Jordan promises 'earth-shaking response'

Jordan's King Abdullah II promised on Wednesday that Jordan will take tough action against the "Islamic State" (IS) terrorists, beyond hanging two convicted militants in response to IS burning alive 26-year-old Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kasaesbeh.

"The blood of martyr Muath al-Kasaesbeh will not be in vain and the response of Jordan and its army after what happened to our dear son will be severe," the king said in a meeting with his security chiefs, according to the royal court.

Abdullah promised a "relentless war" against IS. State television quoted him as saying "we are waging this war to protect our faith, our values, and human principles and our war… we will hit them in their own ground."

King Abdullah had cut short a trip to Washington to address the situation in Amman, where demonstrations and calls for revenge have replaced the formerly wary attitude towards the US-led airstrikes against the jihadists.

Pilot's father calls for revenge

A government spokesman vowed an "earth-shaking response" to Kasaesbeh's horrific murder, which was shown in a video uploaded by IS to the internet. Amman has already executed convicted terrorists Sajida al-Rishawi and Ziad al-Karbouli in retaliation.

That wasn't enough for Kasaesbeh's father Safi Yousef al-Kasaesbeh, who told Reuters news agency that he wanted "revenge for my son's blood through more executions of those who follow this criminal group that shares nothing with Islam."

Although the international community has stood with Jordan in its outrage over the killing of the young pilot, Amman has also been criticized for lifting its moratorium on the death penalty to hang Rishawi and Karbouli.

The United States declined to criticize its ally, however. When asked on Wednesday, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said that the prisoners had gone through the Jordanian justice system and had already been on death row.

US to send arms to Jordan

The death of Kasaesbeh helped build bipartisan support for increased US military assistance in Congress on Wednesday, according to the Associated Press news agency. Democratic Senator Joe Manchin said King Abdullah must be given "all of the military equipment" necessary to combat IS. Republican Senator John McCain, who chairs the Armed Services Committee, said he expected the panel to swiftly approve the appropriate legislation.

"We've got to get them the weapons they need," especially more sophisticated arms, McCain told CNN. He also repeated his criticism of the Obama's administration's strategy for dealing with IS, calling it "no strategy" at all.

Obama's pick for defense secretary, Ashton Carter, whose confirmation hearing began on Wednesday, promised to cut through any "red tape" slowing arms deliveries to Jordan.

es/bk (AP, AFP, Reuters)