AMMAN (NYTIMES) - Newly released video of the killing of three US Special Forces soldiers in November at the gate of a military base in Jordan shows that the episode, which was initially explained as a split-second mistake by a Jordanian guard firing on Americans who failed to stop, was actually a six-minute gun battle where Americans crouched behind barriers and repeatedly waved their hands in surrender as the gunman closed in and killed them.

The footage, which was made public on Monday (July 24) by the Jordanian military, contradicts statements Jordanian officials initially made saying that the Americans had failed to stop at the gate, or that the accidental discharge of a US weapon sparked the shooting.

The video makes it clear that the gunman, Ma'arik al-Tawayha, a Jordanian air force sergeant, deliberately fired at two of the soldiers.

Al-Tawayha, who was wounded in the gunfight, was sentenced last week to life in prison for the killing of Staff Sgt Matthew C Lewellen, 27, of Kirksville, Missouri; Staff Sgt Kevin J McEnroe, 30, of Tucson, Arizona; and Staff Sgt James F Moriarty, 27, of Kerrville, Texas.

The verdict sparked street protests among members of al-Tawayha's influential tribe, the Howeitat, who said he had acted within the rules of engagement and was being punished to placate a powerful ally. According to the Jordanian news media, the authorities responded with arrests and what the tribe says were intentional Internet blackouts to limit spread of news of the protests, but the tribe has continued to press for a new trial.

Mr James R. Moriarty, a Houston lawyer and father of Moriarty, said on Monday that he was briefed by the FBI, which told him the video was released by Jordanian authorities to defuse protests and keep al-Tawayha from being extolled as a martyr.

"Jordan tried to minimise this, saying it was the Americans' fault, and now it has come back to haunt them," Mr Moriarty said.

It remained unclear whether the video would appease those in Jordan who felt al-Tawayha had been wrongfully convicted.

The case has baffled investigators from both countries, who have not found any indications that al-Tawayha had extremist views that would have led him to kill Americans.</s>A Jordanian military guard hunted down and ruthlessly killed three U.S. Special Forces soldiers as the men held their hands up in surrender, newly released video of the controversial November incident shows – contradicting the Jordan military’s original claim the American troops didn’t follow proper protocol when trying to enter the military base.

Security camera footage released Monday revealed details of the Nov. 4 shooting at King Faisal Air Base in southern Jordan where Staff Sgt. Matthew C. Lewellen, 27, Staff Sgt. Kevin J. McEnroe, 30, and Staff Sgt. James F. Moriarty, 27, were gunned down. The video had previously been shown to the families of the U.S. Army Green Berets.

Jordanian 1st Sgt. Marik al-Tuwayha is seen in the video firing at the four-vehicle U.S. convoy, continuing to pull the trigger even though the American soldiers desperately wave their arms in surrender during the six-minute gun battle. Two of the men get out of their vehicles and take cover behind a barrier – but al-Tuwayha keeps shooting.

Eventually, the Jordanian guard closes in on the men and guns them down. One U.S. soldier involved in the incident survived the attack.

The video doesn’t clearly reveal what prompted al-Tuwayha to open fire. The lack of sound in the video also makes it unclear what those involved were saying.

Spokesman Maj. Adrian J.T. Rankine-Galloway said the Pentagon was aware the video has been released and referred all questions to the Jordanian government.

“The Department of Defense respects the Jordanian judicial process and supports their efforts toward transparency and openness regarding this incident,” Rankine-Galloway said in a statement.

Jordan initially said al-Tuwayha fired at the U.S. soldiers because they failed to stop at the gate, claiming certain entry protocols were not followed.

The U.S. quickly disputed the claim and said it could not rule out a political motive, Reuters reported. An investigation later found the American soldiers "were acting in compliance with all procedures and accepted practices," according to a U.S. Special Operations Command news release in March.

Jordan eventually changed its position and charged al-Tuwayha with premeditated murder. The guard pleaded not guilty and insisted he was acting in accordance with open-fire regulations. He said during his testimony he heard a pistol shot and feared the base was being attacked.

But the family of the slain U.S. soldiers said otherwise, referencing the surveillance video that was eventually released to the public on Monday. They said the video showed the defendant reloading and shooting at Americans who were waving their hands and yelling: “We're Americans! We're friendly!”

“We've felt discouraged and disappointed with every way Jordan has handled this case since the moment the bullets were first fired,” Moriarty's sister, Melissa, told the Associated Press.

Last week, al-Tuwayha was sentenced to life in prison with hard labor. When the verdict was read, he shouted, “I only did my duty!”

Hundreds of people also protested the conviction, blocking the roads to al-Jafr by burning tires and staging a sit-in. Members of al-Tuwayha’s tribe claimed the Jordanian soldier was a scapegoat.

“People from our tribe, especially Marik, know nothing but the military, King Abdullah and God,” Sayel Abu Tayeh, a relative of the Jordanian sergeant, said. “That is all they have. Killing three souls is not a game to us.”

But the video appeared to be released Monday to counter those demonstrating. Jordan's military said in a statement that Tuwayha “had acted against orders and military instructions and had not acted in self-defense.”

