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| Jordanian Police Officer Kills Five, Including Two Americans | Jordanian Police Officer Kills Five, Including Two Americans |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| AMMAN, Jordan — At least five people, including two American trainers, were killed on Monday at an Amman training compound by a Jordanian police officer who fired on them before he was shot to death, the government said. | AMMAN, Jordan — At least five people, including two American trainers, were killed on Monday at an Amman training compound by a Jordanian police officer who fired on them before he was shot to death, the government said. |
| The shooting in the Jordanian capital immediately raised concerns of a possible infiltration of the training program by anti-American militants. Jordan, a United States ally, has been involved in the American-led aerial bombing campaign against Islamic State targets in neighboring Syria and Iraq for the past year. | The shooting in the Jordanian capital immediately raised concerns of a possible infiltration of the training program by anti-American militants. Jordan, a United States ally, has been involved in the American-led aerial bombing campaign against Islamic State targets in neighboring Syria and Iraq for the past year. |
| Jordanian and American officials said it was premature to speculate on the motive of the gunman, who was identified in official statements only as a Jordanian police officer. | Jordanian and American officials said it was premature to speculate on the motive of the gunman, who was identified in official statements only as a Jordanian police officer. |
| The Jordan Times newspaper quoted an unnamed relative of the assailant as saying he was Anwar Abu Zaid, a 28-year-old police captain and university graduate who was married with two children and was from the northern Jordanian village of Rimoun. The newspaper said residents were in “complete shock” over the shootings and described the assailant as “a very kind person, who is religious but moderate.” | The Jordan Times newspaper quoted an unnamed relative of the assailant as saying he was Anwar Abu Zaid, a 28-year-old police captain and university graduate who was married with two children and was from the northern Jordanian village of Rimoun. The newspaper said residents were in “complete shock” over the shootings and described the assailant as “a very kind person, who is religious but moderate.” |
| A Jordanian government spokesman, Mohammad Momani, said in a statement that the dead included two American trainers working with the Public Security Department and a South African trainer. He said two Jordanian civil employees also were killed, including one who died later from wounds suffered in the shooting. | A Jordanian government spokesman, Mohammad Momani, said in a statement that the dead included two American trainers working with the Public Security Department and a South African trainer. He said two Jordanian civil employees also were killed, including one who died later from wounds suffered in the shooting. |
| Mr. Momani’s statement also said two American trainers and at least two Jordanians had been wounded by the gunman, and that “police forces dealt with the incident and killed the attacker.” | Mr. Momani’s statement also said two American trainers and at least two Jordanians had been wounded by the gunman, and that “police forces dealt with the incident and killed the attacker.” |
| In Washington, President Obama said that the United States was conducting a “full investigation” of the assault. | In Washington, President Obama said that the United States was conducting a “full investigation” of the assault. |
| “We take this very seriously and we’ll be working closely with the Jordanians to determine exactly what happened,” Mr. Obama told reporters in the Oval Office, where they were gathered for the start of his meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. “At this stage, I want to just let everyone know that this is something we’re paying close attention to, and at the point where the families have been notified, obviously, our deepest condolences will be going out to them.” | “We take this very seriously and we’ll be working closely with the Jordanians to determine exactly what happened,” Mr. Obama told reporters in the Oval Office, where they were gathered for the start of his meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. “At this stage, I want to just let everyone know that this is something we’re paying close attention to, and at the point where the families have been notified, obviously, our deepest condolences will be going out to them.” |
| A statement from the Royal Court said King Abdullah II had visited the wounded at the Hussein Medical Center in Amman. | A statement from the Royal Court said King Abdullah II had visited the wounded at the Hussein Medical Center in Amman. |
| The United States Embassy issued a statement after the shooting urging American citizens to avoid the area “for the time being.” | |
| An American official, who asked not to be identified because he was describing early reports, described the gunman as a Jordanian police officer who had been fired. There was no immediate corroboration of that account. | |
| A second American official who also spoke on condition of anonymity said the assailant, armed with an AK-47, had come “back to the base where he just sprayed fire.” | |
