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American Morning

Little-Known Arab Group Claiming Responsibility for Death of U.S. Diplomat

Aired October 29, 2002 - 08:09   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.


PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: On to a troubled, another troubled part of the world. In the Middle East, a little known Arab group is now claiming responsibility for the death of a U.S. diplomat, Laurence Foley, gunned down yesterday near his home in Amman, Jordan. They say he was killed because of a Bush administration policy to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Let's turn to Jerrold Kessel, who's standing by in Amman, Jordan with more on this story -- good morning, Jerrold.

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.

Well, there has been that shadowy claim of responsibility to an Arabic language newspaper by a group unknown hitherto, calling itself the Honoree People of Jordan, the Honored People of Jordan. And they say they're protesting the U.S. policies both with regard to the Israel-Palestinian question and on Iraq.

But the U.S. ambassador to whom we spoke today is aware of these reports, but it didn't matter who carried out this heinous crime. He believed the Jordanian authorities, when they said they would catch the perpetrators, because Jordan has a good record and the U.S. is confident that Jordan will, indeed, come to grip[s with the people who've carried out that crime yesterday here in Amman.

But for now, it is the consternation and the shock, really, that is still, people are coming, trying to come to grips with, of this event, a very rare event in a very sedate, one of the rare sedate capitals of the Middle East. And that feeling was reflected in the attitude of King Abdullah II himself when he went this morning to the U.S. Embassy here in Amman to pay condolences, along with his wife, Queen Rania, to pay condolences to the widow of the slain U.S. diplomat, Virginia Foley, along with the U.S. ambassador, Edward Gnehm, who were in the U.S. Embassy when the king arrived.

King Abdullah was very solemn but also emotional, as he met with the widow and then signed the book of condolences. In it the king wrote movingly, really, "With deepest sorrow for the loss of a great friend of Jordan."

That's the message that King Abdullah delivered in the book of condolences. But he also had a very strong message beyond that. He spoke afterwards briefly to us, to the CNN camera, which was the only camera in the palace, along with the royal camera. And King Abdullah came across and spoke to CNN. And he said this could not be tolerated, the very fact that Laurence Foley was the kind of man who was dedicated to, with the U.S. AID program, to helping others. But not just for that reason, the reason that Jordan couldn't tolerate this kind of despicable act in the kingdom and could not tolerate the destabilizing of a stable place like Jordan -- Paula.

ZAHN: Jerrold Kessel, appreciate the update and we will keep you posted about the shadowy claims being made by the group claiming responsibility for the death of this U.S. diplomat.

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of U.S. Diplomat>


Aired October 29, 2002 - 08:09   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: On to a troubled, another troubled part of the world. In the Middle East, a little known Arab group is now claiming responsibility for the death of a U.S. diplomat, Laurence Foley, gunned down yesterday near his home in Amman, Jordan. They say he was killed because of a Bush administration policy to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Let's turn to Jerrold Kessel, who's standing by in Amman, Jordan with more on this story -- good morning, Jerrold.

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.

Well, there has been that shadowy claim of responsibility to an Arabic language newspaper by a group unknown hitherto, calling itself the Honoree People of Jordan, the Honored People of Jordan. And they say they're protesting the U.S. policies both with regard to the Israel-Palestinian question and on Iraq.

But the U.S. ambassador to whom we spoke today is aware of these reports, but it didn't matter who carried out this heinous crime. He believed the Jordanian authorities, when they said they would catch the perpetrators, because Jordan has a good record and the U.S. is confident that Jordan will, indeed, come to grip[s with the people who've carried out that crime yesterday here in Amman.

But for now, it is the consternation and the shock, really, that is still, people are coming, trying to come to grips with, of this event, a very rare event in a very sedate, one of the rare sedate capitals of the Middle East. And that feeling was reflected in the attitude of King Abdullah II himself when he went this morning to the U.S. Embassy here in Amman to pay condolences, along with his wife, Queen Rania, to pay condolences to the widow of the slain U.S. diplomat, Virginia Foley, along with the U.S. ambassador, Edward Gnehm, who were in the U.S. Embassy when the king arrived.

King Abdullah was very solemn but also emotional, as he met with the widow and then signed the book of condolences. In it the king wrote movingly, really, "With deepest sorrow for the loss of a great friend of Jordan."

That's the message that King Abdullah delivered in the book of condolences. But he also had a very strong message beyond that. He spoke afterwards briefly to us, to the CNN camera, which was the only camera in the palace, along with the royal camera. And King Abdullah came across and spoke to CNN. And he said this could not be tolerated, the very fact that Laurence Foley was the kind of man who was dedicated to, with the U.S. AID program, to helping others. But not just for that reason, the reason that Jordan couldn't tolerate this kind of despicable act in the kingdom and could not tolerate the destabilizing of a stable place like Jordan -- Paula.

ZAHN: Jerrold Kessel, appreciate the update and we will keep you posted about the shadowy claims being made by the group claiming responsibility for the death of this U.S. diplomat.

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




of U.S. Diplomat>