
President Obama on February 3 condemned the brutal killing of Jordanian Armed Forces pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh by Daesh terrorists and offered the condolences of the American people.
“On behalf of the American people, I offer my deepest condolences to Lieutenant al-Kasasbeh’s family and loved ones, to the brave men and women of the Jordan Armed Forces, and to King Abdullah II and the people of Jordan,” Obama said in a White House statement.
Obama praised al-Kasasbeh’s bravery and commitment to his country’s military service.
“Lieutenant al-Kasasbeh’s dedication, courage, and service to his country and family represent universal human values that stand in opposition to the cowardice and depravity of ISIL,” Obama said.
Jordan, along with four other Arab countries, is part of an international coalition of over 60 countries dedicated to defeating Daesh.
“Along with his compatriots and other Arab and international members of the coalition, Lieutenant al-Kasasbeh was in the vanguard of the effort to degrade and defeat the threat posed by ISIL,” the president added.
Daesh terrorists took al-Kasasbeh hostage in December when his jet crashed during a coalition mission.
“Today, the coalition fights for everyone who has suffered from ISIL’s inhumanity,” Obama said. “It is their memory that invests us and our coalition partners with the undeterred resolve to see ISIL and its hateful ideology banished to the recesses of history.”