Preserving precious life

Jordanians of all shades of opinion continue to treat the downing of a Jordanian warplane over Syria a few days ago with a great deal of concern over the safety and safe return of its pilot, Muath Kasasbeh, topping this public concern.

Details about the manner in which the plane crashed — the probable cause is mechanical — are not known, but what Jordanians do know is that the pilot is captive in the hands of Daesh militants.

Under international humanitarian law, the Jordanian pilot is a prisoner of war and should be treated as such, even though there is fear that Daesh, with its long record of grave violations of international norms and consistent disregard for Islamic precepts may not behave like a party to a war.

No less troubling is the obvious fact that IS harbours ill feelings towards Jordan for having joined the military coalition against it and may want to use Kasasbeh as a bargaining chip to extract some major concessions from the Kingdom.

Whatever the case, Jordan’s priority is to secure the freedom of the captured pilot.

Jordanians have no doubt that the concerned officials work hard to bring him home safely and rally, as one, behind all efforts to this effect.

The country’s stance on the issue will be clearly one that gives priority to preserving the life and well-being of the pilot.

For this policy to succeed, a certain level of secrecy will have to be maintained, and the media should realise that they have to be circumspect in following up on the case.

This is no time for sensational reporting, nor is it the time to interfere in the possible behind-the-scene efforts to bring the pilot back to his family and country.

Diplomacy should be allowed to work on this very delicate matter for it offers the best hope for freeing the pilot whose mission, like that of all those fighting terrorism, was to ensure that we go about our lives without a care in the world.