The CIA recently claimed that weapons intended for Syrian rebels have been repeatedly and systematically stolen by Jordanian intelligence operatives and sold to arms merchants on the black market. Jordan’s minister of state for media affairs, Mohammad H. al-Momani, has commented on the issue; calling the allegations “absolutely incorrect.” The CIA on the other hand have been preposterously tight-lipped about the situation. Their refusal to comment on the situation turned a press conference with the White House press corp into a Saturday Night Live-esque question and answer session.
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Several members of the White House press corp ask a series of questions regarding a report released by Reuters. The report states that the stolen weapons were used to kill two Americans after being sold on the black market.
The report from Reuters states:
Weapons shipped into Jordan for Syrian rebels by the Central Intelligence Agency and Saudi Arabia were stolen by Jordanian intelligence operatives and sold to arms merchants on the black market, the New York Times reported, citing American and Jordanian officials.
Some of the stolen weapons were used in a shooting in November that killed two Americans and three others at a police training facility in Amman, according to a joint investigation by the New York Times and Al Jazeera.
A Jordanian officer shot dead two U.S. government security contractors, a South African trainer and two Jordanians at a U.S.-funded police training facility near Amman before being killed in a shootout, Jordanian authorities had said in November.
The U.S. State Department official dodges each question they ask her with the same response: “no comment.” on the grounds that there is an ongoing investigation. The press conference devolves into pure redundancy as not a single question is answered.
Watch and excerpt from the press conference below.
