Daesh released a video featuring the grisly murder of Jordanian pilot Lieutenant Muath al-Kasasbeh Tuesday evening, ending a weeklong government standoff with the militants and two months of waiting for the Kasasbeh family.
First appearing on Daesh-affiliated social media accounts, The 22-minute video was removed from YouTube within an hour of its release, but not before it was circulated throughout the Middle East — especially in Jordan.
In a huge departure from past execution videos previously seen from the group, the ultra-produced clip featured a lot more than the execution.
The names, photos and addresses of around 70 Jordanian pilots were revealed, with a prompting from the Islamic State for sleeper cells inside Jordan to carry out attacks on the military personnel presented.
Twenty-four hours later, the entire region is reacting.
King Abdullah II cut short his state visit to the United States and returned to Amman Wednesday morning, where around 100 Jordanians greeted him at Queen Alia International Airport waving Jordanian flags and crying out for further revenge.
Meanwhile, Jordan announced plans to ramp up its involvement in the international coalition against Daesh. Throughout the kingdom was the overwhelming sense of tragedy, shock and a need for revenge.
What it did not produce, at large, was a shying away from the fight against the militants. Instead, many Jordanians called for a harder push.
Months of media calls for Muslim leadership to speak out louder against the shock-tactic militants are finally being drowned out by an umbrella denunciation of the group. Analysts have suggested that their ultra-extremist moves were designed to undermine King Abdullah II by turning popular opinion in Jordan against the military campaign.
This is a turning point for Jordan and the entire Middle East. Here’s what it looks like, 24 hours later.
