Islamic State terrorists have beheaded Christian children, buried prisoners alive and crucified people, often videotaping their atrocities and sharing them with the world.

Why, then, did it seem to shock so many people that the Islamic State burned a Jordanian pilot alive?

Condemnation of the brutal act came from throughout the world this week. One new feature of the reaction was that many more Muslims seemed willing to speak out than after past atrocities.

Jordanian officials reacted swiftly and decisively. They executed at least two al-Qaida members, one of them the would-be female suicide bomber the Islamic State had sought to free in exchange for sparing the pilot’s life. It has been learned the pilot was killed weeks before the terrorists made that offer.

Jordanian King Abdullah II, who had been in Washington for talks with U.S. officials, rushed home after hearing of the pilot’s fate. “This evil can and should be defeated,” he said.

Jordan has been a reliable ally for decades, even when that meant incurring the wrath of neighboring countries. One might have thought that would prompt U.S. officials to provide any military aid sought by the Jordanians.

Inexplicably, no. One purpose of King Abdullah’s trip here was to beg that military hardware shipments to his county be accelerated. Apparently U.S. bureaucrats do not feel a sense of urgency.

They should. Jordan is on the front lines of the battle against pure evil. U.S. aid to our friend and ally should be large-scale and immediate.