Body of Slain U.S. Envoy Flown Home From Jordan

The body of slain U.S. diplomat Laurence Foley was flown to the United States on Wednesday after a grim airport ceremony, but Jordanian investigators reported no progress in tracking down his killer.

Diplomats fought back tears as mournful bagpipe music filled the air and Marines and U.S. Embassy colleagues carried Foley’s flag-draped coffin from a hearse onto a slate-gray Air Force C-141 military transport at the airport in Amman, the Jordanian capital.

Foley, 60, was shot by a lone gunman Monday in front of his home in Amman. Police have rounded up dozens of Islamic militants for questioning in the shooting.

Minister of Planning and Development Bassam Awadallah praised Foley, who worked with the U.S. Agency for International Development in Amman, for his devotion to improving the lives of poor Jordanians.

Jordanian officials have said the slaying was aimed at destabilizing Jordan and harming its close relations with the U.S.

“We must see to it that the intended consequences of this despicable act are never materialized,” Awadallah said.

U.S. Ambassador Edward W. Gnehm Jr. also reaffirmed the “abiding bonds” between Jordan and the United States. “Together we will confront those who would seek to damage those ties,” he said.