Abdullah, Obama meet after IS video purportedly shows Jordanian pilot's death

AMMAN, Jordan, Feb. 3 (UPI) -- A video released Tuesday claims to depict the burning to death of First Lt. Moaz al-Kasasbeh, the Jordanian pilot captured by the Islamic State on Dec. 24.

The video, over 22 minutes long, has not been verified, but was distributed through a Twitter account which has offered IS propaganda in the past. It shows a caged man being burned alive, the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors Islamist militant activity, said.

Al-Kasasbeh, 26, was captured when his F-16 fighter plane crashed near Raqqa, Syria, while on a mission in support of the U.S.-led coalition fighting IS, which is also known by the acronyms ISIS and ISIL.

Jordan had been attempting to secure his release, offering to trade him for Sajida al-Rishawi, imprisoned in Jordan for her involvement in hotel bombings in 2005.

Jordanian King Abdullah II confirmed al-Kasasbeh's death, saying the pilot died defending his faith and family.

"Today we stand shoulder to shoulder with the family of the martyr hero Moaz, with our people and our armed forces in this tragedy," Abdullah said. "At these difficult times it is every Jordanian's duty to stand together in the face of crises and ordeals, which will only make us stronger."

King Abdullah II was in the United States Tuesday and said he would cut the visit short to return to Jordan. He pushed up a scheduled meeting with Obama.

The two met Tuesday evening in the Oval Office, but made no public comments on the visit.

Earlier in the day, Obama released a statement condemning the killing of al-Kasasbeh.

"Today, we join the people of Jordan in grieving the loss of one of their own, First Lieutenant Moaz al-Kasasbeh, cruelly and brutally killed by ISIL terrorists. On behalf of the American people, I offer my deepest condolences to Lieutenant al-Kasasbeh's family and loved ones, to the brave men and women of the Jordan Armed Forces, and to King Abdullah II and the people of Jordan," Obama said.

"Lieutenant al-Kasasbeh's dedication, courage, and service to his country and family represent universal human values that stand in opposition to the cowardice and depravity of ISIL, which has been so broadly rejected around the globe. As we grieve together, we must stand united, respectful of his sacrifice to defeat this scourge. Today, the coalition fights for everyone who has suffered from ISIL's inhumanity. It is their memory that invests us and our coalition partners with the undeterred resolve to see ISIL and its hateful ideology banished to the recesses of history," he added.