Investigators: Killing of 3 U.S. Soldiers in Jordan Appears to Have Been Deliberate
Investigators: Killing of 3 U.S. Soldiers in Jordan Appears to Have Been Deliberate by Joby Warrick and Thomas Gibbons-Neff, Washington Post
Officials investigating the slayings of three U.S. soldiers in Jordan this month say they now know precisely how the Americans were killed but still lack a clear explanation for why a Jordanian guard opened fire on the men as they returned to their base from a training mission.
Surveillance video and witness accounts confirm that the soldiers from the 5th Special Forces Group were shot without provocation as they prepared to enter Prince Faisal Air Base in southern Jordan on Nov. 4. Yet, more than two weeks later, no information has emerged linking the guard to extremist groups or causes, according to U.S. and Middle Eastern officials familiar with the ongoing probe.
The shooter, who was critically wounded in an exchange of fire with the Americans, has remained in an induced coma in a Jordanian hospital since the incident. A team of investigators led by the FBI has conducted an extensive search for possible connections to terrorist groups, interviewing relatives and associates and scouring the man’s computer and cellphone, so far without finding links to jihadists or even evidence of strong religious views, the officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation…