Obama: Today We Join the People of Jordan in Mourning One of Their Sons

Barack Obama, the President of the United States, in a statement on Tuesday, February 3, regarding the death of First Lieutenant Muath al-Kasasbeh, said: "Today we join the people of Jordan in mourning one of their sons, First Lieutenant Muath al-Kasasbeh, who was brutally and savagely killed by ISIS terrorists." The Islamic State group (formerly ISIS) claimed in a video that it had burned the captured Jordanian pilot alive. This pilot had been captured after his plane crashed in Syria in December. According to reports, the video shows a man believed to be Muath al-Kasasbeh struggling in a metal cage amidst flames. Family members of the Jordanian pilot told Reuters that the army commander informed them of their son's death. Meanwhile, Jordan's state television reported that Muath al-Kasasbeh was actually killed last month. The television network added that the Jordanian pilot was killed on January 3, before the Islamic State group proposed to spare his life and release two Japanese hostages in exchange for the release of Sajida al-Rishawi, an Iraqi female suicide bomber. In the statement from the U.S. President, published on the Facebook page of the State Department, it stated: "On behalf of the American people, I express my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Lieutenant al-Kasasbeh, the brave men and women of the Jordanian armed forces, King Abdullah II of Jordan, and the people of Jordan." Barack Obama added: "The sacrifice, courage, and service of Lieutenant al-Kasasbeh to his country and family represent the universal human values that stand in stark contrast to the cowardly and evil values of ISIS, which are widely rejected around the world. As we mourn together, we must stand united in respect for his sacrifices to defeat this scourge." King Abdullah of Jordan met with Barack Obama at the White House last night, where both sides committed to continue the fight against the Islamic State group.