The World - News from May 1, 1986
Youssef Molki, leader of the Palestinian hijackers of the cruise liner Achille Lauro, killed passenger Leon Klinghoffer “simply because he was American, Jewish and handicapped,” according to a report by Italian magistrate Francesco Catellano. He ordered the trial of 14 people on charges including murder and hijacking starting June 18 in Genoa. Molki and seven other defendants are jailed in Italy. Six will be tried in absentia, including Abul Abbas, leader of the Palestine Liberation Front. The report said Abbas organized the hijacking last October to demonstrate his group’s policy of direct action in contrast to the efforts at negotiations by Yasser Arafat of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
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