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CNN Live Today

American Shot, Killed Outside Home in Jordan

Aired October 28, 2002 - 10:08   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: We are following a developing story out of the Middle East, as we told you just a few moments ago, the search for a gunman and a motive in this morning's shooting death of an American diplomat outside his home in Jordan.
CNN's Jerrod Kessel is in Amman and joins us by videophone.

Jerrold -- what's the latest?

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, well, sorry about that earlier technical glitch. I think we've got it all worked out now.

But no claim of responsibility yet for the killing here in this upper-class Amman neighborhood, where the American diplomat was gunned down this morning.

But there's no mistaking the shock in the Jordanian capital at this, the first-ever killing, we are told, of a Western diplomat in here in Jordan. It's a shock both among Jordanians and among the Western diplomatic community in Amman.

Now, there's a good deal of security here. You may make out behind me the car. This is the home of the gunned-down diplomat, Lawrence Foley. And it's all in darkness now.

But just a short while ago, a tanker trunk drove up from the U.S. Embassy to wash down the blood in the area just behind me in the parkway where the car was parked.

It wasn't security then this morning, and at 7:30 this morning, this was the scene. And Mr. Foley, reportedly a 62-year-old executive from the USAID organization, going out to his car heading for work, and a gunman -- at first it was believed possibly two assailants, attacked him outside his car.

But later from forensics, we understand that all of the bullets, seven or eight, from a 7 mm pistol call came from the same gun. So, the Jordanian authorities -- security authorities believe that there was only one assailant, but he might well have had accomplices.

Mrs. Foley came out, although there was no noise, we understand from neighbors here on Arahabi Street (ph). There was no real noise, but she had heard some commotion. She came outside. Shocked, she rushed back in to telephone the police and the U.S. Embassy.

The U.S. Embassy has put out a very strong statement of outrage, saying this incomprehensible -- are calling it an "incomprehensible act," and warning U.S. citizens -- as the U.S. Embassy itself goes onto an even higher alert, warning U.S. citizens to be especially vigilant in this volatile time, when it says U.S. interests may come under attack.

Two Jordanian ministers, including the minister of foreign affairs, Marwan Al-Muasher, visited the embassy to express their condolences. They said that Jordan would lose time in trying to track down the assailants, and they expressed the view that this was a lone act and in no way reflected Jordanian opinion.

The U.S. Embassy tells us that they are cooperating in full with the security authorities of Jordan, but the real concern here goes beyond this attack itself, because what perhaps it exposes is the fragility of the situation of Jordan, a key U.S. ally in the region, at what is a very volatile time in the Middle East -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right, Jerrold Kessel, thanks very much -- live in Amman, Jordan.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.






Aired October 28, 2002 - 10:08   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: We are following a developing story out of the Middle East, as we told you just a few moments ago, the search for a gunman and a motive in this morning's shooting death of an American diplomat outside his home in Jordan.
CNN's Jerrod Kessel is in Amman and joins us by videophone.

Jerrold -- what's the latest?

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, well, sorry about that earlier technical glitch. I think we've got it all worked out now.

But no claim of responsibility yet for the killing here in this upper-class Amman neighborhood, where the American diplomat was gunned down this morning.

But there's no mistaking the shock in the Jordanian capital at this, the first-ever killing, we are told, of a Western diplomat in here in Jordan. It's a shock both among Jordanians and among the Western diplomatic community in Amman.

Now, there's a good deal of security here. You may make out behind me the car. This is the home of the gunned-down diplomat, Lawrence Foley. And it's all in darkness now.

But just a short while ago, a tanker trunk drove up from the U.S. Embassy to wash down the blood in the area just behind me in the parkway where the car was parked.

It wasn't security then this morning, and at 7:30 this morning, this was the scene. And Mr. Foley, reportedly a 62-year-old executive from the USAID organization, going out to his car heading for work, and a gunman -- at first it was believed possibly two assailants, attacked him outside his car.

But later from forensics, we understand that all of the bullets, seven or eight, from a 7 mm pistol call came from the same gun. So, the Jordanian authorities -- security authorities believe that there was only one assailant, but he might well have had accomplices.

Mrs. Foley came out, although there was no noise, we understand from neighbors here on Arahabi Street (ph). There was no real noise, but she had heard some commotion. She came outside. Shocked, she rushed back in to telephone the police and the U.S. Embassy.

The U.S. Embassy has put out a very strong statement of outrage, saying this incomprehensible -- are calling it an "incomprehensible act," and warning U.S. citizens -- as the U.S. Embassy itself goes onto an even higher alert, warning U.S. citizens to be especially vigilant in this volatile time, when it says U.S. interests may come under attack.

Two Jordanian ministers, including the minister of foreign affairs, Marwan Al-Muasher, visited the embassy to express their condolences. They said that Jordan would lose time in trying to track down the assailants, and they expressed the view that this was a lone act and in no way reflected Jordanian opinion.

The U.S. Embassy tells us that they are cooperating in full with the security authorities of Jordan, but the real concern here goes beyond this attack itself, because what perhaps it exposes is the fragility of the situation of Jordan, a key U.S. ally in the region, at what is a very volatile time in the Middle East -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right, Jerrold Kessel, thanks very much -- live in Amman, Jordan.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.