East County News Service
December 25, 2014 (San Diego)—Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists claim to have shot down a coalition aircraft and captured a Jordanian pilot. Photos sent on an ISIS Twitter feed show ISIS fighters forcing a dazed and partially stripped down man resembling the pilot through shallow water, possibly toward the shore.
The U.S. denies that ISIS shot down the plane. U.S. Central Command issued a statement indicating that “evidence clearly indicates” the terrorists “did not down the aircraft.”
Jordanian media indicates the plane crashed over the Raqqa province and that ISIS (called ISIL by the U.S. military) has taken the pilot, Moaz al-Kassasbeh, hostage.
Commander General Lloyd J. Austin III, who oversees coalition military operations in Syria and Iraq, condemned the terrorists for capturing the pilot, adding, “ We will support efforts to ensure his safe recovery, and will not tolerate ISIL's attempts to misrepresent or exploit this unfortunate aircraft crash for their own purposes."
The family has issued a plea to ISIS to be merciful to al-Kassasbeh, who reportedly is a devout Muslim, CNN reports. The terrorist group has beheaded several prior hostages, also committing acts of atrocities on civilians.
The U.S,-led coalition has stepped up airstrikes in recent weeks. The coalition includes Mideast allies Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as well as Jordan. President Barack Obama has said he will not authorize ground troops, other than limited personnel to train local forces.
Mark Arabo, a spokesman for Iraqi Chaldean Christians in the San Diego region, had this to say. “The war’s first prisoner from the coalition side has been taken, and I am afraid that by the time this fight is over, it will not be the last. In the coming months, we will find it clear that attacks by air only have limited effectiveness, and that in order to rid the Middle East of ISIL, more must be done. In the face of great evil it is not only our best option, but our only option to engage our enemies in a way that brings the battle to their doorsteps."
Comments
this is war
There are international conventions for prisoners of war