Crisis of Sigonella
Diplomatic crisis between Italy and the United States
Crisis of Sigonella
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. The incident risked escalating into an armed confrontation between VAM (Vigilanza Aeronautica Militare, an Italian Air Force unit responsible for internal security) and Carabinieri on one side, and Delta Force (a special force unit of the U.S. Army) 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 the Palestinian terrorists who had hijacked and diverted the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro, killing an American passenger. Reagan asked Craxi to extradite the terrorists, but the Italian Prime Minister categorically refused, ordering that since the hijack had taken place on an Italian ship, the trial of the terrorists would be the sole responsibility of the Italian judiciary. The crisis was resolved overnight, with...
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