The Achilles Lauro , in the past Willem Ruys , is a Cruising ship transatlantic, mainly known for the diversion of which it was the object in 1985.

Its construction was decided in 1938, and its Coque was completed in 1939 with Flessingue with the the Netherlands by Rotterdamsche Lord. Construction was delayed by the Second world war and it is finally only the December 2nd 1947 that the steamer carried out its inaugural voyage. The boat was equipped with an installation of dessalinisation enabling him to draw from drinking water starting from Sea water.

Until 1963, the steamer remained in service on the Europe-Australia line and was also used like sailing boat of cruising in Mediterranean. Then, in 1964, the steamer was sold with the Fleet Lauro and renamed Achille Lauro, of the name of the preceding mayor of Naples. Rebuilt and modernized, it returned again in service in 1966.

In April 1975, whereas it was in the Détroit of Dardanelles, it entered in collision with Yousset, a Navire bétailler, which ran following the shock.

By four times, in 1965, 1972, 1981 and 1994, it was victim of fires, whose last which occurred the November 30th 1994 caused the shipwreck of the boat the December 2nd of the same year to broad of the Somalia in the Indian Ocean.

The diversion

See also: Diversion of Achilles Lauro

The October 7th 1985 of the terrorists of the Front of Release of Palestine were introduced into Achilles Lauro and divert it. A negotiation italo-Egyptian woman results in promising a return in safety to these terrorists in the country of their choice in exchange of the abandonment of the boat and of its passengers. Four Palestinian flies away in a Boeing Egyptian, which is intercepted by hunting American and constrained to be posed on the basis of NATO of Sigonella in Sicily. Washington claims the delivery of the pirates. Bettino Craxi, having called its on Egypt, refuses to yield and the four Palestinians go freely in Yugoslavia the October 12th . This dissension between the the United States and the Italy causes a crisis known under the name of Crise of Sigonella.

October 7th 1985 of the terrorists of the Front of Release of Palestine were introduced into Achilles Lauro and diverted it towards the Egyptian Territorial water. The terrorists exigaient of the captain whom the steamer moves towards the Syrian port of Tartous and threatened to carry out the 100 passengers (as a majority of the elderly) if Israel did not release 50 Palestinian prisoners.

Once arrived at Tartous, the terrorists were made oppose an end not-to receive on behalf of the Syrian authorities with their request to accost in the port. Furious, and eager to show their determination, the Palestinian terrorists reflect their threat with execution killing a first hostage, Leon Klinghoffer. This last had not been randomly selected, it acted of a paraplegic American pensioner, Juif in addition. The chief of the terrorists drew a ball in the head to him, before pushing it over edge with his wheel chair. The Syrians, however, did not authorize therefore the boat to accost in Tartous.

Before one second execution takes place, the pirates accepted the order of the leaders of the Front of Release of Palestine not to make an attempt on the life of their passengers and to move towards Port Saïd to Egypt. Being this time authorized with accosted, the terrorists could start to negotiate with the Egyptian government. An agreement was found, allowing the release of all the hostages in exchange of what the terrorists embarked in a Boeing 737 in departure for the Tunisia. When the American ambassador in Egypt learned the assassination from the American passenger, he asked that the pirates be retained, without result, the plane transporting the pirates having already taken off.

The United States however did not resign itself therefore and the US Saratoga, an aircraft carrier of the American marine of the Lexington class, which had just finished operations of NATO in the Mediterranean and made course on the port of Dubrovnik in Yugoslavia accepted the order to make half-turn and of launching its fighter plans in order to intercept the plane of the terrorists. The aircraft carrier managed to make take off two F-14 Tomcat S and a plane of air monitoring and airborne command, the E-2 Hawkeye in hardly 22 minutes, instead of the 60 minutes normally necessary taking into account the level of alarm in which the US Saratoga was at this time there. Since the exact hour of takeoff and the route of the plane of the terrorists were unknown, the planes had as an instruction to intercept and identify of night all the planes crossing in the Mediterranean on the supposed course of the Egyptian plane. It is only at the end of the fourth interception, 45 minutes after their launching, that the planes identified their target right in the south of the island of Crête. The four F-14 which escorted the 737 convainquirent the crew then to land with Sigonella, without the Egyptian pilot not trying delaying tacticses. After the landing, American soldiers encircled the airliner and the terrorists were given to the Italian authorities.

It should be noted that F-14 passed a little more than six hours and half in flight, whereas they have a theoretical endurance of approximately two hours before having to supply. They thus consumed more than nine tons of fuel each one to achieve their mission. The eighteen tons necessary were delivered by four A-6 tankers of the air fleet of Saratoga.

Italy showed Abou Abbas to be the brain of the attack and although it was not on board Achilles Lauro, condemned it by contumacy to five custodial sentences to life to have organized this diversion. They are only 20 years later that the terrorist will be captured by the American special forces in Baghdad in April 2003, before dying at the 56 years age the March 8th 2004 following a Heart attack, whereas it was held by the American forces.

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