOSTAGE'S DEATH: 'A SHOT TO FOREHEAD' By E. J. DIONNE Jr., Special to the New York Times Published: October 11, 1985 Correction Appended PORT SAID, Egypt, Oct. 10— Passengers from the hijacked Italian cruise liner were quoted today as describing how the terrorists had dragged an elderly American tourist from his wheelchair and shot him in cold blood. The most vivid account, based on interviews with some of the more than 400 people held hostage aboard the Achille Lauro, came from the Italian Ambassador to Egypt, Giovanni Migliudo. The Ambassador told reporters that he had put together his account of the killing after six hours of interviews. He said the killing of the tourist, Leon Klinghoffer, had taken place on Tuesday when the ship was near Tartus, Syria.

Answer 'Slow in Coming' ''The hijackers had asked to be put in contact with the Italian and U.S. Ambassadors in Damascus to demand the liberation of 50 Palestinians held in Israel,'' the Italian news agency, ANSA, quoted the Ambassador as saying. ''But the answer was slow in coming and to exercise further pressure, the hijackers decided to kill a first hostage.'' Mr. Migliudo said that all the American and British passengers on the ship were forced to lie on the deck. ''The hijackers pushed him in his chair and dragged him to the side of the boat where - in cold blood - they fired a shot to the forehead. Then the body was dumped into the sea, together with the wheelchair,'' the Ambassador said. The Ambassador's story was one of many that emerged today as the ship, the Achille Lauro, lay under a searing sun in the Suez Canal harbor here. The Austrian Ambassador to Egypt, Franz Bogen, said he believed that Mr. Klinghoffer was chosen by chance when the hostages wanted a victim to pressure the United States and Israel. ''He was at a certain moment at a certain place available to them and they wanted to put pressure,'' he said.

''So he was the poor victim.'' Very few passengers left the ship, but late this afternoon a group of Americans was taken off on a small skiff, to avoid the crush of reporters, ferried over to a port terminal and taken from there by bus to Cairo. The most moving scene came early this afternoon when Marilyn Klinghoffer, the wife of the slain hostage, made her way to the shore. She was wearing a white flower print dress and was utterly downcast. She barely raised her eyes to look at the mob of reporters and cameramen who pushed and shoved their way around her. Finally, Mrs. Klinghoffer, looking disraught, looked up and said, ''Get away.'' She was accompanied by her friends, Neil and June Kantor, of Metuchen, N.J. Mr. Kantor said that Mrs. Klinghoffer was trying to make a phone call. Widow Returns to Ship Later, in order to avoid the crowd, the Egyptian authorities took her back to the ship in a small craft. As she came back aboard, the group of friends she and her husband had made the journey with stood on the third deck and watched sadly.

A Swiss woman, Agatha Zollinger, told tonight how one of the Palestinian hijackers, in his 20's, gave her two-year-old grandson bullets to play with. ''He gave him live bullets to play with. My grandson was very excited and amused,'' Mrs. Zollinger said. She said she thought she knew the moment at which Mr. Klinghoffer was shot. At one point, she said, Mr. Klinghoffer's wife came back and asked where her husband was. About an hour later, one of the guerillas appeared with blood on his trousers and his shoes. ''It was then I realized Klinghoffer had been killed,'' she said. Austrian Woman Hid in Cabin One of the most remarkable stories to emerge from the hijacking came today from an Austrian woman, Anna Hoerangner, who, upon learning of the hijacking, immediately locked herself in a cabin and stayed there until early this morning. Mrs. Hoerangner, wearing dark slacks and a brown and white silk shirt in a lively pattern, looked spry when she emerged from the ship this afternoon to tell her story.

She said that she hid herself ''in the cabin, in the toilet, under the bed. I found space to cover myself.'' She said she knew the ship was being hijacked ''because I was the only one on the gangway when people came with guns. They started shooting. They threw me down.'' Passenger Eludes Gunmen Mrs. Hoerangner, who appeared to be in her late 40's and walks with the aid of a cane, said she managed to elude the hijackers because they were searching for other passengers. ''I headed for the next cabin while the hijackers searched for the others,'' she said. ''First of all, I knew what was going on and I knew that we all had to take a walk in a certain place in the boat and I could not walk because I had been pushed. After I fell, I saw that the hijackers were going to other places and luckily enough, just the next cabin happened to be opened. ''If it had been another cabin, I would not have reached it because it was too far away,'' she said.

