A R C H I V E S
Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| US diplomat shot dead in Jordan |
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| sabri |
| 10/28/02 at 09:36:45 |
| [slm] A senior US embassy official has been assassinated in the Jordanian capital Amman, prompting increased security at diplomatic missions throughout the city. Lawrence Foley, an executive officer of USAid, the American development agency, was shot dead outside his home in western Amman's middle-class residential area. A BBC correspondent in the region says the killing comes at a time of rising anti-American sentiment in Jordan and the rest of the Arab world. The US embassy said authorities were "working closely with Jordanian officials to investigate this horrible crime". It urged US nationals in Jordan to be vigilant. Crime scene Mr Foley, 62, was shot several times in the chest and head while he walked towards his car early in the morning. His wife found his body outside their home and raised the alarm. Police sealed off the area and investigators searched for fingerprints and other evidence. Blood stains were seen on the ground near the driver's side door of Mr Foley's red Mercedes, parked in front of the two-storey white stone house where he lived. There was no broken glass, indicating he was shot before he got into the car, correspondents said. According to some officials, the preliminary investigation indicated there was one gunman, working with accomplices. Nobody has so far claimed responsibility for the attack. Outrage Jordan's Foreign Minister, Marwan Moasher, and other senior officials visited the US embassy to offer condolences and support. "The Jordanian security services will deal firmly and seriously with this abominable crime and arrest the perpetrator as soon as possible in order to refer him to justice," Mr Moasher said. Earlier, Jordanian Information Minister Mohammad Adwan said the killing "regardless of its motives, is an attack against Jordan and its national security". Special forces with machine guns mounted on jeeps were seen escorting diplomatic vehicles through the city after the attack. Anti-Americanism In September, the US Government said it had received uncorroborated information indicating that a member of al-Qaeda was considering a plan to kidnap US citizens in Jordan. The US State Department said then that the government had no information to determine the credibility of the threat or any indication of the timing. One Israeli businessman was shot and killed last year in the same neighbourhood as Mr Foley. In 2000, two Israeli diplomats were shot and wounded elsewhere in Amman. The BBC correspondent in Cairo, Heba Saleh, says anti-American sentiment has been rising in the Arab world. America's perceived support for Israel and its threatened military campaign against Iraq have provoked hostile feelings across the region. Arab leaders have repeatedly warned that US policies could destabilise allies like Jordan. news.bbc.co.uk [wlm] |
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