Fox News’ Lucas Tomlinson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.</s>Jordan's military has released security camera footage of a shooting last year in which a Jordanian soldier killed three U.S. military trainers at the entrance to an air base in the kingdom.

The video had previously been shown to the families of the U.S. Army Green Berets by U.S. law enforcement but had not been made public until Monday.

The footage confirmed descriptions previously given by the relatives. It shows the U.S. convoy coming under fire at the entrance to the base. Two figures, presumably U.S. troops, are seen exiting their vehicles to take cover. They raise their hands and wave, but the shooting continues.

Another figure, according to past descriptions the Jordanian, chases them and keeps shooting.

A Jordanian court has sentenced him to life in prison.</s>AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Jordan's military has released security camera footage of a shooting last year in which a Jordanian soldier killed three U.S. military trainers at the entrance to an air base in the kingdom.

The video had previously been shown to the families of the U.S. Army Green Berets by U.S. law enforcement but had not been made public until Monday.

The footage confirmed descriptions previously given by the relatives. It shows the U.S. convoy coming under fire at the entrance to the base. Two figures, presumably U.S. troops, are seen exiting their vehicles to take cover. They raise their hands and wave, but the shooting continues.

Another figure, according to past descriptions the Jordanian, chases them and keeps shooting.

A Jordanian court has sentenced him to life in prison.</s>Sergeant Tawayha, who was wounded in the gunfight, was sentenced last week to life in prison for the killing of Staff Sgt. Matthew C. Lewellen, 27, of Kirksville, Mo.; Staff Sgt. Kevin J. McEnroe, 30, of Tucson; and Staff Sgt. James F. Moriarty, 27, of Kerrville, Tex.

The verdict sparked street protests among members of Sergeant Tawayha’s influential tribe, the Howeitat, who said he had acted within the rules of engagement and was being punished to placate a powerful ally. According to the Jordanian news media, the authorities responded with arrests and what the tribe says were intentional internet blackouts to limit spread of news of the protests, but the tribe has continued to press for a new trial.

James R. Moriarty, a Houston lawyer and the father of Sergeant Moriarty, said Monday that he was briefed by the F.B.I., which told him the video was released by Jordanian authorities to defuse protests and keep Sergeant Tawayha from being extolled as a martyr.

“Jordan tried to minimize this, saying it was the Americans’ fault, and now it has come back to haunt them,” Mr. Moriarty said.</s>The verdict sparked street protests among members of Sergeant Tawayha’s influential tribe, the Howeitat, who said he had acted within the rules of engagement and was being punished to placate a powerful ally. According to the Jordanian news media, the authorities responded with arrests and what the tribe says were intentional internet blackouts to limit spread of news of the protests, but the tribe has continued to press for a new trial.

James R. Moriarty, a Houston lawyer and the father of Sergeant Moriarty, said Monday that he was briefed by the F.B.I., which told him the video was released by Jordanian authorities to defuse protests and keep Sergeant Tawayha from being extolled as a martyr.

“Jordan tried to minimize this, saying it was the Americans’ fault, and now it has come back to haunt them,” Mr. Moriarty said.

It remained unclear whether the video would appease those in Jordan who felt that Sergeant Tawayha had been wrongfully convicted.

Initially, both the American and Jordanian governments concealed details about the shooting, with American officials not mentioning that the three men killed had been training Syrian rebels as part of a covert program run by the C.I.A.

The case has baffled investigators from both countries, who have not found any indications that Sergeant Tawayha had extremist views that would have led him to kill Americans.

The video provides no insight into why the shooting happened. It has no sound, making it unclear what anyone involved was saying, and the camera angle is limited, showing only two of the cars in the four-car convoy after the shooting begins.

A Jordanian official said on Monday night that the video could not be released earlier because Sergeant Tawayha’s trial was in progress.</s>In a fiery parliamentary session held on July 25, following the release of the Israeli Embassy security guard involved in a deadly shooting incident, Jordanian MPs staged a mass walkout in protest and demanded that the Jordanian ambassador to Israel be recalled home. Footage from the session shows MPs Sadah Habashneh and Khaled Fanatseh calling on their colleagues to walk out with them, with Habashneh saying that the Jordanian prime minister had "sold us out." Jordanian MP Sadah Habashneh: (...</s>Editors Note: Footage is grainy and taken from a distance, but could still be disturbing to some viewers.

A Jordanian soldier has been sentenced to hard labor after opening fire on three United States Army Green Berets in November. Now, footage leading up to the shooting has been shared by the Jordanian army, reports the New York Post.

The video shows the American soldiers entering the al-Jafr base moments before they were gunned down by 1st Sgt. Marik al-Tuwayha.

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Al-Tuwayha said that he shot in self-defense, believing the base to be under attack. However, the Jordanian army countered the statement by saying that he “acted against orders and military instructions and had not acted in self-defense.”

The three men who were killed were Staff Sgt. Matthew C. Lewellen, 27, of Kirksville, Mo.; Staff Sgt. Kevin J. McEnroe, 30, of Tucson, Ariz.; and Staff Sgt. James F. Moriarty, 27, of Kerrville, Texas.</s>Jordan’s military has released shocking surveillance footage of one of its soldiers gunning down three US Army Green Berets at an air base in the kingdom.

