Video Shows Six Minute Gunbattle in Which Jordan Guard Killed US Troops

Official Explanation Was False, Claiming Americans 'Failed to Stop' at Gate

Back in November, US soldiers were killed by a guard at Jordan’s al-Jafr Air Base, which was at the time presented as a split-second decision because the US troops “failed to stop” at the gate. This was pretty quickly revised, with some suggestions it was an act of terror.

Today, the video footage of the incident was finally released to the public, showing what was actually a solid six minutes of fighting between the US troops and the Jordanian guard, with the US troops repeatedly trying to surrender before being killed.

The guard, Sgt. Tawayha of the Jordan Air Force, was sentenced to life in prison last week, a decision which led to major street protests by his tribe, an influential force within Jordan. They insisted he’d aced within the rules of engagement.

It’s likely that the release of the video was done to try to silence protesters defending the killings, though the tribe has continued to demand a new trial. Officials say the case is a strange one, as there is still no explanation for the attack, with no sign the sergeant had any “extremist” views.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.