Jordan pilot death 'will be avenged'
- Published
Jordan is likely to retaliate - and soon - for the horrendous murder of its pilot by IS.
The country's former foreign minister, Marwan Muasher, told me he wouldn't be surprised if convicted IS terrorists being held by Jordan would be put to death in the next few days.
Mr Muasher said the popular demand for some kind of revenge will need to be satisfied.
He also said this incident has united Jordanians in the way that the 2005 bombing of an Amman hotel also did.
Mr Muasher, who is based in Jordan, said that same sense of unity today would override any opposition to Jordan being a member of the coalition.
America will not respond directly to the killing of Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kaseasbeh - but it will keep up pressure on Islamic State.
Admiral John Kirby, the Pentagon's spokesperson, says America never responds directly to these killings, even when it was Americans being executed by IS. He insisted, however, that there are lots of ways the US-led coalition can challenge IS even harder.
"We're going to have to keep the pressure on, we're going to have to keep our foot on the accelerator, as we continue to take the fight to these guys," he told me.
When I asked him what concrete impact the five months of allied bombings have had against the militant group, he said they can see IS changing its behaviour in Iraq in response.
For example, he said, IS fighters don't travel in convoys anymore because those are easy targets, some have taken to hiding, and their supplies have been badly diminished.