Staff Sgt. Matthew C. Lewellen, 27; Staff Sgt. Kevin J. McEnroe, 30; and Staff Sgt. James F. Moriarty, 27 were killed as they were trying to enter the al-Jafr base in southern Jordan, despite the fact that they kept waving friendly gestures and were unarmed at the time.
The incident occurred in November but other than the soldier’s families no one has seen the video until now. The three Army Green Berets were working as trainers on the base.
The Jordanian soldier, 1st Sgt. Marik al-Tuwayha, was found guilty in their murders and has been sentenced to life at hard labor. The soldier later claimed that he thought the base was under attack and the Jordanian government originally accused the three of violating entry rules but was later withdrawn and the soldier was prosecuted for the shooting.
The victims of the shooting were Staff Sgt. Matthew C. Lewellen, 27, of Kirksville, Missouri; Staff Sgt. Kevin J. McEnroe, 30, of Tucson, Arizona; and Staff Sgt. James F. Moriarty, 27, of Kerrville, Texas.
The 6-minute-long video was in line with descriptions previously given by the relatives of the American soldiers who had watched the footage.
It shows the U.S. convoy coming under fire at the entrance to the base. The footage has no sound, but puffs of white-gray smoke indicate gunfire.
At one point, two figures, U.S. forces, are seen getting out of their vehicles to take cover. They raise their hands and wave from behind a barrier, but the shooting continues. Another figure, according to past descriptions the Jordanian, chases them and keeps shooting.
According to the descriptions of the relatives, Lewellen and McEnroe, who were in the first vehicle waiting at the gate, were the first to be hit by gunfire.
Moriarty and another soldier jumped out of the next two cars to take cover and returned fire with their pistols. They yelled that they were friendly forces, the relatives said.
The defendant kept shooting, they said. He was seriously wounded in the exchange.
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