US diplomat gunned down outside his Jordan home
Laurence Foley was on his way to work with the US Agency for International Development mission in Jordan, which handles foreign aid and humanitarian programmes, when he was gunned down.
While Jordan is a Washington ally, anti-American sentiment has been rising with public opposition to a threatened US attack on Iraq, Jordan's eastern neighbour and primary trading partner.
The kingdom's 1994 peace treaty with Israel also has made it a target for Muslim militants and terrorist groups.
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said President George W. Bush deeply regretted the shooting. However, Mr Fleischer said it was too early to tell whether terrorism was behind the attack.
"The investigation is just getting
under way," he said.
"We don't rule that out but we won't go beyond that for the moment."
Jordanian Information Minister
Mohammed Affash Adwan would not speculate on whether terrorists were involved, but called the attack "an
aggression on Jordan and its national security".
Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher went to the US Embassy to express condolences and promised swift action to catch the gunman.
"The Jordanian government is going to deal seriously with this horrible crime," Minister Muasher said.
The gunman escaped and there was no immediate claim of responsibility.
The US embassy warned Americans to "remain vigilant".
The American community of 3,000 in Jordan generally considers Amman safe, despite occasional warnings of
security threats.
The American Embassy in Amman, one of the largest in the Middle East, is known as "the fortress" for its high walls and sprawling structure.
Anti-American demonstrations are less common and smaller than in other Arab capitals, and usually tied to protests against Israel.
Security was immediately increased at other embassies and diplomatic missions. In an unusual scene for Amman, red beret-clad special forces riding jeeps mounted with machine-guns
escorted diplomatic vehicles through the city.
Mr Foley, 62, was shot and died
instantly as he walked to his car at 7.30am. The bullets came from a 7mm pistol.
Minister Adwan said a preliminary investigation indicated that one gunman, working with accomplices, killed Mr Foley. An autopsy recovered eight bullets all the same type from the head, chest and abdomen.
Jordanian security officials said Mr Foley's wife called police after the
attack outside his house in a middle-class district.
Neighbours said they did not hear gunshots, raising questions about whether a silencer was used. A Jordanian security official said only that the
attack was apparently "well organised and well planned".
A Jordanian neighbour, Um-Saeed Sbeih, said Mr Foley and his wife would walk their dog every day and
always wave and greet her in Arabic.
One Israeli businessman was shot and killed last year in the same neighbourhood, and two Israeli diplomats were wounded by gunshots in 2000.
Jordan is known for its tight security, but several attacks have been directed toward Israelis in Amman and along the Jordanian-Israel border.
Jordan and Egypt are the two Arab states that have signed peace treaties with Israel.
Last month, the US government said it had received uncorroborated information indicating that a member of Osama bin Laden's al Qaida terror network was considering a plan to kidnap US citizens in Jordan.
Two years ago, a group of 28 Arab men plotted to use poison gas and
explosives in attacks against Americans and Israelis in hotels and tourist sites during New Year celebrations in Jordan. The plot was uncovered and foiled.
The US Agency for International Development is an independent American government organisation that helps economic development and provides humanitarian aid.
In Jordan, it is working to improve water resources management, health care and economic opportunities for the country's 5.1 million residents.
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