The three soldiers were killed Nov. 4 when their vehicles came under fire at the entrance of the al-Jafr base in southern Jordan.

The victims were Staff Sgt. Matthew C. Lewellen, 27, of Kirksville, Missouri; Staff Sgt. Kevin J. McEnroe, 30, of Tucson, Arizona; and Staff Sgt. James F. Moriarty, 27, of Kerrville, Texas.

The Jordanian soldier who killed them, 1st Sgt. Marik al-Tuwayha, was sentenced by a Jordanian military court last week to life in prison with hard labor.

He claimed he opened fire because he feared the base was about to come under attack.

But Jordanian officials said he “had acted against orders and military instructions and had not acted in self-defense.”

The roughly six-minute silent video — which was released by Hala Akhbar, a military news site linked to the military — shows a convoy arriving at the base, where a guard opens a gate to let the vehicles in.

But seconds later, two of the Americans are seen getting out of their vehicles and taking cover behind concrete barriers as puffs of smoke are seen, indicating gunfire is hitting the blocks.

The US soldiers raise their hands and wave from behind the barriers, but the shooting continues.

Another figure, according to descriptions by the Jordanians, chases them and continues firing.

According to descriptions from relatives, Lewellen and McEnroe, who were in the first vehicle stopped at the gate, were the first to be hit by gunfire.

Moriarty and another soldier jumped out of the next two cars to take cover and returned fire with their pistols, yelling that they were friendly forces, the relatives said.

But al-Tuwayha kept shooting, they said. He was seriously wounded in the exchange.</s>TEL AVIV — Social media users across the Arab world have taken to Twitter to express their anger and advocate anti-Semitic conspiracies regarding an agreement between Israel and Jordan that ended a crisis surrounding the recent shooting at the Israeli embassy in Jordan where an Israeli security guard shot and killed a Jordanian civilian in self-defense while the Jordanian was reportedly stabbing him.

Another Jordanian who was nearby was also shot in the incident and later died of his wounds.

In the wake of the agreement between the two sides, the Israeli security guard and the entire Amman embassy staff returned home yesterday.

While many Jordanian public figures avoided addressing the agreement, perhaps to steer clear of Jordanian authorities, many social media users addressed the issue extensively and most expressed anger.

Jordanian Taq Zoubi addressed Jordan’s relations with Israel, writing, “The very presence of the embassy in Jordan is a huge embarrassment! So how is it that the embassy is here to murder the sons of the homeland! Not only Palestine is occupied!!!”

Qatari Twitter user Abou Mashaal expressed an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory, writing, “Everyone should understand now that those controlling the Arabs and the Muslims are Zionists. How does Jordan give up those who murdered its people in cold blood and transfer them to the enemy?”

Muhammed al-Hassan from the Palestinian Authority wrote, “Oh shame, oh shame, Jordan has been sold for dollars.”

Yousef Grib criticized the authorities in Jordan, writing, “Mercenaries, shame that Jordan allowed them (the embassy staff) to leave. They should have been arrested.”

A female Twitter user from Qatar, Shosho al-Ujeimi wrote, “Allah’s curse upon you. I am shocked by the response of the Jordanian government. How can they let a murderer go without any investigation?”

Social media user Rifi also criticized Jordan, writing, “Where are the respected ones? The people of pride, where is your king who sold his land, sold his homeland? How did he sell his people for cheap? Ugh, for the King of Jordan who sold his religion and his pride.”

A Jordanian wrote sarcastically, “The punishment in Jordan for the murder of Jordanians by a Zionist is an investigation of 30 seconds and then his return in honor to his country!!!”

Palestinian social media user Gharib compared the incident to the execution of Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kasasbeh, who was killed by the Islamic State after being captured by the group. He wrote, “When they killed Kasasbeh, entire villages were set on fire (by the Jordanian air force). But he who murders two Jordanians returns to his country. Sometimes my brain doesn’t understand. But Jordan will continue to be in the heart of every Palestinian.”

Tareq Ziad wrote, “Last night, Monday July 24, 2017 is the day of the fall of the honor of every Jordanian living in his homeland. This is proof of how cheap the blood of a Jordanian citizen is.”

A Jordanian named Mohammed wrote, “Where is our government? Look how all the Arabs mock us. One of them wrote, ‘no big deal, I’ll go to Jordan, murder a Jordanian citizen and come back the same day.’ You’ve turned us into a joke…”

The Palestinian Mohammed Hamoude compared the Israeli security guard in Jordan to the Israeli soldiers being held in Gaza (though Israel says they are the dead bodies of soldiers), and wrote sarcastically, “The soldiers Shaul Oron and Hadar Goldin being held in Gaza called their parents and cried. The two said if only we had fallen captive in Jordan.”

Another Twitter user named Amin criticized the Jordanian king, writing, “If I were the king of Jordan I would give Israel the body of the Jordanian martyr in addition to the murderer so that relations with the Zionists would be the best.”
Jordanian authorities release a video of a Jordanian Air Force sergeant shooting United States soldiers.