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 the withdrawal of Delta Force from the Sigonella base. The four Palestinian terrorists were all tried and convicted in Italy. However, one of the suspects, Abu Abbas, was acquitted and allowed to leave the country. Only years later the American claim about his direct involvement in the attack was confirmed.

The reconciliation between the U.S. President and the Italian Prime Minister occurred a month after the incident, when Reagan invited Craxi to the White House. However, the Sigonella crisis marked a rift within the Italian government, as the Italian Minister of Defence Giovanni Spadolini, leader of the Italian Republican Party and a staunch supporter of the American government, harshly criticized Craxi's actions in a letter and withdrew the Republican Party ministers from the cabinet.