Airbases

Sigonella, the 1985 precedent with Craxi's no to Reagan

In 1985, Italia opposed the United States during the hijacking of the Achille Lauro, marking a crucial moment in diplomatic and military relations between Rome and Washington.Nasi

31 March 2026aggiornato alle 16:30

Il Boeing 737 dell'Egypt Air dirottato da quattro terroristi palestinesi circondato dalle forze americane sulla pista, a loro volta circondate dalle forze speciali dei carabinieri, nell'iconica immagine scattata da un carabiniere l'11 ottobre 1985 nella base di Sigonella. ANSA

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Claudio Martelli: few things in common between 1985 and today

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Between 7 and 8 October 1985 the cruise ship Achille Lauro was sailing between Egypt and Israel when it was hijacked by a Palestinian commando.

This is the prologue to the Sigonella crisis, with Bettino Craxi's famous 'no' to Ronald Reagan, which came to the fore with the Italia government's decision not to grant the use of the base to US aircraft flying to Iran.

The hijacking of the Achille Lauro triggered a long and complex negotiation involving Italia, Yasser Arafat's PLO, Egypt, Syria and the United States, at the end of which the Palestine Liberation Front terrorists agreed to release the ship and hostages and set course for Egypt on one condition: a diplomatic escape route in exchange for a promise that there would be no casualties.

The affair seemed to be closed, the four responsible for the hijacking on board an Egypt Air Boeing flying to Tunis, when it emerged that there was in fact a victim on the ship: the American of Jewish origin Leon Klinghoffer, who was brutally murdered by the terrorists.

And here the situation precipitates, because the US decides to intervene: from the aircraft carrier Saratoga a squadron of jets takes off to intercept the Boeing carrying the terrorists with the intention of forcing it to land.

Malta was rejected, Greece closed its airspace and the group of aircraft then headed for Italia, to Sigonella, site of the American base.

Only then did the US leadership warn the Italian government, triggering, in the night of 10-11 October, a tug-of-war between the leaders of Italia and the US, Bettino Craxi and Ronald Reagan. The socialist Prime Minister had no intention of ceding sovereignty to the Americans.

So theBoeing lands but remains parked on the runway and is surrounded by the Italian military.

In turn, however, the US confirmed the order to take the terrorists into custody and circulated the Italians.

Hence the famous photo of the two circles of soldiers, weapons in fist, around the plane.
Each holds the other at gunpoint.
The tension is very high,
Craxi hears Reagan in the night and confirms directly to the American president the 'no' to the possibility of American intervention. After hours of very high tension, on the night of 12 October it was decided to fly the Boeing to Ciampino.

US jets escort the vehicle throughout the journey.

At Ciampino, terrorists are arrested from Italia.

Except for Abu Abbas, founder of the Flp and mediator for the Achille Lauro, who in reality will turn out to be the strategist of the terrorist blitz on the ship, who embarks for Belgrade and manages to save himself.

"In those days of 1985, a politician who was in the minority, but who had been able to rise to the role of statesman on his own merit, had the strength and authority to oppose, practically alone, those who wanted to defeat the truth and the good reasons of a far-sighted and wise foreign policy that he had been able to express and to make the whole of the Middle East weigh in a policy that was not by chance a friend of peace and progress, an ally of justice and truth,' wrote Craxi's then secretary, Gennaro Acquaviva, in his memoir on Sigonella.

Claudio Martelli: few things in common between 1985 and today

The Sigonella affair in 1985 and the Meloni government's rejection of the use of NATO bases? "The things in common between the two episodes are not many.

In the past there was an attempt at empire on the part of the US, which Craxi opposed with an act of national pride. This time the government was right to say no to the use of NATO bases for an act of war against Iran'.

This was said on Rai Radio1, host of Un Giorno da Pecora, byformer Minister of Justice (from 1991 to 1993, not at the time of the events, ndr) and deputy secretary of the PSI, Claudio Martelli.

What do you remember of the night at Sigonella during which Bettino Craxi was the protagonist? 'Honestly, that night I was at my house and Craxi was at the Raphael, there were frantic consultations and I only heard from Bettino the next morning'.