The Hijacking of Achille Lauro Highlights Lax Cruise Ship Security - PLF Militants

Air Date: 10/22/1985

TOM BROKAW, anchor:

The Achille Lauro affair pointed out the almost total absence of security on one of the most popular forms of travel in the world these days, cruise ships. As NBC’s Robert Hager reports tonight, there was a congressional hearing on that subject today but little agreement.

ROBERT HAGER, reporting:

Surviving passengers from the Achille Lauro complained bitterly about lax security. Seymour Meskin said nobody ever inspected luggage, his wife, Viola told of watching the hijackers leave the ship.

VIOLA MESKIN (Achille Lauro Survivor): They had some beautiful baggage and they took their guns and folded them up and nicely and neatly put them back into the baggage, which is how they got them on the first place, and they made this grand exodus. Definitely if their bags were examined somebody would be aware that there might have been a problem.

HAGER: The sub committee heard suggestions that cruise ship passengers should no longer be allowed to board unchecked. That like airline passengers they should pass through metal detectors and have their luggage x-rayed, and that there should be more fencing and guarding around the docks. But port areas are huge, much more difficult to seal off than airports, the number of people who must board to service a ship is great and checking all that luggage could delay departures by 8 to 10 hours. New York congressman Mario Biaggi and William Carney clashed over weather improvements are possible.

Representative WILLIAM CARNEY (R – New York): My conscience would bother me that if the outcome of this hearing was that the American public thinks that we could change the public on that ship more than 2% we are misleading them

Representative MARIO BIAGGI (D – New York): And I disagree, clearly disagree. I think something should be done and something will be done. The American people would continence nothing less.

HAGER: One reason no one had thought much about cruise ship security, until the Achille Lauro no cruise ship had been hijacked for 25 years.

Now government officials worry that unless some attempt is made to improve security soon there may be still more hijack attempts. Robert Hager, NBC News, Washington.