''I was very lucky.'' She said the feeling of realizing the ship was being hijacked ''was awful, I could really not describe it.'' 'Everything Was Very Silent' She said she thought the hijacking might be over ''because at 2 o'clock, everything was very silent and I thought that if everything kept silent until 4 o'clock my time, if everything remains like this it must be over.'' 1 Hijacking of the Achille Lauro | Jewish Virtual Library Hijacking of the Achille Lauro (October 7, 1985) Tweet On October 7, 1985, four members of one of the PLO's factions, the Palestine Liberation Front (PLF), hijacked the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro and demanded the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak persuaded the hijackers to surrender, but not before they shot to death a wheelchair-bound Jewish passenger from the United States named Leon Klinghoffer, dumping his body overboard. Mubarak allowed the PLF leader and hijacking mastermind, Mohammed Zaidan , and the other terrorists to fly to their headquarters in Tunisia. President Ronald Reagan sent U.S.

warplanes to intercept the flight, however, and forced it to land at a U.S.-Italian air base in Sicily. The United States and Italy fought over jurisdiction in the case, but the Italians refused to extradite any of the men. Inexplicably, Zaidan was allowed to go to Yugoslavia. An Italian court convicted 11 of 15 others associated with the hijacking, while Zaidan and another terrorist were tried in absentia, found guilty and were sentenced to life in prison. Bassam al-Asker, one of the hijackers, was granted parole in 1991 and Ahmad Marrouf al-Assadi, another accomplice, disappeared in 1991 while on parole. Zaidan was never arrested. In 1990, he struck again from the sea, with an abortive speedboat attack on bathers on a beach near Tel Aviv . Though he was sentenced to five life terms in Italy , and was wanted in the United States, Zaidan remained a free man.

He spent most of the years after the hijacking in Tunisia before moving to the Gaza Strip in April 1996, after the Palestinian Authority took control of the area as part of the peace agreement with Israel. While in Gaza, Zaidan said he was sorry for the hijacking, but the daughters of Leon Klinghoffer said that he had been convicted of murder and should serve his sentence. As a result of the 1995 Israeli-Palestinian interim peace agreement , however, Zaidan and other PLO members were granted immunity for violent acts committed before the signing of the September 1993 Oslo agreement . Zaidan eventually made his way to Iraq where he was believed to be a conduit for Saddam Hussein's payments to the families of Palestinian suicide bombers . He was captured by U.S. forces in a raid in Iraq on April 15, 2003. Zaidan died on March 9, 2004, at the age of 56 while in U.S. custody in Iraq . Klinghoffer's daughters said, “Now, with his death, justice will be denied.

The one consolation for us is that Abul Abbas died in captivity, not as a free man.” Sources: Mitchell G. Bard. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Middle East Conflict. 3rd Edition. NY: Alpha Books, 2005; Associated Press, (March 10, 2004). Ship photo copyright Ata Bilgili, Reprinted with permission from Dartmouth ; CNN (April 23, 1996) Irish 1p Cufflinks | 1985 | Birthday Cufflinks Irish 1p Cufflinks Irish 1p Cufflinks €59.00 32nd Birthday Gift Irish 1 pence cufflinks. The cufflinks feature an ornamental bird and the design is adapted from the Book of Kells held in Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.

The year on the coin you receive will be the specific year of the listing 1985 - Information and Events from 1985 Kerry won the All Ireland Senior Football Champions Offaly won the All Ireland Senior Hurling Champions Born that year were Windows program invented by Microsoft Also that year The Italian Cruise Liner "Achille Lauro " is hijacked by Palestinian Terrorists Crowd violence erupts during the European Cup Final at Heysel Stadium in Brussels causing a wall to collapse killing 39 football fans. An Air India Boeing 747 crashes into the Atlantic. A terrorist bomb is the suspected cause. All 329 people on board are killed. Dozens of soccer supporters are crushed to death when Liverpool fans riot at Heysel Stadium in Brussels. The European Cup Final is a disaster. Pressure grows for divorce legislation but the government defers a referendum until next year. After the death of Konstantin Chernenko, Mikhail Gorbachev becomes Party leader. His policy of 'glasnost' (openness) brings change to the Soviet Union.

Cork Celebates 800 years as a chartered City In Rugby Ireland win the Triple Crown, they beat England 13-10 In April, Dennis Taylor wins the Embassy World Snooker Championship, beating the heavily favoured Steve Davis on the black ball in a final often described as one of the sport's greatest snooker games. October 25 - The first commercial flight departs from Knock Airport. 13 July 1985 is a day to remember. Bob Geldof organises Live Aid at Wembley. Ireland is the highest 'per capita' donor. Billed as the "global jukebox", the event was held simultaneously in Wembley Stadium in London, England and John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia. It was one of the largest-scale satellite link-ups and television broadcasts of all time: an estimated 2 billion viewers, across 60 countries, watched the live broadcast. The Irish Christmas number 1 is Dermot Morgan with ‘ Thank You Very Much Mr.

Eastwood’ 1985 popular songs Eurythmics: There Must Be An Angel The Concerned: Show Some Concern Simple Minds: Alive And Kicking U2 : The Unforgettable Fire Fergal Sharkey: A Good Heart Smiths: The Boy With The Thorn In His Side The Cure: Close To Me Tears for Fears: Everybody Wants To Rule... Nik Kershaw: The Riddle

Question: What was the Italian cruise liner hijacked by terrorists in October 1985?
Answer: Achille Lauro