Italy says it will seek the extradition of Abu Abbas, the Palestinian militant who masterminded the hijacking of an Italian cruise ship in 1985.
Abbas – who was sentenced in absentia to five life terms by an Italian court for the attack – was captured in Iraq this week by US forces. The Palestinian Authority has called for his immediate release, saying his capture violates 1995 peace accords which included an amnesty for Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) officials. The daughters of an elderly American Jewish tourist killed during the hijacking of the Achille Lauro have called for Abbas to be tried in the US. Leon Klinghoffer, who was confined to a wheelchair, was shot dead and his body flung into the sea. “We want him brought here,” Lisa Klinghoffer told NBC news, speaking for herself and her sister Ilsa. “We want him tried here in our country. We want to know that he will serve his full sentence – which is hopefully a life sentence.” Full Story