| “He didn’t seem to be targeting anything in particular,” the second official said. | |
| The timing of the training center attack — 10 years after suicide bombers attacked three hotels in Amman on Nov. 9, 2005, killing nearly 60 and wounding more than 100 — raised questions about whether there was a link. | The timing of the training center attack — 10 years after suicide bombers attacked three hotels in Amman on Nov. 9, 2005, killing nearly 60 and wounding more than 100 — raised questions about whether there was a link. |
| During the 2005 attack, three suicide bombers tore through the lobby of the Grand Hyatt Hotel, a wedding party at the Radisson SAS Hotel down the street, and at the Days Inn Hotel several miles away, minutes apart. More than half of the victims were Jordanians. | During the 2005 attack, three suicide bombers tore through the lobby of the Grand Hyatt Hotel, a wedding party at the Radisson SAS Hotel down the street, and at the Days Inn Hotel several miles away, minutes apart. More than half of the victims were Jordanians. |
| The State Department runs and finances the program at the Amman compound to train Iraqi and Palestinian police officers. | The State Department runs and finances the program at the Amman compound to train Iraqi and Palestinian police officers. |
| John Kirby, a spokesman for the State Department, told reporters at a daily briefing in Washington that the American victims had worked for DynCorp, a private security company, and were so-called trainer monitors overseeing the curriculum of the program, which has been in operation since 2008. Mr. Kirby did not release the names of the victims. | John Kirby, a spokesman for the State Department, told reporters at a daily briefing in Washington that the American victims had worked for DynCorp, a private security company, and were so-called trainer monitors overseeing the curriculum of the program, which has been in operation since 2008. Mr. Kirby did not release the names of the victims. |
| The training compound is on the edges of Amman, in a neighborhood called Muwaqqar, and staffed with instructors from the United States, Britain and elsewhere, said Michael Herzog, a retired Israeli general and a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. | The training compound is on the edges of Amman, in a neighborhood called Muwaqqar, and staffed with instructors from the United States, Britain and elsewhere, said Michael Herzog, a retired Israeli general and a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. |
| Palestinians from government security forces and presidential guards have also received training at the compound, Mr. Herzog said. It was not immediately clear who was at the compound during the attacks. | Palestinians from government security forces and presidential guards have also received training at the compound, Mr. Herzog said. It was not immediately clear who was at the compound during the attacks. |
| In February, Jordan intensified airstrikes in Syria against the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, in retaliation for the immolation of one of its pilots, First Lt. Moaz al-Kasasbeh, who was captured after his F-16 went down in northern Syria. | In February, Jordan intensified airstrikes in Syria against the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, in retaliation for the immolation of one of its pilots, First Lt. Moaz al-Kasasbeh, who was captured after his F-16 went down in northern Syria. |
| Jordan and Turkey were the two countries in which the Pentagon based a $500 million program to train and equip Syrian opposition forces fighting the Islamic State. That program was recently abandoned in favor of one to equip existing opposition forces, primarily Arab fighters in eastern Syria. The C.I.A. also has a covert program to train Syrian rebels in Jordan. | Jordan and Turkey were the two countries in which the Pentagon based a $500 million program to train and equip Syrian opposition forces fighting the Islamic State. That program was recently abandoned in favor of one to equip existing opposition forces, primarily Arab fighters in eastern Syria. The C.I.A. also has a covert program to train Syrian rebels in Jordan. |
| But the United States’ Arab allies have been playing a less-active role in the battle against the Islamic State recently. The United Arab Emirates carried out its most recent strikes in Syria in March, Jordan in August and Saudi Arabia in September, according to information provided by allied officials. | But the United States’ Arab allies have been playing a less-active role in the battle against the Islamic State recently. The United Arab Emirates carried out its most recent strikes in Syria in March, Jordan in August and Saudi Arabia in September, according to information provided by allied officials. |
| Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are now focusing on the battle against Houthi rebels in Yemen, and Jordan has also diverted resources to the conflict there in a demonstration of support for the Saudis. Jordan has said its commitment to striking Islamic State targets has not wavered. | Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are now focusing on the battle against Houthi rebels in Yemen, and Jordan has also diverted resources to the conflict there in a demonstration of support for the Saudis. Jordan has said its commitment to striking Islamic State targets has not wavered. |