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Jordan's king tells Congress 'gloves are off' in fight against IS

Key lawmakers endorse $1 billion aid package after airman slain.
Jordan's King Abdullah (C) meets with members of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, including Senators Robert Menedez (D-NJ) (L) and Bob Corker (R-TN) (R) in Washington February 3, 2015. Jordanian King Abdullah cut short a visit to the United States on Tuesday after Islamic State militants released a video purporting to show a captive Jordanian pilot being burnt alive.       REUTERS/Gary Cameron   (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR4O3XM

A defiant King Abdullah II told US officials on Feb. 3 that Jordan's determination to fight the Islamic State (IS) was greater than ever after the extremist group burned a Jordanian pilot alive.

Despite rumblings of discontent inside the kingdom against the US-led coalition, Abdullah met for several hours with key senators, even posing for press photos with them before heading to the White House. He told lawmakers that the widely distributed video of the brutal slaying would help bring the country together, according to members who were in the closed briefings.

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