Jordanian Soldier Charged With Murder of 3 US Special Forces Soldiers

The government of Jordan has announced that they have formally charged one of its soldiers with “Murder with intent to kill” in a shooting incident of three US Green Berets in November.

The US Special Forces soldiers were part of a training mission and were shot as they drove up to enter a military base where they were assigned. There were initial reports that stated the US and Jordanian officials had differed on whether the Americans had followed base protocol on entering, but video surveillance has proved that the US troops did, in fact, follow correct procedures.

Three US Army Special Forces soldiers were shot at the King Faisal Air Base in Jordan during the incident on November 4. There was an intense firefight between a Jordanian guard, who wore body armor and carried an M-16 rifle, and the US soldiers, equipped only with sidearms.

Army Staff Sgt. Kevin McEnroe was killed instantly and Staff Sgt. Matthew Lewellen was mortally wounded when the guard opened fire on the soldiers’ vehicle while it was stopped at the base’s gate. The third man, Staff Sgt. James Moriarty, suffered a mortal wound after firing his pistol at the Jordanian guard.

In March, the US military determined that the three men followed proper procedures during the incident, despite initial Jordanian media claims to the contrary.

A US Special Operations Command investigation into the shooting found the US forces “demonstrated valorous conduct and extraordinary heroism” after coming under fire from a Jordanian guard, according to a redacted copy of the report.

“There is no evidence that US forces failed to fully comply with Jordanian Base entrance procedures,” the report said.

Jordanian state media initially blamed the incident on the soldiers’ failure to adhere to proper procedures at the base’s entrance, though US officials disputed that at the time.

Investigators said they were able to obtain video surveillance footage of the event, allowing for a very detailed examination.

This development from the Jordanian government may help the families of the slain soldiers find a bit of closure as some have been adamant that the Jordanian soldier in question be charged with murder.

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Photo courtesy US Army