Jordanian security forces have arrested a suspect in the Monday slaying of American diplomat Laurence Folly. Sources in Jordan reveal that the suspect was arrested after a short gunfight, and has admitted his responsibility for the assassination.
Folly, an official of the American USAID agency, was shot eight times as he left his home in Amman early Monday morning. The killing sent shockwaves throughout Jordan, and lead to the immediate shutdown of the U.S. embassy.
A previously unknown group calling itself Shurafaa' al-Urdun took responsibility for the killing in a fax sent to Arabic daily Al-Quds Al-Arabi, claiming that the killing was in protest against U.S. support for Israel and actions against Afghanistan and Iraq. However, Jordanian security services treated this claim with doubt, and apparently did not believe it was genuine.
On Tuesday afternoon, Jordanian security forces closed in on a suspect in the killing in the city of Maan. Following a gun battle in which two Jordanian officers were apparently wounded, the suspect was arrested. Police told foreign correspondents that the man, Muhammad al-Chalabi, known as Abu Sayyaf, was wanted in connection with an attack on a police station in 2001
Al Bawaba sources in Jordan said that the suspect was injured in the fight, and is wounded. The sources added that the man has apparently confessed to a role in the assassination.
No ties to Iraq
Laurence Folly, aged 60, was a career American foreign service worker, and had spent the past fourteen years in the USAID agency. He had been working in Jordan since 2000 on a number of projects involving cooperation with local people. The day before he was assassinated, Folly had received an award from the U.S. ambassador to Jordan in recognition of his achievements.
Rumors in Jordan first claimed that the killing of Folly was linked to the anticipated U.S. war against Iraq. Neighboring Jordan enjoys a long and relatively open border with Iraq, and has served as a base for anti-government groups. However, the country is also accessible to Saddam Hussein’s men. It was initially suspected that Folly had been in contact with Iraqi opposition elements and that this had lead to his killing, but this speculation has now largely been discounted.
Diplomat Remembered
Colleagues of the slain American diplomat convened in the American embassy in Amman Tuesday for a remembrance ceremony. They described a caring man who had devoted himself to helping others, first in the Peace Corps and later in USAID.
The family of Laurence Folly has asked that instead of flowers donations be sent to the Missionaries of Charity Home of Love, a Jordanian orphanage. Further details are available from the U.S. Embassy in Jordan. (www.albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
