The leader of the Palestinian Liberation Front who masterminded the 1985 hijacking of the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro has been arrested in Baghdad, according to US intelligence sources.
Abu Abbas, who led the takeover of the ship in which a disabled American died, was reportedly captured by US special forces and is currently being held in Baghdad.
Abbas, also known as Mohammed Abbas, was the leader of a group of four Palestinians who hijacked the Italian cruise ship in the Mediterranean in October 1985 to demand the freeing of 50 Palestinian prisoners held by the Israelis.
The hijacking is chiefly remembered because of the killing of the 69-year-old American, Leon Klinghoffer, whose body was thrown overboard along with his wheelchair. After a two-day stand-off, the hijackers surrendered in exchange for their own safe passage.
Abbas was convicted in absentia in Italy and sentenced to five life terms. He is believed to have been in Iraq ever since.
”He’s been captured,” a US official told Reuters last night after CNN had first reported the news. ”My understanding is he was captured during a raid on a house in the outskirts of Baghdad late last night… It was conducted by special forces.” A representative for the US central command in Qatar said it was still seeking to confirm the reports.
According to reports, Abu Abbas had been arrested in a house after a tip-off to US special forces. One report suggested he was in the process of fleeing to Syria but no evidence was given for this and it could be part of the US administration’s current information campaign of linking Syria to terrorism.
Abu Abbas is still sought in the US on piracy and hostage-taking charges and it is almost certain that attempts would be made to have him tried in the US rather than just serve his sentence in Italy.
The hijacking of the ship and its 450 passengers took place as the Achille Lauro was sailing from Alexandria to Port Said. – Guardian Unlimited Â