Jordan's king tells Congress 'gloves are off' in fight against IS
Key lawmakers endorse $1 billion aid package after airman slain.
A defiant King Abdullah II told US officials on Feb. 3 that Jordan's determination to fight the Islamic State (IS) was greater than ever after the extremist group burned a Jordanian pilot alive.
Despite rumblings of discontent inside the kingdom against the US-led coalition, Abdullah met for several hours with key senators, even posing for press photos with them before heading to the White House. He told lawmakers that the widely distributed video of the brutal slaying would help bring the country together, according to members who were in the closed briefings.
"The king feels the gloves are off; you can't negotiate with these people, you're going to have to take it to them," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a member of the Senate spending panel. "The Jordanian response will be more engaged, not less engaged."
Initial reports from Jordan following the release of the IS video indicated as much, with a Jordanian security official alleging that five convicted terrorists would be executed "within hours."
