The New York Times · 26 October 1985

CP-1985-026

Reagan Meets Family Of Slain U.S. Hostage

By GERALD M. BOYD

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President Reagan gave his personal pledge to the family of Leon Klinghoffer yesterday that the killers of the 69-year-old New Yorker would be brought to justice. In a solemn meeting with Mr. Klinghoffer’s widow, Marilyn, and other family members, at his tower suite at the Waldorf-Astoria, Mr. Reagan expressed his condolences and sorrow over their loss.

The President, who was joined by his wife, Nancy, delayed his return to Washington to hold the 20-minute session. The meeting came as Mr. Reagan completed three days of diplomatic activity in New York, including an address Thursday to the United Nations General Assembly. Mr. Reagan had made a similar vow in a message to the family when Mr.

Klinghoffer’s body arrived Sunday at Kennedy International Airport. Mr. Klinghoffer, a stroke victim confined to a wheelchair, was killed by terrorists who hijacked the Italian cruise liner Achille Lauro Oct. 7 off the coast of the northern Egyptian port city of Alexandria. Mr.

Klinghoffer’s body, which was dumped overboard the next day, later washed ashore near the Syrian port city of Tartus. At Mr. Reagan’s orders, United States Navy fighter planes intercepted an Egyptian commercial airliner that carried four men accused of hijacking the ship and escorted the plane to Italy.

The gunmen are awaiting trial in Italy, and the Administration has made a request to extradite them to the United States. At one point in the meeting yesterday, Mrs. Klinghoffer, who sat in a chair next to Mr. Reagan, reached across and touched his hand, saying of his instructions to intercept the plane, “I’m so proud of you for that decision.”

A White House official present at the meeting said Mr. Reagan replied, “I’m so proud of those young men,” referring to the Navy pilots conducting the mission. Mr. Reagan assured Mrs.

Klinghoffer “that justice would be done” after she said she hoped her husband’s killers would be brought to justice, Letty Simon, a family friend and spokesman, said. “He said he was of like mind,” Miss Simon said.

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