Crisis of Sigonella
Diplomatic crisis between Italy and the United States / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Sigonella crisis (named after the air base at which it originated, in Sicily) was a diplomatic case between Italy and the United States that occurred in October 1985.
Quick Facts Sigonella crisis, Date ...
Sigonella crisis | |||||||
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Achille Lauro | |||||||
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Italy | United States | ||||||
Caused by the hijacking of the liner MS Achille Lauro and murder of a passenger |
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The incident risked escalating into an armed confrontation between VAM (Vigilanza Aeronautica Militare) and Carabinieri on the one hand, and Delta Force[1] (a special forces unit of the U.S. Armed Forces) soldiers on the other, in the aftermath of a political rupture between Italian Prime Minister Bettino Craxi and U.S. President Ronald Reagan about the fate of Palestinian terrorists who had hijacked and diverted the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro, killing a US passenger.