OLD WOUNDS

Italian Ex-PM Demands to Know if France Shot Down Passenger Plane in 1980

Was France was responsible for an Italian plane crash that killed 81 people on June 27, 1980?

Ex-Italian Prime Minister Giuliano Amato called on French President Emmanuel Macron Tuesday to clarify if France was responsible for an Italian plane crash that killed 81 people on June 27, 1980. Italian judges have been unable to determine what caused the DC-9 civilian aircraft to crash, but have said it was likely a missile. Over the weekend, Amato said in an interview with La Repubblica newspaper that he believes a French jet accidentally shot down the Italian aircraft during a failed attempt by France, the U.S. and NATO to kill Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. “I ask Macron to look into the matter. If he shows that the allegation is unfounded, so much the better. If it is true, he should apologise,” Amato told a news conference on Tuesday, according to Reuters.