Jordan video shows U.S. troops surrendering

Footage contradicts statements about deaths of 3 soldiers.

Newly released video of the killing of three U.S. 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-sec- ond mistake by a Jordanian guard firing on Americans who failed to stop, was actually a six-minute gun battle in which Americans crouched behind barriers repeatedly waved their hands in surren- der as the gunman closed in and killed them.

The footage, which was made public Monday by the Jordanian military, contra- dicts statements Jordanian officials initially made saying that the Americans had failed to stop at the gate, or that the accidental discharge of a U.S. weapon sparked the shooting.

The video makes it clear that the gunman, Marik al-Tu- wayha, a Jordanian air force sergeant, deliberately fired at two of the soldiers. Al-Tuwayha, 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. McEn- roe, 30, of Tucson, Arizona; and Staff Sgt. James F. Mori- arty, 27, of Kerrville, Texas.

The verdict sparked street protests among members of al-Tuwayha’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 Moriarty, said Monday that he was briefed by the FBI, which told him the video was released by Jordanian authorities to defuse protests and keep al-Tuwayha 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,” Moriarty said.

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

Initially, both the U.S. and Jordanian governments concealed details about the shooting, with U.S. officials not mentioning that the three men killed had been training Syrian rebels as part of a covert program run by the CIA. The case has baffled investigators from both countries, who have not found any indications that al-Tuwayha 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. Representatives of the Jordanian government could not be reached for comment Monday.